To the Center

1999 studio album by Nebula

To the Center

Studio album by

Nebula

Released| August 24, 1999 (1999-08-24)
Recorded| April 1999
Studio| Hanszek Audio, Seattle, Washington
Genre|

* Stoner rock
* desert rock

Length| 47:51
Label|

* Sub Pop
* Heavy Psych Sounds (2018 reissue)

Producer|

* Jack Endino
* Nebula

Nebula chronology
| Nebula/Lowrider
(1999)  | To the Center
(1999)  | Charged
(2001)

|
|

To the Center is the debut studio album by the American stoner rock band Nebula.[1][2] It was released on August 24, 1999, on Sub Pop.[3] The album was later reissued in 2018 by the band's current label, Heavy Psych Sounds Records.[4][5]

## Production

[edit]

Recorded in Seattle, the album was produced with Jack Endino.[6] Guitar player Eddie Glass employed a Gibson SG.[7]

Mark Arm sang on the band's cover of the Stooges' "I Need Somebody".[8]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [9]
Antichrist Magazine| 78/100[10]
Chicago Sun-Times| [7]
Classic Rock| 8/10[11]
Myglobalmind| 9/10[12]
New Noise Magazine| [13]

Exclaim! wrote that Glass "transformed himself into a veritable guitar god almost overnight in an era wherein the slightest six-string noodling is waved off the road, considered indulgent."[3] The Chicago Tribune thought that "acoustic guitars, sitar, [and] synthesizer give this Hendrix-like trio added texture."[14] OC Weekly decided that "the band also gets a little groovy, pulling out the aural incense to jam on the Fugazi-like 'Freedom' and synthesizer-laced, Jefferson Airplane-ish 'Synthetic Dream'."[15]

The Province determined that "this power trio seems to have blotted up its churn and burn from ancient Frisco acid rock band, Blue Cheer."[16] Tucson Weekly deemed To the Center "an album which undeniably pushes the band to the forefront of its genre, whether or not you've got a bong in front of you."[17]

Houston Press wrote: "On a song such as 'Come Down', Nebula actually does what few '90s bands have ever done, chemically enhanced or not: It achieves true heaviness. After the song's simple three-note syncopated intro doubles back on itself, Glass scratches his guitar pick down his strings before singing the hurried lyrics. And it's during those one and a half seconds, the time it takes for Glass's pick to travel a few inches, that Nebula is the heaviest band on earth. Not since Ritchie Blackmore's days with Deep Purple has the simple gesture of pick scratching been used so perfectly."[18]

AllMusic called the album a "retro-psychedelic heavy rock platter, long on stripped-down riff muscle and surprisingly technically adept guitar jams."[9]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Eddie Glass and Ruben Romano, except where noted. All music by Glass

Standard releaseNo.| Title| Lyrics| Length

|
|
|

1.| "To the Center"|  | 6:31
2.| "Come Down"|  | 2:01
3.| "Whatcha Lookin' For"|  | 2:37
4.| "Clearlight"|  | 4:29
5.| "Freedom"|  | 7:14
6.| "Antigone"|  | 2:30
7.| "I Need Somebody"| Iggy Pop, James Williamson| 4:18
8.| "So Low"|  | 3:45
9.| "Synthetic Dream"|  | 4:28
10.| "Fields of Psilocybin"|  | 2:15
11.| "Between Time"| Randy Holden| 3:22
12.| "You Mean Nothing"|  | 4:21
Total length:| 47:51

## Personnel

[edit]

* Eddie Glass – guitar, vocals, percussion, Fender Rhodes, bolbatar, drums
* Ruben Romano – drums, vocals, percussion, sitar
* Mark Abshire – bass, vocals, audio generator

Additional personnel

* Mark Arm – vocals on "I Need Somebody"
* Jon Wright – Fender Rhodes on "To the Center" and "So Low"

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Nebula Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
2. ^ Kassulke, Natasha (October 7, 1999). "SPOTLIGHT: NEBULA WITH ATOMIC BITCHWAX AND CORE". Wisconsin State Journal. Rhythm. p. 20.
3. ^ a b Genovese, Robin (October 1, 1999). "Nebula – To the Center". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
4. ^ "Nebula – To the Center". Heavy Psych Sounds. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
5. ^ Foster, Chuck (February 13, 2018). "Nebula – Let It Burn (Heavy Psych Sounds)". The Big Takeover. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
6. ^ Niesel, Jeff (October 28, 1999). "NEBULA ... rides out choppy surf to find its 'Center'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Entertainment. p. 15.
7. ^ a b Williams, Kevin M. (November 14, 1999). "SPIN CONTROL". Chicago Sun-Times. SHOWCASE. p. 15.
8. ^ Morris, Chris (November 13, 1999). "FLAG WAVING". Billboard. 111 (46): 57.
9. ^ a b Huey, Steve. "To the Center – Nebula". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
10. ^ Castles, Paul (March 9, 2018). "Review: Nebula "To The Center" and "Let It Burn"". Antichrist Magazine. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
11. ^ Needs, Kris (February 2, 2018). "Nebula – Reissues album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
12. ^ Pam and Mark Schaff (February 10, 2018). "Nebula – Let It Burn, To the Center, Dos EPs Review". Myglobalmind.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
13. ^ Herron-Wheeler, Addison (January 25, 2018). "Nebula – Let It Burn, To the Center, Dos EPs". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
14. ^ Kot, Greg (April 23, 2000). "RETURN OF THE STONER AGE BANDS LIKE MONSTER MAGNET AND NEBULA REKINDLE THE FIRE OF HARD ROCK, WITH LOTS OF SMOLDERING GUITARS". Chicago Tribune. Arts & Entertainment. p. 7.1.
15. ^ "CD Reviews". OC Weekly. November 4, 1999.
16. ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (January 11, 2000). "Quick Spins". The Province. p. B5.
17. ^ Seigel, Stephen (October 28, 1999). "Soundbites". Tucson Weekly.
18. ^ Mariani, Anthony (November 4, 1999). "Happy Daze - Nebula conjures up memories of loud Les Pauls, long hair and weed". Music.

* v
* t
* e

Nebula

* Eddie Glass
* Tom Davies
* Jimmy Sweet

* Ruben Romano
* Mark Abshire
* Simon Moon
* Rob Oswald
* Adam Kriney

Studio albums|

* To the Center (1999)
* Charged (2001)
* Atomic Ritual (2003)
* Apollo (2006)
* Heavy Psych (2009)
* Holy Shit (2019)
* Transmission from Mothership Earth (2022)

Compilations|

* Dos EPs (2002)
* Demos & Outtakes 98–02 (2019)

Extended plays|

* Let It Burn (1998)
* Sun Creature (1999)
* Nebula/Lowrider (split EP w/ Lowrider, 1999)

Related articles|

* Fu Manchu

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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