Homework Alert: Let's dig into "No Biting!” by Greta
Is This a Great Band Trapped in the Wrong Production?
Class is in session, and we’ve got a fascinating assignment for you.
Picture this: Los Angeles, 1993. A four-piece alternative rock band gets the full major label treatment from Mercury Records—seven singles from an 11-song album, MTV rotation, even appearances on Beavis and Butthead. Their secret weapon? A drummer named Brad Wilk who would soon leave to join some band called Rage Against the Machine. Their wild card? A charismatic frontman named Paul Plagens who wore dresses on stage and possessed a voice that could cut through the grungiest production.
That band was Greta, and their debut “No Biting” is our next deep dive—suggested by DMO Union member Josh Ballard, who knows a hidden gem when he hears one.
Here’s the thing about “No Biting”: it’s complicated. Critics and fans largely agree that it suffers from what one reviewer called “inappropriately grungy production” that smothered the band’s natural pop sensibilities. The album got tagged as stereotypical ‘90s grunge when the band’s heart seemed to be somewhere else entirely—somewhere more melodic, more adventurous, more interesting. Think of it as a band with Beatles and Queen influences trying to fit into flannel, and you’ll start to understand the beautiful contradiction.
Your Homework Assignment:
Step 1: Do the Listening
Track down “No Biting” and give it the attention it never got in 1993. Listen for the moments where Greta’s true voice breaks through the heavy production. Notice how songs like “School on Fire,” “Jesus Crux,” and “Sleepyhead” point toward the greatness they’d achieve later.
Step 2: Revisit Our Deep Dive on their Follow-up
Step 3: Come Prepared
Think about what works and what doesn’t. Can you hear the Beatles influence buried under the grunge? What would this album sound like with the production approach they used on “This Is Greta”?
Class dismissed. See you for the full episode discussion.