Screaming Life/Fopp

The album combines the band's first two studio EPs: Screaming Life (1987) and Fopp (1988). It was released in 1990 by Sub Pop despite having been recorded in 1987-88, after Soundgarden's two subsequent full-length releases, Ultramega OK (1988) and Louder than Love (1989), had gained them considerable popularity. There are two cover songs on the album; "Swallow My Pride" is a Green River cover and "Fopp" is an Ohio Players cover.

The 2013 re-issue contains an extra track, "Sub Pop Rock City," that is not present on the original release. "Sub Pop Rock City" was a track recorded during the same pre-Ultramega OK era but previously only available on the Sub Pop 200 compilation.

AllMusic staff writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three out of five stars. He said, "Soundgarden aren't as sonically powerful as they would later become, nor are their songs particularly compelling, making this only interesting as a historical recording."[1]

PopMatters journalist J.C. Maçek III reviewed the 2013 remastered version of the album and said, "As for the 'remastering' aspect, to be sure, the album sounds as good as it ever has, especially to those of us who memorized every note by way of audio cassettes. However, the new version doesn't sound markedly different from the previous release on CD, mostly because the songs were recorded tough and rough in the first place."[2]

All lyrics written by Chris Cornell, all music composed by Kim Thayil, except where noted.