Our Band Could Be Your Life: Minutemen (Part 1/2)

Listening to music, I have the philosophy that you have to be in the right mindset at the right time to get into a group. You may check out an artist or a band but something won't click. However, as time goes on, you may get into other stuff, and ultimately, you may rediscover the artist you passed on previously, finding the song that originally turned you off to now be catchy. This was the case for me with the art-punk band, the Minutemen.

Formed in 1980, the group was established by two childhood friends: guitarist/vocalist D. Boon and bassist/vocalist Mike Watt, drafting high school classmate George Hurley who they had previously played with in a band called the Reactionaries. Originally playing hardcore punk with songs averaging around a minute long, the group began to incorporate funk and jazz influences in their music. Towards the end of their career, they began to experiment more with conventional song structures and melodies, as seen on their last EP and final album. Another thing that defined the group was their habit of "jamming econo", which included recording at ungodly hours in the studio, using recycled tape, and hauling their own equipment to save money.

Unfortunately, the group's career was cut short in 1985 when D. Boon was fell out of the back of a moving van and was killed. Devastated, Watt and Hurley promptly disbanded the group and considered retiring from music before reestablishing themselves in fIREHOSE, which will be discussed in a later entry. Since then, the two have gone on to perform Minutemen songs together without a third member as a tribute to their fallen bandmate.

My first encounter with the group was as a freshman in high school when I first read the book Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad, which focused on the Minutemen in the second chapter. However, at that point, I had little to no interest in the hardcore they played. As time went on and my horizons expanded, I started to look them up, but again, the music just didn't click with me. I finally started to get into the group when I was in college, after getting into fIREHOSE. I wanted to see the origins of this band and finally started finding songs that appealed to me, and I ultimately bought the compilation Post-Mersh Vol. 2, which has the Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat EP and the Project Mersh EP. Since buying that, when I hear songs from either EP, I now think back to being huddled over the animation capture stations, shooting footage while listening to the compilation. Once I got home, I quickly acquired the rest of their catalogue and listened to several albums on vacation.

Musically, the band had a very distinct sound that set them apart from the rest of the contemporaries, featuring high-treble guitars that lacked distortion, basslines that went above and beyond the basic runs and a greater variety of rhythms. Where Black Flag was experimenting with metal and Husker Du and Descendents were playing around with pop melodies, Minutemen were going in a more artsy direction with funky, jazzy and later, psychedelic material. While these traits may have limited the scope of their influence and commercial success, we can see where it still is strong music that holds up.

Breakdown of My Collection

Post-Mersh Vol. 1 (CD, 1987) - The first Post-Mersh compilation incorporates the first two albums the band put out: The Punch Line and What Makes a Man Start Fires? featuring 36 songs in 42 minutes.

The Punch Line (1981) - The first 12" LP by the band shows the band beginning to round out their sound, going from the standard hardcore sound and incorporating the more artistic sounds. Despite being considered an album, the release is extremely short, featuring 18 songs in 15 minutes. Musically, the songs tend to flow into one another, with less variety that would be seen in Double Nickels on the Dime or Three Way Tie (For Last). Overall, it is a small stepping stone in their sound that is a good example of their early sound.
Highlights: "Search", "Tension", "The Struggle", "No Parade", "Straight Jacket"

What Makes a Man Start Fires? (1983) - The group's second LP features the band with their defining sound, which would carry on for several releases. Also sporting 16 tracks, the album is 10 minutes longer. Ultimately this release seems to be a precursor to their magnum opus, Double Nickels on the Dime, and is a strong example of their work. In fact, it might be my favorite album by them.
Highlights: "Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs", "Beacon Sighted Through Fog", "The Anchor", "Sell or Be Sold", "The Tin Roof"

Post-Mersh Vol. 2 (CD, 1987) - The second Post-Mersh compilation features two EPs, Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat and Project Mersh.

Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat (1983) - This EP was yet another step forward in the band's sound. Recorded live in the studio on two-track tape, the music is slightly more accessible. Meanwhile, there are also two tracks I could consider to be disposable, "Dreams are Free Motherfucker!" and "Toe Jam". It goes to show the band's evolution in songwriting when we compare its 7-song tracklist running just as long as the 18-song Punch Line.
Highlights: "Cut", "I Felt Like A Gringo", "The Product", "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand"

Project: Mersh (1985) - This EP was a drastic change in the group's sound, with the band experimenting with higher quality production, longer songs, and melodic hooks, hence the "Mersh" title. While the music is strong on several songs, I would not recommend this as a starting point because it is so separated from the rest of their music.
Highlights: "King of the Hill", "The Cheerleaders", "Hey Lawdy Mama", "Tour-Spiel"

Post-Mersh Vol. 3 (1987) - The last compilation in the Post-Mersh series features a collection of several releases: four EPs, Paranoid Time, Joy, Bean-Spill and Tour-Spiel, as well as the compilation, The Politics of Time.

Paranoid Time (1980) - The band's very first release shows seeds of what would come. Pumping out 7 songs in 7 minutes, it is largely rooted in hardcore with early traits that would be prevalent in their later music. I definitely recommend this if you want to see the band's overall evolution.
Highlights: "Validation", "Sickles and Hammers", "Fascist", "Joe McCarthy's Ghost"

Joy (1981) - This very brief EP basically continues what was established on Paranoid Time, with little deviation.
Highlights: "Joy", "Black Sheep"




Bean-Spill (1981) - This EP was released at the suggestion of Joe Carducci, who was concerned with how many songs the band was giving away to compilations. Again, this carries on the sound that had been established on prior releases.
Highlights: "If Reagan Played Disco", "Case Closed"



The Politics of Time (1984) This collection compiles music from numerous sources, such as studio tracks for an unreleased album, live tracks, and recordings done on cassette recorders. Because of the variations in audio quality, this release is one of the most disjointed releases by the band and as a result, is among my least favorite.
Highlights: "Party With Me Punker", "The Process", "Working Men are Pissed"



Tour Spiel (1984) - The last EP in this collection features four live recordings of the band doing covers by bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Blue Oyster Cult. Much like the Politics of Time, the poor audio quality hurts the release, however, two of these covers would be recorded in the studio for their last album, Three-Way Tie (For Last).
Highlight: "Green River"

Double Nickels on the Dime (CD, 1984) - Considered to be the band's magnum opus, this double album is the band's peak, packing in 43 songs into an hour and 15 minutes. When the group heard Husker Du was making a double album, they buckled down and doubled the number of songs for their next album. Musically, I see this as the band making the most out of their defining sound and is a neat album to listen to, but I don't know if it is my favorite. I think the way their music works, it fits better in 20-30 minute doses and the number of songs on this one was a bit much. Nonetheless, it is still considered among the band's best and I can't dispute that.
Highlights: "D's Car Jam / Anxious Mo-fo", "Two Beads at the End", "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing", "Corona", "History Lesson - Part II", "This Ain't No Picnic", "Spillage"





Three-Way Tie (For Last) (CD, 1985) - The band's final album stands out among the group's LPs in that it shares more traits with the Project Mersh EP. The production is more on par with that of mainstream releases, the songs were longer and featured more conventional song structures and melodies. This album also features several covers, including songs originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Meat Puppets. It also experiments with other styles such as spoken word and hip hop. However, for whatever reason, I have struggled to listen to the album all the way through. While there are songs I enjoy, I can't keep focused on the album as a whole.
Highlights: "The Price of Paradise", "The Big Stick", "Courage", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", "What Is It?"