Houdini is the fifth studio album by American rock band Melvins, released on September 21, 1993, by Atlantic Records. The album was the band's major label debut after releasing their previous albums through the independent label Boner Records.

The album features a cover of the 1974 Kiss song "Goin' Blind". The songs "Hooch", "Lizzy", and "Honey Bucket" were released as singles with accompanying music videos. "Night Goat" is a partial re-recording of a song the band had released as a single in 1992. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain is given co-production credit alongside the Melvins on six tracks, for guitar on the song "Sky Pup" and percussion on the song "Spread Eagle Beagle".

Background and recording

Melvins were signed, without a manager, to Atlantic Records by label president Danny Goldberg, at the enthusiastic suggestion of Kurt Cobain. Part of their deal ensured total creative control, with no label representatives allowed in the studio while the group recorded, and Atlantic was forbidden from sitting on or shelving their recordings if they were not satisfied with them. Houdini was the first of three albums they recorded for the company. Osborne later said that he was surprised when Atlantic gave the band complete creative freedom and did not interfere with the sessions, stating the label "let us make the record we wanted to make." He added that the title Houdini nodded to the idea that the band might "disappear" from Atlantic after one album, though they ultimately released two more for the label — Stoner Witch (1994) and Stag (1996).

Kurt Cobain was accepted by Melvins as a producer for the album after an A&R representative at Atlantic Records, who also ran Cobain's management company, suggested him. Despite receiving a co-producer credit, the extent of Cobain's involvement in the album is questionable. Osborne said he ultimately decided to dismiss Cobain from the sessions after repeated absences, though he remained credited. Osborne also rejected later claims that Cobain had been asked to help write songs for the album, calling them a fabrication and noting that the band had already written the material. According to Osborne, Cobain contributed guitar to "Sky Pup" and percussion parts to "Spread Eagle Beagle." Speaking to Kerrang! in 2008, Melvins guitarist and vocalist Buzz Osborne, who later said in 2009 that Cobain was "in no shape to produce anything",

In addition to the production issues, the album's credited personnel also proved misleading. Although the album's liner notes credit Lorax as the band's bassist, she did not perform on the record. Osborne later stated:

"This album is mostly just me and Dale Crover. Either I played bass or he did on almost all of it regardless of what the credits say…" Recording engineer Billy Anderson contributed bass to "Hag Me" and "Teet".

Osborne said that the band recorded and mixed the album in roughly two weeks, splitting sessions between Brilliant Studios and Razor's Edge in San Francisco, and the Laundry Room in Seattle. He described their recording process as focused on capturing drum tracks first, followed by overdubs of guitar, bass, and vocals, rather than recording live takes. grunge, and doom metal. Spin critic Jonathan Gold described the record as "not precisely an accessible mainstream album in the 'alternative' mode, not with its random-sounding ten-minute percussion solo, mumbled, cut'n'paste Beef-heartian lyrics, and tempos so slow they make Flipper seem as speedy as Slayer." with percussion that has been compared to a stuck typewriter,

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|rev3 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

|rev3score = 7/10

|rev4 = Pitchfork

|rev4score = 7.7/10

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Houdini is considered Melvins' commercially biggest release. It has sold 110,000 copies and peaked at number 29 on Billboards Heatseekers Albums chart. The track "Honey Bucket" also received MTV airplay.

AllMusic critic Patrick Kennedy wrote: "With their voluminous output and determination to continuously expand their sound regardless of musical trends, the Melvins oeuvre has begun to rival -- at least on paper -- the career arcs of Frank Zappa and Neil Young."

Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor listed the album as an influence.

In 2005, the album was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series. and on the band's 25th Anniversary tour in 2009. A specially recorded live performance of the album was released as A Live History of Gluttony and Lust in 2006.

Largely out of print on vinyl since the 1990s, the album was reissued in 2016 through Third Man Records.