Reviews (page 3 of 9)
short songs, high energy. interesting
not good punk
Surprisingly fresh for being 43 tracks
Had fun with this
Always wanted to give this one a go, heard it recommended loads. and I'd say it lived up to it on the first listen and a half. Got almost jumpscared by Corona, did not know the Jackass theme came from this. Despite being spread across 40-odd tracks, loads of variety and the short tracks mean its just constant new ideas being thrown at you. Very funky bass, which I guess you kind of need when you're only working with a single guitar aside from that
some good stuff on here, but damn was it long. I did enjoy a lot of it but i think ill have to come back to this one to actually appreciate much of it 3
No.158 Weird record, but I mean that in a good way. I guess I always knew Minutemen had something of a cult following in the punk world, but this is the first time I’ve sat down and listened to it.
variatous!
Decent 4,5
Класичний альбом, який я з якихось причин не так багато слухав. Через кількість пісень здається майже безкінечним, хоч й загальна тривалість недостатньо велика. Топовий альбом, різноманітний, велика кількість сильних пісень.
Класика, маю на вінілі.
The Minutemen certainly deserve their name: 43 songs here over a 74-minute running time. Now there are some as says that 43 songs is too many for an album that isn't spread over 2-3 CDs. I...would be one of them. Even though the average length is about 1'45, and they proceed apace and cram a lot into each song, it all feels too much. I'm off for a lie down.
What if we made the world's longest album with the world's shortest songs? There is a lot of good in here, but man is this album overly bloated. It's okay to make cuts guy, not every song needs to make the album. I mean was 40 seconds of car noises necessary at the end of the album? Still really good guitar throughout the album. The vocals were very hit or miss with me. Favorite Track - My Heart and the Real World Least Favorite Track - You Need The Glory ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another one of those rare albums that makes me just immediately need to write music. It’s so good. My only complaint is it’s so long but why complain when everything on here is so good. Parts of this are like if the Red Hot Chili Peppers were good. Such a cool infusion of jazz and punk and everything in between. Insane direct line to like modest mouse, Joyce manor, Touche Amore, every band I’ve ever loved. Fugazi is still holding it down for best not yet listened to album on the list so far but this is right behind it.
When to listen: Short burst of energy. I thought this album was really interesting and a nice little tasting menu of punk fusion. Also easy to listen to and enjoy—not easy for this genre!
43 songs?!? 43?!? Oh, rapid fire punk rock. I dug it.
Didn’t make it the full way through but from what I heard it wasn’t going anywhere.
Jazz sucks
The only thing that's not making me pull my hair out having to listen to 45 songs is that they're (so far) fairly short songs, and it is semi-noticeable when the tracks change. Throughout the album, the bass kind of rips. The short songs make this much more digestible as an album. Also, holy shit! I recognize a song! I have heard the opening guitar lick on "Corona" before. While it is much more digestible, it is still a really freakin long album. It's really solid, though. I actually like it quite a bit, musically. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say that I love it, and sometimes the singing style is just off, for me personally (it's probably more on par with punk). Favorite Song(s): It's Expected I'm Gone, History Lesson Part 2
Much much better than I dared to hope! When you see a double album by a band you’ve never heard of coupled with the dreaded phrase “American Punk Rock” you fear for the worst! Pretty good listen though I would be more inclined to dip in and out rather than listen from start to finish
Love most of the instrumentals, don't like the vocals.
no
2/3. Definitely not what I was expecting; not exactly sure how this is "hardcore punk" but if it is then I like it a lot more than most of the punk nonsense I've heard on the list so far. So many different music ideas on this album, and many of them very well executed. It is quite a lot (43 songs and over 70 minute run time) and moves from song to song a bit too quickly at times, but if listened to in two parts it's pretty enjoyable. Overall, I would recommend it.
74 minutes is entirely too long for that.
iconic punk double LP
Oddly cohesive for having forty fecking songs
Interesting! This is way more than I can appreciate in a day. The CCR cover was a nice surprise. Reading about the band's econo approach makes the structure of this album make more sense. I'm rating based on what I could glean from a single listen. I could see the rating going higher.
Jackass.
40+songs of two minute punk? Ok, let's go then. Each song is gone before you know it. This is definitely an album designed to be taken as an album on the whole. It's expected I'm gone. #1 hit song is quite funny, the guitar drips sarcasm. And yet other parts of this album are the dull pop songs parried by earlier songs Overall I think this album fails to meet it's own lofty expectations.
- this album is just way too long with no significant hits - all the songs sound the same
This was like if Talking Heads were punk and also sucked.
Jackass theme! And the rest was fine.
Weird record, but I mean that in a good way. I guess I always knew Minutemen had something of a cult following in the punk world, but this is the first time I’ve sat down and listened to it. There aren’t very many songs I would qualify as catchy, but it’s still a pretty fun listen. They bounce around all over the place from spoken word, noise rock, funk, punk…they’re pretty tough to pigeonhole. Sometimes they remind me of Dead Milkmen. It seems like they’re having a ton of fun, and that’s kind of infectious. And when I call this record weird, I think what I’m saying is that Minutemen seem authentically weird. I don’t think they’re really trying. I dunno, it’s refreshing. 8/10
Despite breaking all the laws of punk music, this album still manages to be one of the absolute best in the genre. Like they really sat down in the studio and made the conscious decision to make a 43 track punk album where each song is only a minute or two long, and somehow pulled it off, even though that's just one of the most absurd ideas ever conceived. I just love how short and to the point it all is, and each track genuinely provides a unique experience and is important to the album's flow in some way. Everything about this on paper looks ridiculous, and yet Minutemen have proven that an album like this can absolutely work, and this still stands as one of the most unique experiences in post-hardcore.
As much as I admire the Minutemen's DIY ethos and commitment to the notion of punk as a means of self-expression, I don't think the band was well-served by this double album which gets a little relentless after a while. Their short 'n' punchy numbers are excellent slices of iconoclastic punk rock, leaning more towards the lean and tight sound of Wire or Gang Of Four (rather than the roar of the Sex Pistols). The musicianship here is also excellent, especially from bassist Mike Watt who avoids plain vanilla eighth-note bass lines in favor of taut grooves that have their roots in jazz and funk. But as a whole, an hour and fourteen minutes of this (especially in one sitting) is like taking a few too many jabs to the head. There are some excellent tunes here (like "This Ain't No Picnic") but they are sometimes lost among the sprawl - a single LP would have made for a stronger, more potent statement.
Pretty good. "Punk" but reminds me of the stranglers. Some songs a bit slower, but most are jumpy and fast, with nothing over 3minutes long Includes the theme to Jackass I like
alright, not bad
banger after banger
Glimpses of brilliance, a bit meandering and a fun jackass reminder. I gotta say this is so much better than nick cave, man I hated that record. These guys rock, chill, jammy but short and punchy.
4.5/5 This was funny as hell. And when “Corona” hit that first riff, I shot up in my seat so fast. My brain couldn’t believe we had come across the “Jackass” theme in its original state.
really cool percussion and drums. but my gosh its way too long and most of it sounds the same just over and over again. id never go back and listen to this in full. it felt irritating after a while. yike. 3/10
Wow more shouty angry men yelling at clouds for ten tracks. Yawn
Not my favorite. The singer's voice is pretty average and despite the meaningful lyrics I just didn't enjoy it much. So of the songs can be pretty cool, Brenden enjoyed more than me.
Ummm, I thought I would like this album better than I did.
I would call this more garage rock, then punk rock but boy was there a lot of songs on this album overall not horrible
Gasped audibly when Corona started since that's the goddamn Jackass intro music and those few strums sent me back decades, mentally. But besides that, meh.
Holy smokes, that's a lot of short songs. 43 tracks in total, and 33 of them are under two minutes. If this is punk, I just know I'm going to get a headache by the halfway point. Fortunately, it's not punk. In fact, the performance and recording is surprisingly high-quality. The bass and guitar are twangy (sometimes) yet extremely clean-sounding. Drumming is hurried in most songs, but it stays perfectly in time while still adding plenty of nifty fills to satiate rhythm-lovers. Decent singing, though as we'll find out as the album progresses, this becomes sketchy later on. We hear some ups and downs in texture – plenty of balladesque or lower-energy tracks mixed in with the hyper-political/-opinionated punk stuff – and the sound is also reasonably accessible. Who knew? Another reviewer wrote that this music was "cohesive" yet "frantic". As apt a description as any. You can't help but listen to this with a smile on your face and a butt (importantly, your own but) on the edge of your seat. Listening to the track Cohesion: What, is that variety? On my post-punk record? What is this, 1984? (It was 1984.) Cohesion is harmonically and texturally about as simple as you can get: acoustic guitar with two repeating chords, for the most part. But that rapid finger picking is gorgeous. And it leads into the grungy It's Expected I'm Gone, which takes inspiration from Nirvana by travelling a decade into the future and listening to the Scentless Apprentice sessions. (Well, the drums are the same, anyway.) My Heart and the Real World is pure poppy punky goodness. Nice Steely Dan cover with Dr. Wu, but if we're being honest it has absolutely nothing on the original. #1 Hit Song is not a #1 hit song. What a scam. Other misleading tracks: Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing, The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts, Untitled Song for Latin America. Some of the songs here really challenge my system. Because this is a 5-star album. It has to be. Right? But then Don't Look Now shows up, and it sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom during a graduation afterparty. Per my system, if there are any "unliked" tracks on an album, I can't give the album 5 stars. Fortunately, the problem sort of resolved itself by several other weak tracks appearing later down the line, including Retreat, Take 5 D, You Need the Glory, and Three Car Jam. 4/5 Key tracks: Theatre Is the Life of You, Cohesion, Corona, The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts, This Ain't No Picnic
too long too long too long
Was okay, and better than expected for so many shirt songs. In saying that, many songs could have cut to make this a non-double album. Also, I didn't find the attempted humour funny. Ill give it a 3. You need the glory, wtf.
Corona is a standout song, Jackass did great using it. Rest of the album isn't very memorable.
Excellent. Needs more listens.
last release on spotify was a compilation in '98. second most recent was in '89. none of their work has been remastered. these are fantastic signs. oh and this is 43 tracks and 1h14. i'm here for it. but i will not be taking comprehensive track-by-track listening notes. starting off very casual and rough. just sounds like some guys having a great time in a garage. cohesion--incredible little guitar interlude definitely thought this was a tears for fears knock off based on the cover. this is better though. they've got some good musical references. storm in my house--don't fear the reaper; and some others i noticed but couldn't place. not a single track is long enough to make you question how long it is. unpolished but not in a bad way, just quick & dirty. lyrics cover a multitude of topics, primarily in the protest realm. it is punk, after all. overall enjoyable, i'll probably go 4/5 because it does stretch long. if it was a 40 minute album i would probably listen again. or if i manage to get my hands on a vinyl of it, then i would definitely listen again.
ci sta, approvo
Anxious Mo-Fo - 4/5 Theatre is the Life of You - 4/5 Viet Nam - 5/5 Cohesion - 3.5/5 It's Expected I'm Gone - 4/5 #1 Hit Song - 4/5 Two Beads at the End - 4/5 Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth - 4/5 Don't Look Now - 3/5 Shit From an Old Notebook - 4.5/5 Nature Without Man - 4.5/5 One Reporter's Opinion - 4/5 Political Song for Micheal Jackson to Sing - 4/5 Maybe Partying Will Help - 4.5/5 Toadies - 3.5/5 Retreat - 4/5 The Big Foist - 4/5 God Bows to Math - 4/5 Corona - 4.5/5 The Glory of Man - 5/5 Take 5, D. - 3.5/5 My Heart and the Real World - 4/5 History Lesson - Part II - 4.5/5 You Need the Glory - 4/5 The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts - 4.5/5 Mr. Robot's Holy Orders - 4.5/5 West Germany - 5/5 The Politics of Time - 4.5/5 Themselves - 4/5 Please Don't Be Gentle With Me - 4/5 Nothing Indeed - 4/5 No Exchange - 4.5/5 There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight - 4/5 This Ain't No Picnic - 4.5/5 Spillage - 4/5 Untitled Song for Latin America - 4/5 Jesus and Tequila - 4/5 June 16th - 4/5 Storm in My House - 4/5 Martin's Story - 4/5 Doctor Wu - 4/5 The World According to Nouns - 4/5 Love Dance - 4/5 A wire array of influences for an incredibly varied punk album. Surprisingly not a slog with most of the songs being only about a minute or two. Also didn't realize this is where the Jackass theme came from but that makes it even cooler. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Viet Nam, The Glory of Man
it's just way too long. And for all the good there was also shit. So it kind of balanced out to a 3... I guess.
SOOO long and diverse
Very long, all over the place, but I kinda like it?
A crazy mix of punk, post punk, jazz, funk, country, spoken word, noise and leftwing ideology all filtered through the smartest three musicians this side of the punk scene. The songs are about a huge range of things: American life, working class reality, anti-capitalism, consumer culture, politics, power, war, militarism, identity, self-definition, masculinity, relationships, punk ethos, DIY culture, media, information overload, friendship, community, time, and modern life. As with all great albums, it's still relevant today. Yes, there's a lot of songs but with the haiku like lyrics and smash and grab timing of the songs, if there's one you don't like another one will be along in a minute. Best Tracks: #1 Hit Song; Corona; History Lesson Part 2
came for the jackass theme, stayed for the missives on bullshit going on in the world that's only gotten worse and killer bass lines.
I’d buy that for a dollar.
Man I fuckin love this album. It's a great hang. Ragged but musically prodigious. Fun, wild, loose. No notes. Must-listen #311.
I just think this is brilliant from top to bottom. This higher rating kind of breaks my rules because I don't see myself really listening to this much, but I would have really been into it in an earlier phase of life.
Different punk music with west coast vibes
A lot of interesting riffs and ideas on this one. It runs too long however.
Trash.
Ok
What was this? 43 musical vignettes painting various emotions. Guitar work in spots was amazing. It was just a whole lots of different things, and I didn't hate
I hate the vocals but appreciate the sentiments and the creativity and the bass. It's just so long and scattered. I'm fucking overwhelmed. I'm 25 tracks in and I give up.
Eclectic and great.
No importa que algunas de estas 50 canciones esten bien, si me das no se cuantas canciones de minuto y medio que suenan todas iguales me perdes por completo lo siento
Foundational. I cam hear where Sublime, Primus, and others picked up some of their ideas. Love love loved! 5/5
2 cool 4 school 2 cool 4 lou?
Liked this more than I was expecting to. Had some solid tunes. Don’t know if I would give this a repeat listen, but for a genre I don’t really care for, it had some enjoyable moments.
Review - now here's a true classic. One of the best albums that came from that small era where hardcore bands were moving in weird directions, taking influences from all over the place, even making double albums. Another band that has fallen into two common problems: tragically ending too soon, and being an eclectic band that have had one song taken and used as the theme tune to a TV show, making people assume all their music sounds like that (see also: They Might Be Giants). Every song on this has something worth hearing in it. Mike Watt's bass playing is some of the most fun and inventive ever recorded. The guitar and drums hold down the rhythm in a way that still sounds fresh. Lyrics from both Boon and Watt are off the wall. On closer listen, I realise the album starts quite slowly with a few dud tracks in the mix. But it gets so good, and at 44 tracks in 74 minutes, even if a song starts and you hate it you're never more than 2 minutes away from the next track. Rating - 9.5/10 Need to hear? YES
Idk, it all sounds the same to me and if point was to have many different songs it kinda fails
Nope. I don't get the attraction, nor the praise. An OK low-fi, post-punk album, but quite amateurish
It’s like Steely Dan but punk rock
Sounds rough and raw, but there are a couple decent songs
I found this very interesting, like a sketchpad of ideas for proper songs.
It was ok in its eclectic way. There was nothing that made me jump up and down with excitement. So I am pleased this album passed me by.
Meh. I really enjoyed the drum tone, and it was super playful, but it kind of felt nothing burger
Over long and pretty uninteresting, other than getting jumpscared by the Jackass theme song
plein de courtes musiques d'ambiance, j'avais trop peur que ça soit de la country mais dieu merci non
Quirky, lyrically comical at times, and always frenetic. I really enjoyed this one. Favorite track: Corona
How have I never listened to Minutemen? Very good
This one caught me by surprise. I ran it twice to make sure I wasn't giving it more credit than its due. Nope, it's my kind of crazy all right. 4 stars.
Me when first opening this album: "45 tracks? Are you *kidding* me? This is going to be a slog." Me an hour and a half later: "Please sir can I have some more?"
I realize I am violating some oath here, but let's face it this band is not very good and there's way too much of it. But they seem like they're having fun and that is what it is all about.
Always here for awesome jangle punk.
I liked this but this list has confirmed something I always suspected: there’s no reason for double albums to exist. Cut this in half and you have something fantastic
Niezły czosnek
Bleh
A few songs we’re just ok, could listen again, but probably won’t.
I've no idea what this shit is, but it slaps. It's so fun I swear - parts of it. Some parts I just don't care for, and the whole thing could be trimmed to 45-ish minutes.
Man this album has me confused and torn of how to rate it. I loved some of the sounds on this and can see how it was so influential on so many bands. However 43 songs spread over almost 75 minutes is just too much for me. If 20 minutes of filler could have been cut and the track list been 15 songs this would be getting a 5 out of 5. Hopefully another records have better pacing a longer songs with no guff In between
Another example of putting an entire album on here because of 1 song. This is one of the worst things I've ever wasted my time on.
Ah, the punk's punk. I've listened to this album so many times that Anxious Mo-Fo bassline just started playing in my head. An easy 5 stars before I even crank it up again and it's because it's got so much. So, so much. And it's inimitable - this album, amazing as it is, can never be made again. The Minutemen seemed to embody and then collapse all the paradoxes of the music truisms (at least, mine) - eminently capable and also comically amateur (someone else mentioned the tuning guitars to your preference story already), being obsessed with what your peers were doing and then doing your own thing (Take that, Huskers!), the album's too long but leaves you wanting more, there's plenty of songs you could leave off but the album would be worse for it, there's a Steely fucking Dan cover without a hint of irony, and, as Michael Azerrad pointed out, who the hell writes a Vietnam protest song 10 years after the fact? It's just so overfull, and so deftly, clumsily done, it's a masterpiece. Then of course there's D. Boon's unique lyricism and sensibilities - nobody did it like he did it. Concise. Praxis for anyone, easy questions with no easy answers but to appeal to your own humanity. No hope? See, that's what gives me guts.
So close.
Not a fan
I would have loved to see what else they would have done. Brilliant.
There are a whole lot of ideas on here, but almost none of them stick. It's one of those albums I should like based on my tastes but never really clicked with. The shorter songs don't have any reoccuring hooks and don't really do anything. After Corona the album kind of improves and gets some more fun riffs and basslines in. Has some nice parts but not one I'd relisten often.
Sounds like if David Byrne made bad music.
It's long, it's confusing with its 43 songs and musically not super interesting to me.
Massively mixed feelings about this one, it was just so hit-and-miss, and it went on for WAY too long. There's absolutely no way this album needed to be as long as it is. The guitar and drums are generally quite interesting and fun. There's lots going on, it's varied, there's some really great riffs and it's overall just quite enjoyable to listen to. That being said, some tracks are just bad. I can't easily pick out specifics because I totally lost track at some point. I think maybe "You Need The Glory" was one that I was just waiting to end. The vocals don't do it for me. They feel weak compared to the pretty decent instrumentals, and they just ruin a lot of tracks. It's like you have this pretty decent band having a nice jam and playing some really funky rock, and then one of the band member's little brother comes in and starts shouting nonsense over the top of it because their parents said they had to include him. Would have been a 3 based on the instrumentals, but with the vocals and the overall length of the album just turning it into a bit of an ordeal to get through, I'm going to have to drop it to a 2. They're a band I'd be happy to listen to the occasional track from, but I'd never listen to this album again.
something about this weirdo country punk funk jazz spoken word shit is really clicking with me i just wish the songs weren't 1m 30s each.
I feel like I start to get into the groove of a song and then it ends... It's a shame because I'm generally enjoying each song but then I have to move on early :( I gave this album a break every 10 or so songs and I found myself rejuvenated and ready to listen to and take in the next set of songs. But even with this method the last 10 songs felt like a slog... I found myself unable to tell when a new song had started or if they were just jamming out to finish a song. The song length and amount of songs make this album so much worse. You have to be doing something ridiculously impressive to justify an album this long imo and this just isn't that. High 2.
I think I might be a serious punk fan without even knowing or realizing it—these songs really made me feel something. I loved listening to this album, and I'm somewhat surprised to realize that this isn't the first punk album on this list that appeals to me and that I'd give a 5! Because, in fact, IMHO, it doesn't deserve anything less than that ;-)
Somewhat strange
I love this album. It's a fun listen!
Ganska dåligt egentligen men hade nåt
What an album! For a "Punk" trio, they sure threw in a lot of genres. I was initially intimidated by the track listing, but it plays off well with good variety. Some strange tracks pepperd in there too. Kinda fun, won't revisit.
I can hear how this band influenced so many others, including Modest Mouse, Refused, and Protomartyr. And in turn I can hear in them the Marquee Moon influence. This is such a refreshing punk album. Really cool variety of instrumentals, varying from punk to jazz to blues. This album is much too long, but all of the songs are good, so I don't know how to feel about that. I guess I would have liked it to be shorter so it could be listened in its entirety in one quick sitting. Also, the meaning behind the title and album cover is hilarious, so good job boys.
Pretty decent. Cool instrumentation, pretty imaginative. Didn't hook me but nothing in the 80s really did.
oh hey, the Jackass theme.
Didn’t know what to make of this. Disliked the format, enjoyed some of the content but fragments. Not keen to hear it again.
This is the second album ever that I've heard in my life that's hardcore punk and that is at least 80 minutes long, both of which I liked. This album has quite a punch to it, funky as well. The basslines are really colourful it literally sounds like it's singing backing vocals at times. Top quality song titles. For an album that is 80 minutes long, the songs do a good job and manage to not sound like one another, and there's over 40 songs! Hat tips and handclaps for this album! Highlight Song/s: "Viet Nam, "Do You Want New Wave or...", "My Heart and the Real World", "History Lesson Part 2", "Spillage" and "Jesus and Tequila"
“Big fucking shit right now, man!” — words to live by. Yeah, I don’t really like albums with a lot of songs. Long records are fine, but when there’s 40 one- or two-minute songs, nothing really stands out. This album flows quite well, and it’s kind of cozy in a way, but basically none of the songs had any time to build up to anything. You sort of reach a high, and it’s already time to transition to the next song. I mean, I didn’t straight up dislike anything here, but I also didn’t find anything to love. Just a fine album. Can’t say it was anything great.
Not for me
I was going to give it a 3, but the jackass theme caught me off guard. Today´s bird: Lousy Jack
Pretty good for punk, more like music with a band that just know they don't sing well. Entirely too long.
Great record I discovered not long before I started with this project. I would love to give it a 5 but for its length it just isn’t quite perfect enough to warrant that in my opinion. The second half especially was noticeably weaker than the first to me.
Don’t mind me, just on my way to my marketing job listening to “Shit From an Old Notebook.” The range on this record insane. DIY punks the chops to pull off jazz, funk, and country and make it all sound cohesive; not bad for a three-piece. I suspect D. Noon in particular was an alien. Overall, it’s endlessly listenable, which, I would argue, is a good trait for a double album. Not often, but every once in a while, I lament that I spent high school listening to misogynistic mall rock would I could have been listening to better placed angst like this.
This is the blueprint for some of my favorite music, from Fugazi to Unwound to Pile. Minutemen nailed the post-hardcore sound so early. It’s so damn long but there are bangers aplenty.
Ups, was ist das? Eine Überraschung auf jeden Fall. Punk, ja, aber nicht krawallig. Simpel, aber nicht eintönig. Cooler Bass, sparsame Gitarren, ein wenig Police, etwas von The Clash, ein wenig Funk. Ganz OK.
Great punk rock album that sounds a lot more current than when it actually came out. Really in your face sound that reminds of Geese, but from 40 years ago. And it has the theme from Jackass amongst its 40 odd tracks. Highlights: "Shit From an Old Notebook" "Maybe Partying Will Help" and "Corona"
What a goofy ass album. Works all the way. I think this is just about as excellent as post-punk can get -- witty and striking without taking itself too seriously. There's some pretty impressive playing here, especially on the bass and drums, and more genre mixing than I can even keep track of. Punk, new wave, free jazz, classical, and the list goes on. Somehow they make having a fucking 43 track long album an enjoyable experience. The more I read about the Minutemen, the smarter I find them to be. Either way, this was a solid freaking album. Fave tracks: - Erm...too much to type. Lots of solid stuff here. 'Nuff said.
This one completely new to me, but there is something I quite like about it. There are, however, too many tracks and not much variety.
Would be good live
Excessively long but pretty darn good and punky
This was an album that had some really good sounds and songs that just went on a little too long for this listener. Overall the kind of music I can get into and did like a lot of it. Not sure if I consider this to be punk, but definitely a little "different". Can't say anything was a stand out, but a few of my favorites I can remember out of the 45 songs! It's expected I'm gone, #1 Hit Song, Shit from an Old Notebook, Jesus & tequila and History Lesson Pt 2. I shouldn't compare albums but while they're getting a 3, same as Jon Spencer, I like the Jon Spencer better.
I'm Will and this is Jackass. (No review. rating not representative of my actual opinion of the album)
3.5 This is one of those albums that’s been branded a punk essential for as least as far as I can remember, yet I’ve never managed to feel fully sold on myself. For being labeled “hardcore punk”, it has more of a funk kind of thing going on a lot of the time, and conversely, while it’s also hailed as being genre-bending and diverse in that regard, I also don’t feel like it leans far enough in that direction either to quite warrant all the praise. That said, there’s an irreverent charm to all the madness, and while I don’t think this needed to be composed of 43 songs, there’s a sort of hyperactive entertainment in following the stream of thought, where hardly one lasts more than two minutes - I guess there’s a punk spirit to that. Still, a lot of these songs blend together, and I feel like you’d be lying to yourself if you were to say otherwise. I know that’s arguably not the point, but the more remarkable songs here are the ones that kept me invested. This album starts off quite strong in that regard with tracks with like Viet Nam, Cohesion, #1 Hit Song, and Two Beads at the End, but the further you go on, the more it feels like the sprinklings of greatness grow fewer and fewer - though, to be fair, it was actually the middle section that contained my two personal favorites. While ironically one of the slower, smoother numbers on the album, History Lesson Part 2 is a beautifully nostalgic and simplistic capture of what it means to love punk music, a telling that’s never complete without a mention of Joe Strummer (“This is Bob Dylan to me”). I’ve been recommended the book Our Band Could Be Your Life a couple of times, and I never realized until now the title comes from the opening line of this song. As for my other favorite song here… I mean, come on, it’s one we all know, likely preceded by the phrase, “Hi, I’m Johnny Knoxville”. I’m sure plenty of other reviews are going to mention Jackass as well, so I’ll offer up this fun fact with mine: According to Knoxville’s Hot Ones appearance, the theme song was between this and Bastards of Young by The Replacements (another personal favorite). I’m not going to pretend that a large part of my appreciation for the song isn’t tied to the franchise, but I will say hearing the song more over the years actually paired with the lyrics has added to it in a significant way. I mean, it is kind of weird in hindsight that they picked a song pertaining to unjust living situations in Mexico, but I do feel the “I only had a Corona” sentiment on a deeply spiritual level. Unfortunately, they purposefully decided to backload the last quarter or so with their weakest songs for some reason, and it ultimately makes for a pretty lackluster conclusion (though I will give a shoutout to Jesus and Tequila). At its core, this is probably the textbook definition of an album where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and I certainly enjoy and appreciate it in that respect, but I also think it’s totally fair to say it’s not without bloat or flaw. No complaints about the title though. Everyone familiar with the album (or read its Wiki page just now) probably already knows this backstory, but I’m going to write it out anyway because it’s great. “Double nickels on the dime” is trucker slang for “55 mph on the I-10” (which connects Los Angeles to San Pedro, a freeway well familiar to SoCal residents). Now, that on its own I think makes for a cool name, but specifically, it was chosen to make fun of Sammy Hagar’s protest against the then-federally imposed speed limit on I Can’t Drive 55. The guys found it a (rightfully) cringeworthy attempt at rebellion and decided they were going to go the speed limit on their collection of protest songs.
Post-punk/new-wave with funk elements and political lyrics. Even some jazz (and beat) elements when tempo is allowed to wander and chromaticity reigns. Songs are all very short (1:30ish) and there are 43 of them!! Interesting sound, can see similarities with RHCP. Shit from an Old Notebook is like RHCP meetd SOAD lyrics Overall effect of so many short songs is exhausting and head-spinning, but this was presumably intentional. Decent riffs and hooks in there to hold the interest. You Need the Glory is a freeform beat track? Dr Wu has a kind of SOAD duet going on which is fun. Best track - Do You Want New Wave..., Political Song for Michael Jackson..., Toadies, The Big Foist, The Glory of Man, Dr Wu 3 stars - high 3 stars, it's good for what it is but it's a bit out-there for me
Not bad. But not great either
This thing was interesting and fun to listen to until it wasn't. It's just too much to sit through all at once. I should have probably taken a break half way through for a palate cleanser. All that being said, I get why this is on the list. 3/5.
A little long. And kind of repetitive only because of its length. But also more creative. Really enjoyed it.
lol, Jackass-låten. Annars är känslan typ som ett sämre Gang of Four?
Låter rätt funky och med en hel del intressanta influenser, men såhär otroligt många och korta låtar gav mig ett ofokuserat helhetsintryck som jag hade svårt att riktigt ta till mig.
Mycket.
When you have a kick ass band does the lead singer have to a conventional singing voice? Not here. The band is amazing, I almost wanna say slaps but I'm too old for that Punk Rocker voice. Not an insult. Funky Punky comes to mind. There are so many genres here: punk, funk, country & spoken word. Some of the songs seem like half ideas that make me want more. That bass is just fantastic. Kinda starts to blend together yet is still sonically diverse. There's alot here. Double album bloat. 3
i like how short they are, its so fun
Very interesting double album to me, but I definitely want to revisit again. When I’m in a better mindset, want to figure out how to make it out of that. But I’ll get four stars for now, very interesting punk album, definitely killed some chili pepper peppers type influence on that. Period.
80s punk rock. Doesn’t feel cohesive, can’t get into anny songs. Way too long.
I’m Stevo and this is poo cocktail supreme
I just couldn't get into it, it's too frenetic and varied, I got bored waiting for the punk lyrics.
Wow the bass on these tracks is phenomenal. It's definitely not my favorite but I recognize the musical technical skill, like whoa. Unfortunately, though each track is like a little sample, this album is like a 34-course meal: far too long. I run out of listening stamina.
never would’ve thought that corona used for every comedic bit online is from this record
Instantly forgettable light weight American punk... or something... I've forgotten tbh.
Interesting.
Musically an interesting mix of punk rock, funk and jazz, that's nice. Lyrics are good, but the vocal delivery is very tiring to me. Also this sounds like a bunch of very short demo snippets rather than finished songs.
Didn’t mind it but it’s way too long
Classic
Interesting sound for background music.
If The Ramones are the wellspring of punk rock, at least American punk, then Joey and Johnny represent the two streams that flowed out. Joey's was 'anyone can do this' while Johnny was 'loud, fast and hard.' Johnny's dominated over time, but Joey's always spoke to me more, then and now. The Minutemen were possibly our greatest exemplars of the Joey stream and this album is maybe their best. I always admired their unique take and that they never felt compelled to be more like every other punk band and succumb to what ultimately became quite rigid rules of hardcore. I mean, has any other punk band ever done a Steely Dan cover? I didn't learn until many years later that the title of this album comes from LA slang for driving 55 miles per hour on route 10 (ironically, the same highway that took D. Boon's life a couple of years later). Apparently it was a response to Sammy Hagar's anthem to stupidity "I can't drive 55." Note the album cover, too. This excerpt from a 2006 interview with the bass player Mike Watt lives rent-free in my head to this day. I hope you don't have to be a musician to fully appreciate its beautiful cluelessness: The trio began by learning all of Creedence Clearwater's songs. "We didn't even know about tuning," recalls Watt. "We didn't equate string tension with pitch. We thought some dudes liked their strings tight, others liked them loose. But if you played "Down on the Corner" and it sounded right, we were in tune. I'm so glad I don't have any recordings of that period." This is similar to why I became a fan of the TV show Jackass from the instant I heard their theme song - Corona, from this album. I loved it for a few reasons. D Boon died and the band disappeared and because they were so unusual they were easily forgotten. I was impressed the Jackass guys were hip enough (and old enough) to want to pay tribute. Also, it signaled that Jackass was going to be the TV show equivalent of a band that was so amateurish they genuinely believed that tuning was a matter of personal preference. Ha! It's a Johnny's world and we Joeys need to stick together.
I know I'd definitely heard of Minutemen even back in high school, and knew they were a punk band, but clearly never heard them, as I expected this album to have a lot more hardcore punk, and never guessed large parts of it would sound a lot like a jazz/funk jam session, just in really tiny bits (and very punk in that sense). Waaay too long in many ways, and I definitely prefer D. Boon's songwriting to Mike Watt's, but pretty entertaining from start to finish for what it is, and I like how the first three sides are named after each member of the trio, plus "Chaff" for the 4th-side dregs. I also like their willingness to cover a strange range of tunes (especially CCR's "Don't look now" and Van Halen's "Ain't talkin' 'bout love", but also Steely Dan's "Dr. Wu"), and while the truly atrocious recording quality of the live covers makes it hard to say they're *great* cover versions, they're certainly quite different from the originals. Regardless, a great sampler of a pretty unique-sounding band, and I love it that the album title is a big middle-finger to the lameness of Sammy Hagar and his ilk.
Quirky jazz stylings on a punk foundation make for entertaining listening. I really wish "Dr. Wu" had been "Dr. Who." I love their confidence and just wish they'd cut this down to under an hour. They remind me a little of this Connecticut band from the 90's, Bud Collins. Good times!
Great songs if they were just fleshed out more, wayyyy too short for my liking. The drums are so crisp on this one. Also, wasnt expecting the jackass song.
This could've been a solid 3-star rating if it was half as long. Not every half-baked idea has a place on an album.
Nit my sirt of music
annoying
Equal parts interesting/quirky and annoying/garbage. A bit of a mixed bag compared to a lot of the punk so far but it's getting a 2.5, the .5 because of the Jackass song.
Wow what a surprise to see this album here! This is a great, underrated album! This gives me some hope that there might still be some decent picks on this list since there’s way too many albums on this list based on popularity and not on actual musical integrity. Such an amazing and diverse collection of pieces here. These guys were firing on all cylinders at this point in time. Listening to this makes me think about all the great independent rock bands of this era who made absolutely essential albums which are not on the list. Oh well I guess this album just gives me another reason to just make my own list for myself.
Fantastic
This record was quite long in the sense that the track list was expansive, but that isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed this instrumentation and lyrics. Favourite Track(s): #1 Hot Song, Two Beads at the End, Maybe Partying Will Help Least Favourite Track(s): Take 5, D, The World According to Nouns
Annoying voice
Ooo! Fun! I can't quite give it a 5 but this is a classic. Jackass theme song! So many great quick punk jams. Actually, I'm giving it a 5. See ya!
These guys were like the Guided by Voices of punk--short, collage-like songs that make a quick impression,then get out quickly. I love the range and eclecticism on this. And, lyrically, it's a kind of stream of conscious approach but it really works (especially on a song like "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing"). I had never heard this album before other than "History Lesson-Part II" and really enjoyed it. I feel like I have to listen to it again to appreciate its weird little detours and diversions.
One of the most important bands in the history of indie. They basically defined the genre with their econo-jamming, building a cult following without the major label. They also just sounded great together, especially Mike Watt's insane bass skills and D Boons really unique guitar approach. I also love the anti-capitalist messages of a lot of these songs. Minutemen inspired a generation of DIYers with this one
Didn’t expect the jackass theme
Restless, scrappy, and smarter than it has any right to be. Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: This album feels like three friends sprinting through ideas without stopping to polish them. Punk, funk, politics, philosophy, and heart all smashed together into something alive and unpredictable. Favorite Track: History Lesson Part II. Short, sharp, and weirdly emotional.
As a child of 1998, I know Corona because of Jackass. I did not know the album it came from was 43 tracks long and just chock full of jams. Pretty good record.
I don't much like punk, but wasn't mad at listening to this.
I've been meaning to listen to this album for ages, good thing this list finally forced me to do it. These guys have the songwriting style of a Grindcore band. "Let's just throw some lines together and put a beat to it." 1-2 verses, 90 seconds, done. Repeat 43 times and you have this album. Honestly, I keep seeing more and more Grindcore connections the longer I think about it. There's the incredibly on-the-nose song titles, like Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing, or Shit from an Old Notebook. There's the really unstructured lyrical style that's closer to a stream of consciousness than songwriting. The really big one is the song length, though. I'm pretty sure I've actually listened to Napalm Death songs that are longer than most of the songs on this album. Anyways, enough rambling about niche metal genres. This album is great. You can't say any song overstays its welcome because they practically say goodbye right as you meet them. Every song tosses you in a totally different direction, too. Sometimes they don't even talk, they just throw crazy stuff at you, like whatever You Need the Glory is. It's that kind of total randomness that makes the album great. You never know what's coming next.
Gaga
Much funny, such fast. Amazing!
Great music for those with ADHD. Genuinely very good muscianship, far from a novelty act that they might appear to be first. Some decent songs littered about in there, but yeah some could maybe use a bit more padding out, or even a chorus, call me old fashioned.
Good rage music!
This album was quite unremarkable. Some fun beats but it seemed to really drag on.
Good to finally learn where the Jackass theme came from
Best Song: Corona. After the initial whiplash of hearing the Jackass intro, the rest of the song actually does have a pleasant melancholy character to the vocals. Worst Song: Take 5, D. This feels like a bit that I'm not understanding. Overall: A deeply weird album. A mess of different glimpses of songs, most under 2 minutes. With such a huge number of tracks, there's a lot of hits and misses, but nothing sticks around long enough to leave much of an impression. Sometimes funky, sometimes jazzy, sometimes hardcore. Eclectic to an almost deleterious degree.
Really solid punk…ish album.
This is an album I should love. It’s so in my wheelhouse it might as well be the house itself. But I just don’t like it. I can’t tell if it’s the samey instrumentation or just the lack of any melody that’s pleasant on more than half the songs. Corona, the only song I actually love from this album, is probably in that status for Jackass nostalgia.
A little too punk for me.
9 / 10
23/01/2026 I didn't know what to make of this to start, but it grew on me. Spotify listeners: 166.7k
VERY Long off the bat. Too many tracks. I'm thinking, why the fuck would you ever need to release this many songs at the same time. But it's sort of upbeat and ??happy?? for punk music at least for the first couple songs. I like the lyrics that I caught they were a little weird. "Let's say i have a number its 50000 thats 10% of 500,000" is funny. Ah then there's some nice acoustic. I think it's played well. Has an emotional gravity I like. It kind of gives me a Sublime plus Fugazi sort of vibe which is weird. It's kind of sunny and funky and nice.
esto fue como ver una película, me encanto!
barebone
Punk as hell
Okay punk I guess. Most exciting part was hearing the jackass theme. Nothing else really caught my attention
Geil! 43 Songs in 75 Minuten, das Album ist vollgepackt mit vielen schnellen Ideen und tollen Riffs. Ich mag auch die emotionaleren Nummern wie das wunderschöne "Cohesion" sehr gerne, die den etwas punkigeren Sound immer wieder auflockern. Die Länge ist natürlich etwas happig, aber durch die sich abwechselnden Einfälle wird man stets super unterhalten.
sympa mais vraiment trop long, et difficile d'écouter les titres seuls faut se faire le tunnel d'un coup
I indeed CAN drive 55. Three 5 stars in a row. RIP D. Boon….Watt 4ever!
Album MUITO grande 43 musicas, mas a maioria tem por volta de 1 min e meio. Tem uma pegada meio experimental sei la, as musicas sã bem diferentes entre si. Achei maneiro, mas acho q não ouviria dnv
A fair amount of this was straight-up goofy, a precursor to some of Blink’s humor. I was pretty down on this album until Take 5, D. That “side” of the album was right up my alley. A neat punk-ish album. Probably best enjoyed when played live in a gross basement bar.
There's parts of this that is extremely my shit but dear god why are their 43 tracks. there's a solid 11 album in there but maybe this nonsense worked better in the 80s.
Double Nickels on the Dime is easily the Minutemen's most comprehensive project, and yet also their most varied and experimental in my humble opinion. Collecting 4 separate parts for each member of the band as well as a "B-side" D-side of the album and combining them together into a 1 hour and 19 minute album when their second longest project before this was a measly 26 minutes is nothing short of courageous. As much as I would have loved to talk about this release, it still feels a bit too weird for my liking even with the occasion click I found within this massive 41 track album. Minutemen will always be quite a weird band for myself and while I have loads of respect for them and their craft, I just don't think I truly "get" anything here. The songs feel a bit too undercooked all the way around and the jumping of sounds was giving me a lot of whiplash to the point where it was hard to even focus in anymore. I honestly preferred the "Chaff" section of this album because it felt that a pretty consistent jam session whereas every other section of this album felt like a flurry of ideas. A very respectable album, but once again not one I am really seeing the hype behind by any means.
It's fun!
The jazzy basslines are a pleasant surprise. Guitar and drumming are good. Viet Name is positively catchy. This is going to be eclectic - Cohesion is an instrumental folk tune, quick acoustic picking, then the next track lays down a funk rock groove. I won't call out too many songs because there's 43 on this release (oof), but some of the best of the rest are: Nature Without Men, The Glory of Man, The Politics of Time, Nothing Indeed, Jesus and Tequila &&& Love Dance. There's genuinely weird stuff on here too. Not what I expected and I respect how unhinged it is. I don't know if I could get through all of it again, but I'm making an exception and giving this a passing grade.
Solid 3.5
Sorry I hate this kind of singing All the songs sound the same too
Funk/post hardcore? 40 tracks? Just comes across as a jumbled mess of ideas but I'm guessing it's the punk hipsters choice.
That was exactly what I remember the Punk Rick era to be. Outside of a few really talented groups most of it was sub par musicians playing songs that were nasty, brutish, and short. I didn’t skip any of them, so it wasn’t that bad.
That was an all right bit of Jazzy Punk.
So, this is a tough album for me to rate. It has 43 songs! That, alone, is ridiculous. Then you get into the vocals on any given track. The lead singer obviously has some very strong opinions, much of which I agree with. Problem is he just comes across as super pretentious. Some of it just screams “I’m an artist! Look at me!”, which bugs me. And it’s often atonal and not set to a certain rhythm. I don’t know, his messaging irks me. All that said, there is a lot that I love here. The guitar is spectacular! Many of the techniques used here have continued and become more widely used in different genres. And the bass?! I love when a bassist is allowed to shine! It’s not often that I come across the talent on display throughout. Plus, the theme to Jackass is present, which gives this album an automatic star. So, where does that leave the rating? I feel like the proper route is 3 stars. One star for the Jackass theme, and two stars for the bass and guitar. Definitely stuff to like here, but by golly do the vocals hurt it.
I hadn’t listened to this album since college. I definitely appreciate it more 20 years later; and of course, corona is a bop.
Brauch ich nicht
I would love punk so much more if more punk albums captured the sound of this album. Groovy punk is not something I ever realized existed, and now I can't get enough. A really fun album for the whole runtime, and has a solid blend of energy, politics, and fun that makes for a great album. Top tracks: Theatre Is The Life of You, Viet Nam, The Glory of Man, History Lesson Part 2
wow these guys did something totally new and different in the music industry, ok, GO NEXT!
I am a fan of this style of music, but in very small doses. This is too much in one setting for me. 2.75
Too raw. Terrible production.
Raw, Punchy, Minimalistic. Definitely worth listening to!!
Reluctantly approached this album based entirely on length... that was a mistake. This is what I envision punk is supposed to be. Frenzied, exciting, tireless energy with some insanely catch grooves. And yes, probably explains why Jacka$$ was a fan (see: CORONA).
Love the punk vibes. Knew I knew them but couldn’t put my finger on it until I got to Corona (Jackass song)
Maybe it was the jackass theme that caused a Pavlovian dopamine hit, but I didn’t mind this as a punk album
Good, as far as post-punk goes. I can hear the influence on bands like the Red Hot Chile Peppers. A 3.
Not my genre, sounds ok but I think I prefer lyrical works rather than isntrumental
Interesting stuff
guitar is ok
If it weren't for 20 or so extra minutes, this would be a perfect punk record. Additionally, everyone who considers themselves a bassist should listen to this.
Did not expect to like this one! Fun lyrics, hard rock and beautiful instrumentals. One song was a really bad recording of a live song but other than that, solid album.
Long but bearable, can see the influence on future artists
This album sounds incredible. I just don't love the vocal style, and it's too long and that holds it back
erfrischend, melodiös, toller sound! und weil die songs kurz sind kann man auch zwei davon auf die playliste nehmen. einmal mehr: entdeckung!
Sehr vielseitiges Album das aber in seiner Gesamtheit gefällt.
Hard to not love old school groovy punk like this. These guys were just out there having a good time. Albums like this are what make me glad I started this challenge - I’d never heard of minutemen and never would have heard this gem otherwise!
they don't call them minutemen for nothing amirite frantic af i like but also I feel like i could barely appreciate any of the songs because of the breakneck pace. still a cool ass album tho
Good but overstays it's welcome.
Alright, the songs are so short that the bad ones leave quickly but the good ones are also by in a flash. Not sure why they made it so long, the diversity of the songs (or lack of) does not warrant 40+ tracks
An album of what feels like samples? All over the place, but not too disjointed.
Would describe it as punk-ish, I don’t love it. Also, it has so many songs, holy moly. Stand-outs - History Lesson Part 2 - Dr. Wu
++: Theatre Is the Life of You, Viet Nam, Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?, Don't Look Now, One Reporter's Opinion, Maybe Partying Will Help, Retreat, The Big Foist, God Bows to Math, Corona, The Glory of Man, My Heart and the Real World, You Need the Glory, Mr. Robot's Holy Orders, West Germany, Themselves, There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight, This Ain't No Picnic, Jesus and Tequila, Martin's Story, Little Man with a Gun in His Hands, Love Dance +: Anxious Mo-Fo, Cohesion, It's Expected I'm Gone, #1 Hit Song, Two Beads at the End, Nature Without Man, Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing, Toadies, The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts, Nothing Indeed, No Exchange, Spillage, Untitled Song for Latin America, Storm in My House +-: Shit from an Old Notebook, Take 5, D., History Lesson – Part II, The Politics of Time, Please Don't Be Gentle with Me, June 16th, Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love, Dr. Wu, The World Accounting to Nouns 6,3/10
these guys are better musicians than i had remembered. i hate their tone. love the songs, love the lyrics, but jesus everything sounds like ass. this guys voice sucks too. glad each song is only 1.5 mins long
Pretty fun to dance to
When I opened this up this morning I yelled "YES!" Confession: since I wasn't really into punk at the time, I've only recently been catching up on the stuff that came out in the 80s while I was listening to New Wave and my old prog records. So, I've only had a copy of this record for a couple of years, and have come to really like it. It's great for driving around - just an all-around propulsive record, consistently good. My favorite track is "Jesus and Tequila," but the whole thing is great, 5/5
Loved it
Three songs in and this sounds incredibly lame. Like the worst of generic 80s punk. Oh wait, track four, "Cohesion", an instrumental, played on what sounds like a 12 string, finally indicates they have more sounds in their quiver than straight ahead punk. Sigh, spoke too early, back to uninspiring straight ahead punk on track 5. I was beginning to think that "Cohesion" was a mirage in an endless desert of power chords, when finally track 8 "Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?". Beautiful arrangement, but more lame lyrics. Also, it is very clear by this point that Dennes Dale Boones' voice truly unappealing. I can imagine that they were probably a fun show to attend live, but the album is truly underwhelming. It was truly punk to make an album with 43 songs, but as a middle aged person some 40 years on, I don't have the patience for this nonsense. Don't think I will be listening to this again in the future. Don't really believe it has a place being on this list. I feel like the singer's tragic death, at such a young age unfairly biased the critics view of this album.
Very cool, just too long. 3.5/5
Respect the commitment. These boys can play
Started strong. Too long and repetitive around track 10 to 12. Poisoned the rest of the album for. Maybe I'll come back to this again. But who know.
I guess
some interesting nuggets in here but not a fan of their vocals for sure. i'm at a 3 here.
If it wasn't for the vocals and it being such a ridiculously long album, I could see giving this something like 3.5-3.75 stars. Those complaints knock a star off, which will still get rounded to 3 stars.
I fuck with this crazy style
The kind of album people pretend to like
Self aware enough to make the songs short, not self aware enough to keep the album under an hour. I do enjoy the funky bass tho
58/100.
43 songs in 74 minutes. more like just under two minute men. sounds like drunk, creative punk rockers with ADHD. I didn’t really remember anything by the time I got to the end except the instrumental acoustic one was a really fun record on the less
plays like a long ass demo
Fun punk album here. Some pretty solid guitar work too.
Un peu trop fouilli
to be honest I have never really had the attention span to listen to the entire thing. But what I have heard is great
These guys are very talented, but man, 43 songs is a LOT. They're all very short, though, so if you aren't into the current song, just wait. Bonus for giving us the theme song for Jackass.
I appreciate the need and the place in history of thei band and LP. It does strike me as "punk for punks sake", i.e. just making music to piss off the man. Mission accomplished. Note to future would be punkers: It's okay to have a catchy melody and hook. ;)
Felt 60’s rock n roll
Early 80’s lite punk
Political and weird, just the way I wanted a band I was part of to be.
Oh my gosh- this album had me giggling and asking what is this the while time
Nope.
It is so long, mostly good but enough duds to make it hard
Cool but weird
I have no idea what kind of album I just listened too. It was all over the place.
Blind album and artist. Middle of the road for me. Catchy parts, short songs though, lots of tracks and some variety, but scattered.
Meh, it just didn't seem that special to me. I was into punk back in the 90s, and this probably would not have caught my attention even then. The beginning of Corona definitely brings back Jackass memories, but still not enough to get me excited about this album.
43 songs and not a one of 'em is good. impressive work, boys.
i really liked this very neat collection of short tracks. it's not as fun or listenable as short music for short people, but it's much more accessible than something like the residents' commercial album. i dig it. favorites: tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 19-21, 23, 25, 33
So long, but thanks for the all of these tracks.
Surpreendente. Um álbum de 43 faixas que não é maçante de ouvir. Um álbum repleto de faixas curtas e que mesmo assim não parece deslocado ou dissociado. Um álbum de Hardcore mas que executa instrumentalizações análogas à Jazz. Um álbum surpreendente! A duração e o número de faixas podem assustar, mas não se preocupe. O álbum é brilhantemente sequenciado, com cada lado sendo associado à um membro do trio, e o último lado sendo os “restos”. Dessa forma, mesmo com o exacerbado número de canções, o álbum consegue te manter entretido e ouvindo atenciosamente. É preciso mencionar que esse disco escapa de todos clichês de álbuns Punk ou Hardcore. Ele realmente expande os horizontes e permite uma instrumentalização bem mais requintada. Por isso minha comparação com Jazz, comparação essa que é bem comum, e pode ser observada principalmente nas linhas de baixo de Mike Watt. A forma com que D. Boon toca guitarra também complementam essa sensação que o disco passa, o som de sua guitarra aqui é “leve”, por falta de outra forma de expressar, não é um som pesado. Ela parece uma bailarina dançando em cada faixa, e às vezes, ela serve de backup singer, é bem legal. Sinceramente, o que mais me pega nesse disco duplo é o quão divertido ele realmente é. Não só por suas composições, mas pelo fato que os próprios integrantes do grupo parecem se divertir enquanto gravam essas canções. Gravações essas que são puras, sem adornos, um grupo raíz. A verba para gravar o álbum era propositalmente mísera, e com esses hábitos econômicos a banda conseguia lucrar bem mais durante suas turnês. Inteligente. Tudo muito bom. Os solos são ótimos, o baixo sempre mantém as faixas em constante movimento, ele parece até mesmo cantar (na verdade, é o tipo de disco que só de ouvir dá vontade de tocar), a percussão é sólida, e os vocais são caricatos, como de se esperar de um trio Punk, e eu honestamente gosto das letras. Em suma, um disco patrício. Leitura obrigatória para todos, especialmente para aspirantes músicos! 5/5
This was an interesting album listen! Their sound was unique in that it was a mix of punk, jazz, funk, and r&b which made for a good time while listening. I’m not sure if it is an album I would seek out again but I had a good time listening to it at the time and enjoyed listening to something new!
Did not know this was the album that Corona came from. Pretty generic 80's punk album otherwise. Good summer punk vibes. 4/10
It's alright. Don't think I'd listen again
It's got a lot of fun ideas like guided by voices but super short. I felt alien lanes had greater diversity and more polish
Obviously gets some points for bringing us the Jackass theme, but aside from that, not many of the songs grabbed me, and I'm not sure I want to spend more time getting into a double album. If this band is your life, I wish you well, but I don't think it could be mine.
4 - great album
4/5
While I enjoyed finding out where the “Jackass” theme song came from, nothing really did it for me on this album.
Another 89’s band rock? Not sure. Music is strange.
a lot of the songs sound very similar. not my favorite album.
Rolig postpunk
Min tuppkam växte tillbaka lite :) Gillade musiken, men på tok för långt album, blir trött i huvudet av att sträcklyssna. Svårt för "spoken word"-musik tyvärr, det tar ner betyget till en tvåa
Love the bass, but did this album really need 43 songs?
Sometimes funky, sometimes folky, sometimes something else altogether, this is an eclectic collection that's pretty accessible. These guys have got legit chops and talent and are clearly influenced by more than just punk. The first two sides have some of the punk aesthetic (particularly the lyrics), but not as much of the chaotic, loose quality of stereotypical punk - almost all are impeccably performed and recorded. Many songs are often clearly homages to other styles, and in turn, I can hear bits of styles that were also used by bands like Sonic Youth, Fugazi, and Steve Albini's bands. The other half of the album is more frenetic and punky. Short songs never overstay their welcome, but some have grooves that could have benefit from more time. That said, because there are a lot of songs, you probably need a few listens to fully appreciate all of it. On the other hand, it's probably perfect for just zoning out to, too.
Random live track? Don't like the structure with 44 tracks and a bunch of them really short. By track 35 I'm exhausted and ready for it to be over. Way too long, could use some curation here. Some fun jams on here that I like but probably a by track revisit and not an album listen through.
A grab bag of fragmented ideas that range from jagged social protests to meandering ideas that float off into the ether. For one song to be as directed and tense as "Viet Nam" to immediately transition into the soothing, rolling solo guitar on "Cohesion" is certainly chaotic, but it somehow works? It's kinda like they said the rules for this album is that there are no rules. Wanna do some instrumental noodling for a song? Sure! Wanna demand widescale policy change in America for another song? Go ahead! The start of "Shit From and Old Notebook" was a highlight for me, as I too experience similar stream-of-consciousness anger at the nature of advertising. "Corona" did jolt me out of the doldrums at that point in the tracklisting, it's like the band very intentionally tried to form their version of a pop-leaning rock son, and it worked. Unfortunately, this meant that most everything after lost a bit of it's magic. Reading more on Mike Watt, it seems like this man just lives to create. So many bands, so many albums, it is reflected in his musical style here -- pure flow of ideas, from head and heart straight to mouth. Most of my points go to this album being a very peculiar project, breaking the mold for how a western music record could be structured. As for the musical content? Mehhhhh. Fun and/or invigorating for small moments at best. 3/5, no need to return to this one for casual listening
this is kinda sick Will I listen to again: 100%
A long double album with a mixture of punk rock, jazz and alternative. This kind of punk music is good and clever. Some songs are fresh sounding, and I appreciate the musicianship. But there are 45 songs on it and many of them aren't that great, which make the album disjointed and not compact, it just flows from one song to another. A short compact album with 10-15 songs would have been perfect. Strong 2 stars.
like flipping channels on a rock ‘n’ roll TV. Was any song longer than 2 1/2 minutes?
Interesting.
Must be pretty busy in the heads that created this.
Legendary punk album, or is it post punk already? I‘m not going to spend my Sunday debating about genre boundaries
1001 Albums Vol. 0013: Double Nickels On The Dime ============================================================ Introduction: It's strange how you can go from listening to the shortest album you've heard so far to the longest album you're yet to hear. Thank God I'm not doing a track-by-track breakdown anymore. This album would have been the absolute bane of my existence if I were. Anyway, that aside, this album was released back in 1984 by a little-known band known as Minutemen. This album's genre is...punk rock....Now, despite the fact that the last punk rock album I generated, The Clash, got the first three, I've heard that THIS album is a masterpiece. This site doesn't seem to hold the same opinion, yet I've heard almost nothing but positivity regarding this album. Still, I'm not entirely sure what to expect. Punk rock is a genre that I can appreciate from a critic's standpoint, yet I don't feel much of anything for it casually. Nevertheless, I'll still go into this album with my hopes at a reasonable level. Now, this album is apparently so loved for its ability to blend genres and the topics it covers. It apparently covers the Vietnam War at some point before covering the exhaustion of working class lives at another. It sounds like pretty typical punk rock kind of stuff to talk about, yet it's all tied together through the theme of American life. I guess that some people almost interpret this album as the band taking a road trip through America. They point out the many flaws that America had and has all the while. It seems like a cool concept that I will probably be able to relate to. Now, the track listing may be a bit weird. To my knowledge, there are many versions of this album that exist. I am listening to the upload on Spotify, yet apparently the full version of the album is exclusively available on vinyl. I've looked at some other track listings on other sites as well and they're different from the Spotify version too. I don't know. I'm just going to listen to the Spotify version and leave it at that. Alright, now, with that out of the way, let's get into what will probably be the most exhausting album yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 1: D.'s Car Jam / Anxious Mo-Fo Score: 8/10 Track 2: Theatre Is the Life of You Score: 8/10 Track 3: Viet Nam Score: 9/10 Track 4: Cohesion Score: 8/10 Track 5: It's Expected I'm Gone Score: 8/10 Track 6: #1 Hit Song Score: 8/10 Track 7: Two Beads at the End Score: 9/10 Track 8: Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth Score: 8/10 Track 9: Don't Look Now Score: 6/10 Track 10: Shit from an Old Notebook Score: 8/10 Track 11: Nature Without Man Score: 8/10 Track 12: One Reporters Opinion Score: 8/10 Track 13: Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing Score: 8/10 Track 14: Maybe Partying Will Help Score: 9/10 Track 15: Toadies Score: 7/10 Track 16: Retreat Score: 7/10 Track 17: The Big Foist Score: 7/10 Track 18: God Bows to Math Score: 7/10 Track 19: Corona Score: 9/10 Track 20: The Glory of Man Score: 10/10 Track 21: Take 5, D. Score: 6/10 Track 22: My Heart and the Real World Score: 8/10 Track 23: History Lesson Part 2 Score: 10/10 Track 24: You Need the Glory Score: 5/10 Track 25: The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts Score: 8/10 Track 26: Mr. Robot's Holy Orders Score: 7/10 Track 27: West Germany Score: 9/10 Track 28: The Politics of Time Score: 7/10 Track 29: Themselves Score: 8/10 Track 30: Please Don't Be Gentle with Me Score: 7/10 Track 31: Nothing Indeed Score: 7/10 Track 32: No Exchange Score: 8/10 Track 33: There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight Score: 8/10 Track 34: This Ain't No Picnic Score: 9/10 Track 35: Spillage Score: 7/10 Track 36: Untitled Song for Latin America Score: 8/10 Track 37: Jesus and Tequila Score: 9/10 Track 38: June 16th Score: 8/10 Track 39: Storm in My House Score: 7/10 Track 40: Martin's Story Score: 7/10 Track 41: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love Score: 7/10 Track 42: Doctor Wu Score: 7/10 Track 43: Little Man With a Gun in His Hand Score: 8/10 Track 44: The World According To Nouns Score: 9/10 Track 45: Love Dance Score: 8/10 Track 46: Three Car Jam Score: 3/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion: This was one colossal listen. Despite what I said in the intro, I did go out of my way to listen to the vinyl exclusive songs as well. They didn't add all that much runtime...they didn't really add that much at all. Expectedly, there was no absolute masterpiece of a song that was cut on re-releases and digital versions of the album. Little Man With a Gun was pretty good, yet pretty good is this album's average. Seriously, this album is so consistently good across forty-six different songs that it absolutely blows me away. The fact that the band was even able to come up with themes and melodies that sound so distinct and diverse while still feeling as if they contain a central theme is beyond me. Seriously, I do not know how they did it. It may have been because one member each wrote all of the songs on one side of the album, or it may have been the extremely short length of the songs across the album. I don't know. Nevertheless, most songs on this album are great and creative. I'd go so far as to call some masterpieces. At its core, mostly every song on this album is punk rock. That being said, the amount of genre-blending that the band did creates songs that feel so unique that they might as well be an entirely different genre. There are songs that are just punk rock, there are songs that blend punk rock with psychedelic rock, there are songs that blend punk rock with a bit of folk. There is simply so much genre-blending across this album. It doesn't sound bad for the most part either. There are definitely some songs that are worse than others, yet the genre-blending is executed masterfully for the most part. I mean, it should really say a lot when I tell you that one of the weakest songs on this album is a fan live-recording of a song that the Minutemen performed. You can literally hear a conversation someone in the crowd is having in this recording. They decided to include it on the album, and it ended up being one of the weakest tracks. That should seem like no surprise, yet that logic is thrown out the window when you remember that this album has nearly fifty tracks. Again, I bring this up only to point out how masterful the songwriting is. That aside, I'll briefly touch on the vocals and the overall theme of the album. The vocals are pretty good across most songs. The singer has a very loose yet professional tone to their voice that goes well with pretty much every song on the album. There are a couple of outliers, yet those are far and few. The meaning of the album is something that I can appreciate a lot. As I said in the intro, the central theme of this album revolves around criticizing American life both past and present. The lyrics can be especially confusing and disjointed at times, yet the themes hit pretty hard when they do click upon a Google search or a lot of time staring at the lyrics section of Spotify. You'll find protest songs, songs that criticize how America handles/handled war, songs that criticize officials, and so much more. I will admit, there are a few songs that are so vague and metaphorical to the point where I still don't understand them, yet I believe I have a good general idea of what they discuss based on the general theme of the album. It's all just great. The production and instrumentation is amazing as well. There are parts on this album, especially the songs that I gave 9s and 10s that just sound incredible in some way. I mean, I really have next to no critiques about this album. There are a few songs that are a bit too experimental, and the 7s that I gave sound a bit too generic or uninspired for my liking, yet I don't have much else negative to say besides that. It's weird how many great albums I've been getting without stop. It's even weirder to find myself to actually be enjoying a punk rock album this much that isn't London Calling. I guess this should go to show me that any genre of music CAN be good if an artist genuinely tries. As a side note, the song average would be a 7.8 had Three Car Jam not been listed on the album. I only include this because that "song" feels so unnecessary outside of the context of the album. Of course, rating it as an individual song it was going to receive a pretty low score. ============================================================ Double Nickels On The Dime Score: 9/10 Song Average: 7.7/10
Felt like an album of sounds but maybe it was my mood today but I couldn't wait for the album to finish.
A really fun, inventive album. Loads of variety. I'm always happy to listen to it.
I can't believe I've got another double album this week. Luckily, "DNotD" is actually better than that country album. The songs are very short, with the longest being 3 minutes long. My favourite was "History Lesson Part 2". Unfortunately, the length of the album and the subpar songs prevent it from being a classic. 3 stars for "Double Nickels on the Dime".
Happy Thanksgiving, here’s some awesome punk.
A glowing ray of light after having to endure The Darkness (both literally and metaphorically).
very bloated but always interesting, classic punk sound
Got a lot going on. Bunch of short tracks that are either OK or okay.
When I've read the description, I new that I'd rather love it or hate it. In the end I love it. It didn't have to be that long and separated though. I feel like "whole side for one member" concept is why this record lost some integrity. It would have been such a killer single LP album, but somehow it's flow made me lose my touch with the record from time to time.
First listen