Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
1984
Album Summary
Double Nickels on the Dime is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the California independent record label SST Records in 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, Double Nickels on the Dime combines elements of punk rock, funk, country, spoken word and jazz, and references a variety of themes, from the Vietnam War and racism in America, to working-class experience and linguistics. After recording new material, each band member selected songs for different sides of the double album, with the fourth side named "Chaff". Several songs on Double Nickels on the Dime were outsourced to or inspired by contemporaries, such as Black Flag's Henry Rollins and Jack Brewer of Saccharine Trust. Double Nickels on the Dime is seen not only as Minutemen's crowning achievement, but, according to critic Mark Deming, "one of the very best American rock albums of the 1980s". The album now appears on many professional lists of the all-time best rock albums, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Slant Magazine listed the album at No. 77 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". Despite this, the full version of the album is only available on vinyl.
WikipediaI really enjoyed this way more than expected. Clearly punk, but with strong jazz influences, Minutemen live up to their name. The longest track on the album is 2:58 long and it's very much the outlier. Most tracks clock in well under 2 minutes which is why they can get away with an album that's 43 tracks long. Because of the track lengtsh and the sheer volume of tracks, I assumed, before listening to it, that the album would feel scattered. I was pleasently surprised to find that not to be the case. It feels coherent if frantic. I really liked it, honestly. I was going to give it 4 stars but, as I listened, I realized that the musical talent on display here is actually phenominal. It just goes under the radar because of the short-form, punk rock format.
Its impressive having an album this long, and this samey, still not feel bloated or tired by the end of it. It feels like a post-punk charcuterie board; lots of little tasty bites to mix and mach and enjoy across a large spread. Not to mention great musician ship, cool lyrics, and just the deep feeling that everybody here is having fun and not taking things too seriously. That makes for a star of an album in my book.
Phenomenal. This is the type of punk that I really enjoy. It's like punk meets funk. The bass line alone makes me want to pick up my bass and play. I wish I had the time. This album has been recommended to me by more than a few friends who are musicians and music afficionados.
I like the Minutemen, a cool band who did something different with punk and hardcore. Holy hell though, is is far too long to be enjoyable. Maybe the fact that I cannot stick around for almost 90 minutes is just the spirit of the age coming through.
Genre: Post-Punk 4/5 A 45-song, 82-minute endurance test of an album, and the closest I've heard to an album that sniffs the off-the-wall, unabashed music making of The Beatles' White Album, the Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime is a wild whirlwind of post-punk, art punk, and experimental rock. From top to bottom, this thing is jam-packed with ideas, free flowing like the mightiest of oceans. Us listeners are flooded with different concepts, all sporting standard rock instrumentation, but with everchanging structures, song lengths, themes, and energy. From dance-punk offerings like Viet Nam, to heavy alt-country like Corona (the theme to Jackass), to funky post-punk like Jesus and Tequila, to acoustic folk like Cohesion, to avant-rock experiments like You Need the Glory, this album truly runs the musical gamut and never leaves you without something to keep you engaged. As far as the general or "average" song on this goes, most tracks are 1-2 minute songs that dabble mostly in post-punk/post-hardcore sounds and styles. Plenty of left-wing ideology all over this thing as well, still holding on to the values that made punk what it was, but never taken to the point where it's hokey or preachy. There are also tracks like Maybe Partying Will Help and Do You Want New Wave..., where the goofiness and earnestness of the lyrics enhance the performances given by the group, and provide a lot of help for what are fairly standard punk rock arrangements. The total disjointedness of this album did make it feel like a bit of a slog, but, in some ways, it was a highly rewarding slog. This is certainly one of my favorite punk/post-punk albums I've ever listened to, and considering its vast setlist, this album will ASSUREDLY reward repeat listens. Personally, I'd take the time to seek out any songs that online releases cut out from the original vinyl release. If you're tech savvy enough, downloads of the vinyl exist online, and I say provide the only genuine, full-album experience that the Minutemen were hoping to provide here. Just my two cents. Great album.
Nicht ganz so schrecklich, wie ich dachte und um einiges besser als der Kram von The Fall, aber auch nicht sooo geil, dass es drei Sterne verdient hätte. Gute 2 wegen des Jackass-Titelsongs ('Corona').
While this project is massive in size, the song length and variety makes it an immensely pleasant listen. The album touches on topics like the Vietnam war, and at some points seems like a mix of soft metal, soft punk, punk, jazz and the combination of all of it. Probably my favorite listen so far. The diversity of the album makes me want to re listen to it over and over again. 8/8! favorite songs Corona, Dr.Wu.
Loved this album. Haven’t listened to much of the Minutemen, but I could hear their influence in a lot of my favorite bands.
Cuando vi que eran 40 y tantas canciones dije foockh, qué hueva. Pero al final fue una escucha que me gustó muchísimo. Música tan caca que es buena. La corta duración de las canciones garantizan que serán punchy. Creo que la única que había escuchado era Corona por un comercial de Discovery o de NatGeo. Me gustaron bastante West Germany, The Glory of Man pues tienen unas guitarras re pegajosas, y The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts porque ¿cómo no me podría gustar con ese título? En fin, un disco súper cagado con sus letras hechas un desmadre sin sentido, 5 estrellas, excelente servicio. (LEL, Todo lo que desprecié en Pixies, lo celebro aquí, quizás es por los riffs que se siente como una composición completa aunque a veces las canciones queden medio cortadas (???), en fin, la hipotenusa). Mood: ebrio, torpe, descerebrado e hiperactivo.
Nunca esperé toparme en esta lista con un disco que incluyera el opening de Jackass (no es queja). Se sabe que cuando los discos son medio largos me quejo pero en esta ocasión no lo padecí, está divertido y me entretuvo bastante (sori por mi opinión cero profesional)
It's long, but the short song length and great variety make it an enjoyable listen. Love it
crazy how much i liked this - jackass theme song on here too - couple songs sound like fugazi
It's like a rock/indie album, kind of out there. One song was very chill, mostly instrumental. (COHESION) Two Beads at the End is pretty good!( like a single) Do you want new wave song...very interesting. They have live music too. Fuck Advertising! Nice. Shit from an Old Notebook title. Album isn't conceptually cool or anything, but definitely out there and kind of DIY, like not giving a shit but having fun, while telling real shit kind of. It's a interesting kind of music, but something that I may not really go back to listen to all the time. It's also a stupid long album. Even though all the songs seem to be around 2 minutes or so. CORONA- I've heard this on Jackass I think the more I listen the more I like it LOL HISTORY LESSON PART 2 WAS SAMPLED IN A SUBLIME SONG!!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT. THEYRE LA PUNK ROCK So I finished the whole thing. Not bad, 40 tracks that were cool, experimental, and truly DIY. I liked it. It was out there.
How many innovative ideas can you fit into an album? You only get a taste of each song before an abrupt in pops in the next wonder. Never have I seen a band that respects each of its members equally. Everyone gets a side of their own song picks. Everyone gets to shine and show off their talents. But despite its heavy experimental nature, it is still recognizable as punk at heart, with minimalistic and catchy lyrics complimented by direct instrumentals. This is an album I can keep coming back to and pick up something new.
Such a good album that is almost impossible to characterize. Great superh Tight band with good songs. The musicianship is always in service to the song. This gets a 5 from me. Thanks for helping me remember this great album
Definitely thought this was a David Byrne side project at first. Lots of short tunes, really liked this pretty solid front to back and even the weaker ones are so short it goes right back into a new interesting riff or tune. I think I heard the riff that Sublime uses in Greatest Hits in there at one point. I dig.
Remember pre-recorded cassettes? I thought they were the greatest thing, you can play them in the car, stroll around with your walkman and it could jam a whole double album on one tape! The problem with these tapes is they were the cheapest of cheap quality. The tape was thin and the longer the time on the tape, the more stretched out and worn the tape got. It eventually will tighten, cease and stop....end! A better option is to buy the vinyl, dub it to a good quality cassette (Maxell, TDK), then you have a home copy and a portable copy. Regrets that I bought the pre-recorded cassette of Double Nickels On the Dime instead of the vinyl in the mid-80's at a record store in the states. An excellent record, probably one of the best double LP's from the 80's that made people realize, punk or post-punk or college rock really was better than the shit that was on the radio! It really was one of those "game changing" records, at least to me. Labels like SST put out some great albums! A classic, highly recommended!!
Genre: Alternative rock; hardcore punk; post-punk; post-hardcore; Released: July 3, 1984
Incredible onslaught of diverse sounds, and an overall strong aesthetic. I can also see a lot of its influence in later music that I like. It's a low five, but a five nonetheless.
Already a fan of this one. Nice to listen again and I think I enjoy it more every time. Not hard core punk but firmly within the punk ethos. Some of the tunes come off as a bit too blunt ("#1 Hit Song"), but the drums and bass in particular are outstanding.
If I’m being brutally honest there is a fair bit of what I’d have to call filler on this double album. But the best of it is better than it has any right to be and considering it was recorded for eleven hundred bucks (maybe three thousand in 2022 dollars) I think it gets an extra star in my book. My first and most extensive exposure to it was a double length cassette my brother made me from his LP: I was shocked to discover no complete CD release ever come out, and I had to root around on the u-tubez to get the full listening experience. The idea that there may be people out there who think they’ve listened to Double Nickles but have never heard Little Man with the Gun in His Hand rocked me to my core.
While some songs were kinda weird and not really my thing, and while I would've preferred this as four 20-minute albums, I enjoyed most of it a lot.
Serious as a heart attack. Came out the same year as Zen Arcade. The Minutemen's annus mirabilis.
Another badass classic punk album. I hadn’t heard this one but it’s a lot of fun. I’m a big fan of punk in general, so YMMV but this is my jam.
LOVE this album. History Lesson Pt 2 is one of the most charming songs in punk history. This is authentic, charismatic, energetic, sincere music. The Minutemen is one of those cult bands that make you love music. This band could be your life…
Not fair when one of the most significant albums to me comes up on this list.
Я удивлён. Классная группа. Немного напомнила Red Hot Chilli Peppers ранний. Прибалдел, что это авторы заглавного трека Jackass под названием "Corona". В целом, понравилось. Звучит круто. Местами необычно.
One of the best non-punk punk albums ever. Terse and direct, yet wholly original and thought-provoking. One of my all-time favorites!
Stupendous. I had no idea such a thing existed. And to this big Sublime fan, hearing so much on one album that obviously influenced Sublime is an extra treat. I can honestly say that every track of this very long album was appreciated. (Good thing that a couple "meh" tracks got cut for the digital release. I sought them out too, but I didn't love them). Every track with its own character and unique rhythmic backbone. The drums are stupendous, and the lyrics are especially consistently good too. What a lovely surprise.
Yes please - post punk has such a rich history. Could easily have been released today and be very well received.
I found this album fascinating. It really shows how fast punk was evolving during the 80s, as it sounds almost nothing like the punk albums of the late 70s. It has a lot of elements that make it sound like alt rock works of the 90s, though I'm finding hard to describe exactly what it is that makes this album sound like a 90s album. Lots of little things, I guess. The hardcore punk influence on the song lengths really shines through on this one. It's a weird structure for an album that isn't screamed out at 200 bpm, but it allows this album to cover a lot of sonic ground. Really cool work, and a nice companion piece to the other major punk double album from this year, Zen Arcade 5/5
Minutemen came up around the same time as Black Flag. In fact, their debut EP Paranoid Time (pure excellence, please check that one out) is the very second release on SST, Greg Gin's label. The difference between Minutemen and Black Flag was that Minutemen's sound was way more playful and intricate. Instead of blasting out pure hardcore riffs, the three-piece played almost jazzy licks and took inspiration from Creedence Clearwater Revival. It's actually really cool. But audiences hated it. They didn't know it at the time but Minutemen were playing music of the future. These San Pedro boys gave us the first post-hardcore sounds, and it was so cool. But Black Flag crowds didn't want post-hardcore, they wanted just hardcore. So it took Minutemen a few years to get traction on shows. That being said, shows were their life. Minutemen had an interesting approach to the financial side of being a band: they would "jam econo", making their records for as cheap as possible by minimizing studio time, recording the tracks in the order they wanted to avoiding editing costs, and tracking on recycled tape reels. These guys were the definition of frugal and the embodiment of DIY. They would then take a somewhat backwards approach to touring, stating that they sold records to support touring instead of the usual touring to sell records. Obviously they knew something that we didn't because this worked pretty well for them, and they were able to put out some banger albums throughout the 80's, all while making money on the road instead of being in the red. Also worth noting that Minutemen releases are notoriously short. No, their name doesn't reference how they play their songs in about a minute. Minutemen comes from a local right-wing group of the same name, which they wanted to steal in order to make them lose momentum. The band is very left-wing working-class with their lyrics, something that is refreshing imo. Anyway, with their past three albums and four EPs all being quite short, they were gearing up for another standard Minutemen album that clocked in at about 30 minutes in 1984. And then Husker Du came out with their double album Zen Arcade. A punk double album. Fucking unheard of. Minutemen had to head back to the studio to make their next album a double too, and thus Double Nickels on the Dime was born. A few notes about DNotD: 1. There are four sides: one for each of the three band members and a "chaff" side that had all the leftovers. The boys would alternate between picking songs for their side in a sort of draft after they drew straws. This gives each side a sort of unique personality, in my opinion, and helps pace the album for me. 2. "Double Nickels of the Dime" refers to going 55 mph (double nickels) on the interstate 10 (the dime). This was a sort of reaction to Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" which was just Hagar bitching about federally-imposed highway speed limits at the time. Minutemen, being jokesters, decided it would be funny for a punk record to go the speed limit. Hence the album cover, which has Mike Watt flashing a cheesy grin while he goes exactly 55 mph on the interstate 10, heading towards their hometown of San Pedro. This is a perfect album cover and title. 3. The boys consider this to be their "artsy record", and I'd say that's a correct assessment. Earlier Minutemen stuff was way more straightforward hardcore and post-hardcore, whereas DNotD experiments more with things like classical guitar, Tejano, contemporary folk, and a few other things scattered across different songs. It's all executed so skillfully with D. Boon's dexterity on guitar, Mike Watt perfectly keeping up on bass, and George Hurley giving it his all on drums to round it out. You could not ask for a better band to pull this off. 4. This would be Minutemen's penultimate album before D. Boon's untimely death, which would eventually lead to the end of Minutemen. DNotD is also their most fondly-remembered album, probably because of it's length and execution. The band had not made anything like it before or since. For a project so ambitious, and a band so full of genuine heart and soul, I can't not love Double Nickels on the Dime. Three great musicians having a fun time, pulling together songs that have no right being this good. This band could be your life. This band is my life. Also the theme song for Jackass is on here, if that means anything to you.
Hardcore punk, 1984. With politically relevant and clever lyrics and an innovative sound this album is definitely one of the most ambitious projects of that period. Songs are really cohesive and the record flows amazingly. Extraordinary stuff!
Mid-80's skateboarding turned me on to a lot of music and of course, SST records. You could reliably point to any band signed to SST and know they were pretty embedded in punk scene of 80s SoCal. The omnipresence of the music we enjoy is deafening. It's hard to look back and imagine life without the music that we love. Music back then was not the solitary experience that is has become today. Music was hanging out at record stores, or was passed on through mix tapes. I missed the Minutemen but was a big fan of fIREHOSE which had a similar sound to Minutemen thanks to Mike Watt's bass. Fortunately, in the time of Spotify and most notably the theme song to Jackass, I've been able to spend some time with Minutemen and learn a little about D. Boone. But not like I have with Double Nickels on the Dime. Double Nickels on the Dime is great. I hear so much of the music that I like today. Most notably Parquet Courts, but also the dive bar scene with Johnny Rad in The Search for Animal Chin. fIREHOSE was great, but after listening to this album, they pale in comparison to the diversity and depth of Minutemen which, you'd have to admit was D. Boone, RIP. Great listen and happy to have discovered. I'll be listening to this album much more in the future.
Man, I saw the amount of songs and that this was a punk album and got so worried I was gonna have a terrible time but boy was I wrong. This album rocks. Not every song is amazing but it all works so well together, and the amount of real topics mixed with just goofy shit makes this really enjoyable, and as others are saying, this is far funkier than any other punk I usually here. One of my favorite albums so far.
What an album! This has to be one of the biggest positive surprises of this list so far. Absolutely original and entertaining record by band Minutemen. Although they are categorised as a punk or post-punk band, I don't really agree with it. This has to be an avant-garde album first and foremost, creating a genre of its own, with funky, jazzy bass line, extremely weird guitar sound and slightly hardcore vocal at times. They somehow managed to squeeze 45 songs in 73 minutes, giving an average of less than 2 minutes per song. And they are all very different, yet somehow still feel aligned one after another. After listening to the album I dived into the usual Wikipedia rabbit hole, reading about the band, their style, about tragic death of D. Boon. I have never heard of this band, yet they remind me so much of more hard-core (or rock) version of Primus. Everything is weird and unusual, yet so entertaining and fascinating. Great album, I will listen to the full discography now, looks like I found another favourite band!
bello offeso, chitarra e voce incavolata blle canzoni varie. Americano nel modo giusto. Punk creativo. Melodie riconoscibili, adatte alla commercializzazione ma senza cadere nella banalita'
Such a special album. Maybe I’m talking out of my ass here, but this reminds me a lot of the Beach Boys’ SMILE: the songs on the album are less individual songs, but rather short musical phrases that can be rearranged or combined to form longer musical sentences. There’s like 43 songs on DNotD - most of them are very short and unrefined. I think if the band took any one of them and polished it, you’d have an individual song of popular music, but they didn’t. The songs instead flow together, creating different moods and emotions. I don’t mind that they’re short! I love just putting this on in the background and sinking into the music.
This is where the Jackass riff comes from! The lyrics remind me a bit of e e cummings at some points. The instrumentals vary from creative and flowing to punk repetition.
This would be insane on vinyl. Very post-punky, and unlike much of the punk that I've heard before. Despite the short lengths, the songs seem to last longer. This is a good thing for each track, but it makes the album drag a bit.
Enjoyed this more than I expected to from the opening of it. Some very good protest songs from Vietnam era.
New wave and funky grooves. Melodic madness with a little punk in there
The song titles alone give this a star. I love "Do you Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth", "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing", and "The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts". Definitely a long album, but I think i prefer the weirdly short 40 song album to a 6 song hour plus album. Fun, funky punk songs but it didn't sound overly repetitive like some punk albums can. I like that each member got to 'make' a side. Really living up to their name on this album (get it?)
Nice one! Was not aware of the band behind the classic Tony Hawk soundtrack song. Overall reminds me a bit of Dead Kennedys
Man I almost didn’t listen to this one. Sure glad I did, it’s quite a bit more musical than I was expecting from “punk”
43 tracks, all less than 3 minutes long. Most were actually very enjoyable and the bad ones were over quickly. I enjoyed this.
Such a unique album holy cow! It just kept going and so awesome! I've got to listen to this again. Punk to the max and in your face where they don't give a shit! Awesome!
This is a wild album. Young me would have appreciated this just as much as old me. I'll need to listen many more times to fully figure it out.
An amazing palette of all alt sounds of mid 80s... and the years to come...
This album made me feel like I was playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1. If you know you know the sound. I was really digging the sound on this album. Being a drummer in my past life has led me to really appreciate a great rhythm section, and I loved the thicc bass lines Watt lays down on this album. Its also refreshing to see a band give the bass lots of space to breathe and take up a ton of real estate in your ear. Funky lines through and through that felt like the focus of many songs. Was into the anti-war, anti-capitalist leanings, "Vietnam," "Shit From an Old Notebook." But mostly the lyrics really seemed like these guys just wrote exactly what they were thinking as they were thinking it. The slightly country bent to some of their songs and the singers voice gave me a very strong Uncle Tupelo vibe. Standouts for me were, "This ain't no Picnic," and of course the Jackass theme song, "Corona." Also loved "Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth," because that is an incredible song title and sounded like a Velvet Underground tune. I loved these guys' energy and applaud the ambition to record 43 songs, but yeah, as described by the band, that 4th side was mostly filler. I'm so tired of over bloated records (looking at you modern rappers) but since this wasn't just fluff to surround a single and instead more of the same great sound just phoned in a bit, I'm not knocking off a lot of points.
If you haven’t seen the documentary ‘We Jam Econo’ about the Minutemen it’s well worth a watch. Massively influential and underrated band. Also covered off in ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’ which is a brilliant book if you like a bit of alternative rock. Growing up on this sort of stuff might well be why I struggle so much with prog. Why write a sprawling, 15 minute long song when you can get it all done in about 45 seconds? Brilliant album.
43 songs? That’s a lot. A couple songs in I was thinking that this band must have influenced Sublime, and was satisfyingly wiki confirmed - “punk rock changed our lives”. Liked “Cohesion” mellow guitar tune. “Don’t Look Back” live(?) track cool to hear them play in what sounds like a smallish club with a semi interested audience. Liked the guitars on “Political Song for Michael Jackson”. Overall eclectic cool. “Dr. Wu”!
Comme m’a si bien dit Gab, ils chillent. Très bonne sonorité. J’ai adoré le mega album de 43 chansons. Varié, énergique, et très peu de pièces mauvaises sur la bunch. On dirait un album qu’on entend au pub O’Callaghan entre 2 bands. Parfait pour boire une bière en parlant trop fort!
A real surprise of an album. Knew some of this and loved Mike Watts bass and the guitar playing. Was never a chore despite the sheer number of tracks and has an awesome sound throughout
"Our band could be your life." A landmark underground record whose DIY ethos exerts an influence on some of my favourite bands: Guided by Voices, Uncle Tupelo, Pavement, and every second band to play Carport Manor. That said, its influence is more to do with approach than anything else. This sprawling double album masks an underlying sophistication and skill that comes through in every track, no matter the generic lark Minutemen throw our way. Ultimately, there's such an abiding love for making music together clearly evident here. And so while I can appreciate the freeing legacy this record unlocked for many of my favourite artists, I have to confess that not everything lands for me. A lot of this comes from the occasionally ridiculous bass work (much like their successors, fIREHOSE). There's no doubt this album deserves a place on this list, but there's a few tracks I'd skip when replaying this one. Favourite song: History Lesson Part Two
I'll always love the Minutemen for just throwing everything at the wall. The proto-Robert Pollard, if a song doesn't hit the mark, who cares, in under two minutes we'll have a brand new compact idea. While there are a few songs that dip into genres/styles that aren't my personal taste, they are few and far between and there are some great subtly brilliant moments, as well as signs of a touring punk band that has really honed their craft. Fav Tracks: "Viet Nam", "Cohesion", "Nature Without Man" and "History Lesson Part 2"
Mostly enjoyed. Funky punk, a little bit Talking Heads - a little bit punky - better than early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Overlong album, but 35 mins at least is excellent.
I hate and love this album with the love really turning up a notch the longer I listened. Big Gang of 4 vibes on "Maybe Partying Will Help." Love the random blues influence (which ever song it was that sounded like it was broadcast from San Quentin) and the walking bass line in "Corona." "Cohesion"?—idk why it's there but I'm here for it. Seems like direct influences on contemporary bands I like: Parquet Courts and Arthhur. Had to do a double take on "One Reporter's Opinion" after hearing "his sex is disease, he's a stop sign" only to find out it was about the bassist.
I hear a lot of influence on 90s emo and indie rock here. Even Fugazi kinda. Pretty cool, fun album.
Actually revisited this album last summer and really enjoyed it. It’s long (maybe could have been distilled into 2 albums), despite this it’s a great album, full of ideas and maybe somewhere between Wire & Fugazi on the punk spectrum. Picks would be This Ain’t No Picnic, Corona, History Lesson.... but it’s pretty much all good.
So many songs! Enjoyed listening to this one, I haven't given them enough of a listen in the past, some solid punk tracks on this one.
Can't be sure if I've heard of these guys. I think so. It's a unique blend of punk and americana. I really dig it. I like how they make their point and move on.
punky and simple. lots of spoken lyrics. i share a lot is the sentiment in this album
This is an unusual one. Over 40 songs, but none of them are longer than 3 minutes. In fact every other song is just instrumentals; it may come off as a bit choppy, but overall a very good experience.
that was a lot of fun. this is another band i knew of, but whose music i never really crossed paths with, somehow. it was a great look at early-mid eighties punkity-rock
Veel kortere nummers, waarvan de meeste wel oké zijn. Maar ik vind het niet onmiddellijk een topalbum
A great fusion of different punk styles throughout this long but powerful collection. This album never gets boring or redundant, and it's one of my favorite punk records.
Simply astonishing. I cannot quite work this album out but I think it might be a masterpiece. Alternative, antagonistic, rough. A template with many imitators - this was written in 1984! I need more time with this… four for now but could be a five…
Reminds me of parquet courts and the pixies, jazzy post punk. Should give another listen
This is more the kind of punk I can dig unlike many of the other punk albums on this list. Lots of diversity and creativity, sure some of its raw and simplistic, but they put some damn heart and soul into it. Bonus points because jackass seems to agree with me.
Great punk rock album, some awesome songs. A few misses, but generally this is a great album. Enjoyed
Pleasantly surprised to see this one here. Unique renowned punk album.
I can see why this is such a classic, this is a band that deserves more acclaim
Surprisingly good vs what I expected - almost similar to White Denim in the quality of musicianship and how tight the band are. Acceptable punk, but I don't think it really is punk
Tal vez 45 canciones sea demasiado para una escucha del tirón. Teniendo en cuenta que a pesar de ser una banda de punk se nota que saben tocar y hay una variedad de estilos brutal punk rock, funk, country, jazz, música experimental. Demasiado para digerirlo. Pero en general todo suena bien, realmente bien. Una pena que la muerte de su cantante en accidente de tráfico fuera el fin de la banda.
I enjoyed the album, but 43 tracks is too many. They start to blend together at some point.
Not the slog I thought a 44 track album would be. They really embody their name
"Our band could be your life" Fantastic post-punky, jazz inspired record. Incredibly influential. Great music, great musicianship. A long album, but it doesn't feel that way.
Never heard of this band or artist before. When I seen 43 songs on the list I wasn’t looking forward to getting through the album, but really enjoyed this such a different punk album, and even though the songs are short they blend well together. A must listen but maybe just a bit long will stop me going back to it as frequently as other albums.
I really liked this album. It was super interesting. Another transition album, where you can hear a lot of different music styles: hardcore, blues rock, and psychedelic rock.
When I saw this was 45 tracks long I was a bit daunted! But they're all short and sharp and so varied (it's ostensibly punk, but it takes in a bit of everything) that I was really enjoying it. Then about a third of the way in, you get the theme from Jackass! Following which I was grinning like a loon. Honestly, it's a generous album, such joy. Not everything is perfect, but if you try so many different things and only 2/3 pay off... That's still 25 great songs
Never heard om Minutemen before and judging by the album cover I wouldn't have guessed it's punk. Good band. The album contains so many songs and all of them are under 2 minutes long. When the song Corona started I immediately recognized it from the TV series Jackass.
The Minutemen are a very special and unique band. There is nobody quite like them. Doesn't sound much like your stereotypical punk rock by any means, but embodies the DIY spirit of punk more than almost anyone in the sense that they are doing whatever the fuck they want, and doing it lean and mean - jamming econo. One thing that sets them apart, almost in a category of their own, is their sheer range, and of course the musical abilities it takes to pull it off - incorporating all those wide reaching influences. Even their covers are completely unexpected and they make them completely their own. This album was a big creative step for them and I admire the almost oxymoronic chutzpah of them making a huge double album filled with short, stripped down songs. But the thing I love most about them above all is their ability to be so sincere and heartfelt one minute, and then turn around and be such fucking corn dogs! Always appreciate when bands can be so confident with the full range of their emotions. What really makes this music so special comes down to the deep bond D Boon and Mike Watt had with each other. Such mutual respect, love, and trust. Theirs is perhaps the greatest bromance in all of rock music - certainly more pure than the likes of Mick and Keef, John and Paul, etc. D Boon's early death is so tragic. I can only imagine all the unexpected ways that they'd have evolved over the years had he lived on. True iconoclasts.
I've heard of them but I'm not sure if I've ever actually listened before. I'm enjoying it. Very DIY feeling and loose but with some cool lyrics. Reminds me of a more palatable Captain Beefheart.
This album is a total smorgasbord of Punk-Jazz fusion rock delivered across 80+ tracks at breakneck speed. I do think that the jazz thing is a bit overstated however. Arguably, Minutemen’s most overt loan from that genre is the way in which the most incongruous licks and rhythms suddenly find their place within a song without you even realising. An album I will definitely return to, even if it does lean quite heavily into Gang of Four/Pop Group territory as a precursor to the sort of unpalatable math rock I presently abhor. Really great stuff!
This was a pretty good album. Some good songs among the 40+ songs. I liked it.
These guys cannot sing…and they know it, which is wonderful. They don’t force out shitty sung vocals. Instead they intelligently speak their vocals. It works. Kudos. This album is long, and there are a couple misses here and there, but not many out of 40+ tracks. The nice thing is that the songs are short and the misses don’t last long. I like the vast majority of the songs here. I especially like the instrumental, not very punk-like Cohesion. Welcome to my collection, Double Nickels On The Dime. The biggest surprise for me in this 1001 experience, 360 albums in, is that there is a spot in my musical enjoyment for punk adjacent music. Hard core punk, not so much, but proto-punk, punk pop, post-punk…I’m into enough of it that I can clearly say now that it’s a collective genre I can call my own.
I have a hard time explaining why "Double Nickels On The Dime" works. But it does work. Despite being 45 tracks long. Despite some serious genre-bending. Despite sounding like a lot of studio takes that should have been left on the cutting room floor. And even a live track randomly in the middle? It might be raw and unpolished, but it works. It might be two distinct songwriting voices, but it feels like one band. It all somehow fits in a cohesive vibe.
Well I can see where they got their name. This album went on forever, 45 tracks. But when I got to the jackass theme song, for the first time realizing that it wasn't original, I was all in.
gut zum komplett hören. Sehr lang (43 songs?) hat mir gefallen, ich würde eine 4 geben
Wow, this was a trip. 43 tracks is absurd, and a lot of this album is absurd, but in a way that I really enjoyed. It's very punk, with all these song fragments and the attitude throughout, but there's also an undeniable musical proficiency. There's a clarity to even the most punk songs on here, and that really impressed me. Of 43 songs, I ended up saving 11. Maybe not the most impressive ratio, but the album as a whole was surprisingly great. And hearing "Corona" in its natural environment, as opposed to the Jackass theme music, was really cool. This has to be a classic in the punk rock scene, there's no way around it. "Twinkle twinkle, blah blah blah. E! T! C!" Huge shoutout to these guys, this is definitely one of my favorite punk albums we've had on the list. Favorite tracks: Theatre is the Life of You, Cohesion, It's Expected I'm Gone, #1 Hit Song, Do You Want New Wave, The Big Foist, God Bows to Math, Corona, Take 5D, History Lesson Part 2, No Exchange. Album art: Very unassuming, seems like a child's view of dad in the front seat in the '60s maybe? Nothing much to shout about, but it's fine. 4.5/5
Very interesting album. Unusually loads of short songs where some feel coherent in regards to the next ones and seamlessly blend, and where some feel like a completely different genre entirely. Definitely worth another listen. Saved songs: D.'s Car Jam/Anxious Mo-Fo, Cohesion, It's Expected I'm Gone, Corona
Simultaneously blink-and-you'll-miss-it and just... a lot. The songs are short, but about 30 into this 45-song project, and you've got a great idea of the Minutemen sound and vibe. It's jokey, yet sometimes serious, and overall pretty fun. Just also overall pretty long. Definitely a "pick your favorites and move on" type of record. Favorite tracks: "Corona", "Viet Nam", "History Lesson Part 2", "It's Expected I'm Gone", "This Ain't No Picnic"
This is fantastic. Such an interesting blend of styles and genres, all composed and performed very well. Great choices rhythmically, harmonically, and melodically. Great range; e.g., 'Cohesion' is such a beautiful departure and it fits perfectly. I hadn't even heard the band's name before, let alone any songs or music by them. Once again, this project serves up superbly. I'll come back to them and absolutely come back to this album. PS -- I think their source of inspiration for the title and theme of the album is just brilliant. PPS -- in some ways, all positive, they remind me of Poi Dog Pondering, a band I love; each band is quite original to my ears and they have their own style, but something about this band calls Poi Dog to mind and it's very cool. Oh, and a teensy bit of Meat Puppets, another great band, too.
oages album, extrem viel dabei. witziges konzept mit den mega vielen kurzen songs, auf dauer manchmal bissl schwierig, aber ein paar sind richtig gut. geiles concept album
its fine, i thought it was ok to listen to. some interesting sounds. didn't love the lead singer's voice. i understand punk albums can be longer bc the songs are so short but 40 tracks still coming up at an hour? and nothing on here was particularly memorable or groundbreaking to me that it should've been included on this list. still though, it was cool to listen to.
An ok album with a lot of ideas that just keeps goin and goin, oh hey jackass, anyways not bad
These guys are way easier to appreciate than they are to enjoy. I generally enjoy the late 70's early 80's punk, and the minutemen showed an amazing diversity and experimental side across 40+ tracks. However, I'm not enough of a fan of D. Boon's voice and delivery which is too frequently passionless for punk. I'd much rather listen to Husker Du or Black Flag.
I knew of singer/bassist Mike Watt from one of his solo albums, but didn't realize this was his band. LOVE the heavy bass and funky punk bits. Music that I would love to see this live more than listen to the recordings. If you cut this album in half, you'd have a 4 or 5 star album. But with all the chaff, it's a 3.
Bon j'avoue, parfois ça déblatère un peu, et un album avec 43 tounes dessus, c'est assez difficile de faire un bon contrôle de qualité, mais il y a des pièce que j'ai vraiment adoré. J'aurais aimé qu'ils gardent seulement les 12 meilleures et fassent un album plus agréable à l'écoute. Mon hit: Facile, Corona. La chanson thème de Jackass! Beaucoup de souvenirs.
Bon mais tres long. 1h15 de petite touneS qui se ressemble. De bins riffs et tou en plus de la toune de jackass mais pas de reecoute. 3.15
This is a fun album with short, noodly little songs. The album as a whole is too long by about 35 minutes, so that loses a star for me. Jackass theme song was quite a surprise!
This type of music is kind of on the borderline of my musical tastes so it wasn't really my favorite.
No sé bien cómo reseñar este álbum. A ratos divertido, otros ratos un poco más serio, mucho rock y muchas veces un sonido que en mis escasas referencias diré que inspiró a varias banditas de esas que llaman indie luego, como Broken Social Scene (?). Hay varias canciones con títulos cagados y en general, me gusta lo que se hace sobre todo con las guitarras. Que sean canciones breves me da una sensación de que es un disco medio desenfadado, improvisado pues. No tengo canciones favoritas jajaja. 7/10
WoW l’album de 43 track, on voit pas ça souvent. Avez vous reconnu la chanson thème de jackass!! Enfin. J’ai bien aimé la guitare et la drum. Les vocales sont passables.
3.3 - from a music history perspective I’m sure there are intellectual reasons to appreciate this album. I hear antecedents or math rock and a Midwestern sound. And there are lots of ideas in these 43 tracks. It’s just not for me.
43 songs on one album? Nothing particularly noteworthy but it was fine overall? An interesting concept and decent execution none the less. Props for at least trying something weird and doing okay with it
not really sure what to think on this one. It was okay but I had a real bad day yesterday so it was hard to concentrate and get into it. I hope today is better. I give this album eleven licks on the kitty cat scale
Enjoyed this album more than I expected. Reminded me a tiny little bit of Talking Heads. One drawback, is that there are too many songs on it.
Never heard of them. Another tragic death story. Damn glad I wasn’t an 80s musician. This is a surprisingly good album... white fishbone, some poor mans dead, a little REM, and a dash of the Clash.
Was expecting a punk albu, in reality this is anything but. Hard to score and album as huge as this after just one listen but overall an enjoyable listen that that I intend to come back to at some point. In particular the musicianship is fantastic, the bass is excellent and really stands out but ably complimented by great guitar work and drumming
-"Viet Nam" and "It's Expected When I'm Gone" were groovin' -I like the big bass sound on a lot of the songs, like "#1 Hit Song" and "Shit from an Old Notebook" -Its a long album, but every song is like 1:50, so at least it switches up quickly -A lot isn't my style, but it's got a couple of cool track, really riding the line between a 3 and a 4 -"Corona" is not only relevant today, but it's also the Jackass theme which is cool
I listened to half of this album. Couldn't find the time but it seemed neat. Would like to revisit sometime
Kinda cool, although I think that so many songs almost always diminish an album.
Really admire the punk aesthetic, despite what you think of the music, the idea of generating this amount of creativity in a short period is inspiring. Obviously some tracks are better than others, but you can't really say its too long or that any not necessary.
I dug and was surprised by cohesion, an acoustic fingerpicking number pretty out of place in the album, which features tons of short songs.
Literate hard core from a band that hit its marks like a soul act. Not many bands could pull off this level of precision in a single take. Who in the world went to their shows? Rating capped at 3 because I only listened to the first two sides.
This is great, much more varied than I expected from what I had heard of Minutemen. It holds together well over the double album.
Each song is a condensate of polemical rage and "wit", firmly structured on dissonant jazz funk, and a haggard and more analytical rambling in the punk idiom. (6/10) Favourite Songs: Glory Of Man, Corona
Double Nickels on the Dime certainly is an interesting record, filled with 43 songs that are each slightly longer than a minute. On most tracks, the instrumentals sound tight, though messy at times, and I enjoy the sarcastic comedic song titles and lyrics. I do have the admit this experiment did not work perfectly for me, as most songs are over before you realized you should have listened to a seperate cohesive message. 3/5.
45 songs? Was this necessary? Nope. Each song was pretty short so that helped. Some were good. Others kind of meh.
wasn't really a hardcore album as it had been labeled, wasn't too enjoyable of a listen
Noodly Busy Bit too dancy and upbeat Talking Heads but rougher more disjointed Like the singing style Can see how influential this is - it's influenced everyone Theme to Jackass! Track 8 v.good Drums sound like breaks Too many guitar solos Like that the songs are short So many ideas A lot of stuff I've consumed since the 90s has this as a part of it Overlong
Had to read up about this album after loading it up to listen to. 43 songs that vary wildly in tone and style veering from Punk to country to instrumental. That's still to this day only available physically in vinyl. I'm confused and impressed in equal measure, as a feat of artistic anti-commercialism it gets 5* but its mish mash of styles makes it a bit of a tiring listen. so 2 stars off for that
Ayo holy shit, the jackass theme song is on this album. I'll be honest that took my surprise for sure. It's a long ass album but I enjoyed my time with it.
37. Double Nickels on the Dime - Minutemen 43 tracks. This is ok but didn't blow me away. If you don't like a particular track don't panic, there will be another one along in a minute, (or 1min 42 secs on avg to be precise). 3/5.
I have no idea what to even think about this album. It's all over the place, some fabulous, some complete garbage. I feel like their influence must be wide though, as there are many current bands that have a similar, if more refined, sound.
This was a very confusing album. First of all, 43 songs?? Even though they were short, it still felt really long. Also, what genre was this even? It felt like each song was from a completely different album. That being said, it was a fun surprise to hear the Jackass theme song come on, had no clue that was on this album, and I also saved one of the songs in my spotify so that's a win ('Dr. Wu').
3 Very short songs. I'm not a fan of the ugly scream singing, but the groovy bass and RHCP like drums and guitar is great. A low 3. Pretty cool album though
There's a lot of good in here, but the relentlessness of idea after idea in song after song grates after a while. Should have probably been two albums with half the songs on each. The tunes are good though, with some real variety in the first half.
I've just listened to this album and I'm not even sure what just happened. The energy is intense, with few tracks making it over 90 seconds, let alone two minutes. Because if 90 seconds is all it takes, why go longer? The beguiling bass of Mike Watt elevates the album into true iconic status. The whole album feels like the cool weird kids have invited you to a party and you're having the best time. And then, because it is 2022, there's also the post-post-modern Easter egg off the Jackass theme song popping up halfway through.
"Let's say, I got a number That number's fifty, thousand That's ten percent of five hundred thousand" (Viet Nam) "Twinkle, twinkle Blah, blah, blah E.T.C" (#1 Hit Song) Fascinada con la cantidad de canciones de este disco que podría haber escrito tranquilamente Rachel Bloom.
VERY 80's that's neither a good or bad thing really. But can't put this higher than an "interesting" listen.
Wasn't aware the Jackass theme tune was by these guys. Some good stuff but ultimately this album is far too long and 43 songs long...fuck off. A good portion of them are shite. Generous 3.
In the interest of full disclosure, I stopped listening after the 42nd song.
overall a positive listening experience, but the rough vocals got a little grating after an hour and a half. reminded me a lot of parquet courts, i liked the lyrics and the drumming. 6/10
'This Band Could Be Your Life' brought to Minutemen. Book is ok but a bit overrated, just a compendium of fairly standard band write-ups that could be in any music mag back in the day (albeit with a smaller word count) Band is ok but a bit overrated. 43 songs just isn't a good idea, even if most of them are less than 2 minutes. Some you end up wishing were longer, some you wish they'd kept back
Algunas canciones parecen maquetas sin terminar. Felizmente no son tan largas, así que mientras le encuentras sentido a la canción ya termino.
Ha I legitimately have no idea what to think about this one. I am not a fan of punk... but I don't think it's at all right to call this a punk album. "Cohesion" isn't punk - it could be an acoustic Black Sabbath song. Some of the chord progressions and musicianship clearly show these guys knew what they were doing. Dammit tho again with the vocals. I hate it. but...then sometimes i don't. ...ok let's face it, it's just so/too damn long. come on. After about 15 songs I'm like...ok I'm done. Glad I heard it, there are definitely a lot of bands I like that *clearly* listened to the Minutemen, and they definitely took cues from Gang of Four and Wire which I also like. In the end...I like it and more than I'd thought I would but not sure how often I'd voluntarily listen. 6/10 3 stars
I assume this is what happens when theatre kids get into black flag. 3/5 cause unexpected jackass theme tune.
3.5 Stars. The bass really stands out on this album, but other than that doesn't do much for me. Despite the extremely short track lengths, the massive album runtime is too much.
Pretty fun set of post-punk/early alt music. You can hear a lot of influences to later alt rock, but the album goes on a little long
there were a ton of songs on this album. some were great, but some were bad and a lot were forgettable.