It’s taken me over forty years to discover Minutemen but I have now and they are truly brilliant. God knows how they have missed my radar - they are such a ‘right up my street’ band now and even more so in back the eighties - but I’m glad to have found them over the last couple of days. Both ‘Double Nickels On The Dime’ and ‘What Makes A Man Start Fires?’ are just sensationally good. I guess there are plenty of you well acquainted with their work so this won’t surprise you in the least.
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Glad to hear it, one of Southern California's finest--but really, they would only see themselves as being from San Pedro. Mike Watt continues to do his thing, playing anywhere and everywhere, no matter how small the venue. It's something to see a rock legend just turn up at a small bar in the middle of the week and amaze the crowd.
I recently read the book Corporate Rock Sucks, about SST records. It's a true shame that so many classic SST albums like the Minutemen's (and fIREHOSE, check them out if you haven't yet) haven't been given the proper special releases that they deserve. -
Yes was going to mention firehose. I got into minutemen first but found firehose even better. Been absolutely years since I listened to either but will do so now you've reminded me of themComment
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I can still barely believe they missed my radar. It’s just a case of there being so much stuff out there that something had to. I loved both Wire and Gang of Four in the seventies and Minutemen seem to have taken their template (a broad comparison admittedly) and gone into even more extraordinary places with it. Sensationally good. I’m playing the two previously mentioned on repeat all day long.Comment
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Funnily enough I read the Jim Ruland book a while ago so maybe that was the trigger to make me explore Minutemen.Originally posted by Incandenza View Post
On a related note my daughter’s boyfriend who lives in Huntington Beach brought me over several copies of the wonderful ‘Razorcake’ magazine for whom Ruland is a regular contributor. Costs a lot to buy the mag via import or the couple of UK outlets that stock back copies. You lucky Californians have free copies to pick up in record stores or coffee shops.Comment
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Well now you're teaching me--I've never heard of Razorcake. I sadly almost never go into record shops anymore. I'll be on the lookout for this one, though.
Another good book for reading more about the Minutemen is Our Band Could Be Your Life, which has chapters on different American indie/punk bands from the 80s and early 90s.Comment
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I recently read Ruland's book as well. Pissed off at Greg Ginn the last couple of decades, but the first few yrs of SST spawned some fantastic music and he is largely responsible for putting it all together.
As great as the Minutemen were on record, (I got their first 45, as I was intrigued that it had 7 songs on it SST-002) they were amazing live and super nice guys. I was living in Oklahoma during SST's heyday and their stable of bands often had gigs in Norman, Tulsa and OKC. Got to see them play one of their last gigs (flyer below) - great show, but no idea that would be the end.
If you haven't done so already, have a listen to early Husker Du, Meat Puppets, Saccharine Trust, SWA, Angst and many more.
danielmak would also be able to contribute to this thread!Comment
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Did you like The Pop Group and This Heat, both of which sort of operated in the same dancehall?Originally posted by Tony C View PostComment
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The Pop Group yes, not quite so well acquainted with This Heat.Originally posted by Sporting View PostComment
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Along with Husker Du the best of the SST bands and still sound relevant today. ‘Double Nickels On The Dime’ was their response to Zen Arcade and they playfully boasted that the they recorded it quicker and cheaper! Everything by both bands on SST is required listening, but you cannot far wrong with ‘Double Nickels On The Dime’ and New Day Rising.Comment
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Re ‘Razorcake’ as mentioned above this is a very good interview with founder and editor Todd Taylor on the ‘reply alt’ podcast. I’m pretty sure there are SST references on here, but it’s worth a listen anyway. He comes across as a really decent guy.
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I love that film. I utterly adore Mike Watt, he is one of my favourite musicians. Both groups have a complex emotional core, the abstractions can fire unexpected feelings.
This Heat are great as well, but in a different way. I do wish Roma would have their team run out to 'SPQR' played at a deafening volume.Comment
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delicatemoth, I saw Mike Watt and the Secondmen when they played the Princess Charlotte back in around 2008? Amazing night!Comment
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Although I'm sure I would have jumped into this thread, Cal Alamein tagging me made it easy when the notice is red. Haha.
A few random thoughts.
I contribute regularly to Razorcake. I do a mostly monthly web column that features interviews with punk photographers and some street photographers who produce DIY street photography zines. https://razorcake.org/
And I have one or two interviews in the magazine a year. The next one will be out in a couple months with the singer from Inyeccion who also runs a cassette label.
There was an interview with Watt a few years back in Razorcake that spread across two issues. He was all over the place but super fans might want to chase those down.
I did not read Ruland's book, but remember reading somewhere that the contracts with SST were signed in perpetuity. I don't know if that was true for every band. Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. got their catalogue back, but Husker Du and the Minutemen seem locked in. Of course, these two bands have members who passed away so two living members and an estate might create a more complicated situation. I also read that Greg Ginn had some health issues, but I can't find any confirmation of that when searching (just a messy divorce and Keith Morris' lawsuit). To the best of my knowledge, none of the SST stuff has been remastered, which is a shame. I think some of the records sound a bit too thin.
Finally, and related to the thread subject. Minutemen have always been hit and miss for me. Most folks I know love them. I bought the Paranoid Time 7" as a kid and loved it. Still dig it. But most of the records I want to like and don't really dig. I liked firehose and have a bunch of their CDs but don't listen to them very often. I think this is a situation where I want to like the bands more than I actually like the bands, but, like I said, I'm in the minority among my friends who like punk.Last edited by danielmak; 03-01-2023, 22:53.Comment
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That’s wonderful. At around 37.00 they play an acoustic version of ‘I Feel Like A Gringo’ which sounds like some inspired cross between Can and Beefheart and is utterly fantastic. The doc ends with a clearly improvised song from the session and that’s great too.Originally posted by Gert from the Well View Post
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Michael Fournier also writes for Razorcake from time to time. He wrote a 33 1/3 book about Double Nickels. There is a "Look Inside" preview available.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minutemen-D.../dp/0826427871
https://www.amazon.com/Minutemens-Do.../dp/0826427871
EDIT: And I'm 50 minutes into the podcast that Tony C posted and Todd talks about that interview with Watt.Last edited by danielmak; 04-01-2023, 02:05.Comment
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I have been doing a mostly monthly column for Razorcake that is focused on punk and street photography. I don't bother posting links when a new column is released but thought I'd share this interview with Brooke Smith since movie buffs might be interested in her life prior to her film and TV career taking off:
https://razorcake.org/a-colorful-lov...aniel-makagon/Comment
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That’s how I first encountered them. So I got Double Nickels.Originally posted by Incandenza View PostComment
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Still playing the first two Minutemen albums relentlessly. Played the Firehouse albums and found plenty of Meat Puppets and other SST albums (also some Secondmen stuff) but nothing compares to Minutemen. I often wonder if they toured the UK in the eighties and if anyone here caught them.
The Watt/Hurley rhythm section is sensational. As mentioned on this thread Watt is still active - my daughter’s boyfriend saw him in some tiny venue near San Pedro not so long ago. He realises how lucky he is.Comment
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These two links only list one date outside the USA (a show in Milan):Originally posted by Tony C View Post
https://www.concertarchives.org/band...#concert-table
https://www.songkick.com/artists/267...men/gigography
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I had a feeling they didn’t travel much but for a band with that reputation one gig outside the US is still very surprising.Comment
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They toured Europe in 1983 with Black Flag
Minutemen Concert Map by tour: European Tour 1983 | setlist.fmLast edited by Gert from the Well; 23-03-2023, 08:14.Comment
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Yes I’ve just found this. Two gigs in London.
https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Flag
Ah, I see you’ve put up a similar linkComment
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