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33⅓ Main Series #45
The Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime
The story of the Minutemen has been told before (Our Band Could Be Your Life, We Jam Econo), but this book focuses purely on their music - the punk ethic and the remarkable, enduring songs that comprise this, their greatest achievement. Including extensive interviews with Mike Watt and many others close to and inspired by the band, this is a great tribute to a classic piece of American underground music.
Included are extensive interviews with Mike Watt, the band's bass player, as well as interviews with several artists, musicians, studio owners, and fanzine writers who have been devoted followers of the band for years.
Included are extensive interviews with Mike Watt, the band's bass player, as well as interviews with several artists, musicians, studio owners, and fanzine writers who have been devoted followers of the band for years.
124 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2007
19 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
Michael T. Fournier
4 books32 followersMichael T. Fournier is the author of Double Nickels on the Dime (Continuum/Bloomsbury, 2007), Hidden Wheel (Three Rooms Press, 2011) Swing State (Three Rooms Press, 2014) and The Impasse (St. Rooster Books 2024). He graduated from University of Maine's MA program, where he won the Steven Grady Award for fiction. His prose and music criticism has been widely published, and he's toured the United States extensively -- twice through successful crowdfunded prerelease campaigns.
Mike is a regular contributor ro Razorcake and is co-editor of Zisk, the baseball fanzine for people who hate baseball fanzines He's the drummer and main songwriter for Dead Trend, and plays bass in Plaza, Cape Cod's #1 band.
A lifelong Red Sox fan, he lives in Massachusetts with his wife Rebecca and their cat.
Mike is a regular contributor ro Razorcake and is co-editor of Zisk, the baseball fanzine for people who hate baseball fanzines He's the drummer and main songwriter for Dead Trend, and plays bass in Plaza, Cape Cod's #1 band.
A lifelong Red Sox fan, he lives in Massachusetts with his wife Rebecca and their cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 31, 2018
"A lyric from 'History Lesson, Part II'- 'Our band could be your life'- was used as the title of Michael Azerrad's book chronicling the careers of seminal indie acts. The Minutemen continue to be an important band as much for their way of looking at the world as for their music. They were three guys, very intensely into their own things, who got together and made it happen. Their message, spoken as often as not, was that you didn't have to be _____ to be in a band (or write a book). You just had to be yourself.
Punk rock has always been reactionary. The initial wave of punk came at a time when thickly produced dreck was clotting the airwaves. Real people didn't play in bands- rock music, or whatever it had turned into, was for rock stars, another breed entirely. When punk happened, it dawned on thousands of kids, Watt and Boon included, that music didn't have an elite ruling class. They could play however they wanted.
Within years of the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash, though, punk was stripped down, sped up. The transition was made from punk to hardcore, and suddenly, kids who listened to music reacted to it differently. Hardcore codified punk. When the minutemen started, they saw punk as a genuine outlet for expression. "I can't imagine us doing anything that we did without the punk movement happening," Watt says. "What happened to us even back then- 'You guys don't sound like a punk band.' Well, I thought that was the idea! Punk wasn't a style of music, it was a state of mind, and the style of music was up to each band doing it."
Lance Hahn, the singer/guitarist of J Church, says that "History Lesson" "sums up the Minutemen's antihero status in punk while at the same time using reverse psychology to mythologize themselves...It was really one of those epiphanies where I also started to realize that a punk band could also have a hard hitting impact while playing slow.
In an attempt to document the roots of the Minutemen, Watt...told the band's story, starting with their origins as 'fucking corndogs' in their working class hometown. They mentioned the musicians that had influenced them: Richard Hell of the Voidoids, Joe Strummer of the Clash, X's John Doe, and Blue Oyster Cult's Eric Bloom....
The name checks were, and are, amazing. Information wasn't widely available in the days before the internet. Trying to find like-minded music in the early punk days wasn't easy, especially if you happened to be a kid living someplace remote. Often times, it came down to scouring an album's liner notes for unfamiliar bands that were thanked. The Minutemen take things a step further and say, "Here are the people who influenced us." D.Boon mentions that "real names be proof," then provides a list of influences. The implication is that, as he says, our band could be your life. It's a call to action. Start your own band, paint a picture, write a book, build a sculpture, whatever- and plug in the real names from your life. Take your own mix of unique influences, whether they're obscure or common, and do it."
April 22, 2013
If you have been lucky enough to experience The Minutemen in the right time of your life, you will know that it will hold onto your heart and soul for the rest of your life. If the aforementioned is true for you this book will help to explain how three musicians from San Pedro California could alter the world in such a simple way. Michael T. Fournier does a great job at getting Mike Watt and George Hurley to open themselves up to explaining the abstract world of their songs from Double Nickels, without taking away from the magic of the lyricism. Well Done!
August 8, 2007
the minutemen's "double nickels on the dime" record is probably the record i've enjoyed for the longest period of my life. musical obsessions have come and gone but the minutemen have been there since high school and i could always find time to put this record on even when i was listening to nothing else in my life other than 60s garage rock or skinhead reggae. naturally i picked up the book about the album as soon as i saw it for sale, and read the entire thing immediately.
although the interviews, mostly with mike watt, are useful in understanding the way some of the songs came about, unfortunately this book suffers from extremely poor writing. the level of discourse does not match the intellectual level of the subject matter, which is surprising given that the author is a college professor. though he makes several references to the literary awareness of the songwriters, these references ultimately prove to be shallow and the opportunity to read any deeper into them in the context of this book is lost. therefore the writing style is more reminiscent of that of a high school level term paper, not a scholarly work, while at other times reminding me of that found in poorly written punk zines of the 90s -- which tended to cover the 'niche' and cliche elements of the music scene, creating a situation which was completely the opposite of that which the minutemen were able to achieve with their music. the author's embarassing attempts to co-opt the minutemen's own home-grown slang (from 25 years ago), and other bits of misplaced memoir, further made this book a rather disappointing read. however, the music is still great, and there are a few useful anecdotes in the interviews which made me want to listen to specific songs more closely, so this wasn't a complete waste of my time.
although the interviews, mostly with mike watt, are useful in understanding the way some of the songs came about, unfortunately this book suffers from extremely poor writing. the level of discourse does not match the intellectual level of the subject matter, which is surprising given that the author is a college professor. though he makes several references to the literary awareness of the songwriters, these references ultimately prove to be shallow and the opportunity to read any deeper into them in the context of this book is lost. therefore the writing style is more reminiscent of that of a high school level term paper, not a scholarly work, while at other times reminding me of that found in poorly written punk zines of the 90s -- which tended to cover the 'niche' and cliche elements of the music scene, creating a situation which was completely the opposite of that which the minutemen were able to achieve with their music. the author's embarassing attempts to co-opt the minutemen's own home-grown slang (from 25 years ago), and other bits of misplaced memoir, further made this book a rather disappointing read. however, the music is still great, and there are a few useful anecdotes in the interviews which made me want to listen to specific songs more closely, so this wasn't a complete waste of my time.
July 1, 2013
Informative history and song-by-song rundown of one of the landmark albums of the 1980s rock underground. The Minutemen's "Double Nickels on the Dime" was released at about the same time in 1984 as The Replacements' "Let It Be" and Husker Du's "Zen Arcade." It was a thrilling time, when these and other postpunk and indie bands were growing by leaps and bounds. "Double Nickels" and The Minutemen's jagged sounds are much tougher nuts to crack than the 'mats and the Huskers, whose love of the pop song was never buried too deep. The Minutemenn's lyrics were also a lot harder to penetrate, as bandleaders d. Boon and Mike Watt were all over the place intellectually and big on stream-of-consciousness writing. While you can still enjoy the songs just by listening them, getting the story behind the songs adds a lot.
Which is where Fournier's book comes in. Overall the "33 1/3" series of little books about classic albums is somewhat hit or miss, but Fournier sticks closely to his subject matter. Mike Watt, who was clearly happy to talk to him for as long as he wanted, sheds so much light on the albums four sides of countless short songs, that it's almost his book. Among the nuggets are that James Joyce's "Ulysses" was a major inspiration for many of the songs (not bad for a couple of "corndogs from Pedro"); that the three band members picked the song order draft-style, with each one getting his own album side and the fourth side being "Side Chaff"; their love of Blue Oyster Cult (Dennis Boon changed his name to "d. Boon" in honor of Cult vocalist-guitarist Eric Bloom, who was credited on an early Cult album as "E. Bloom").
The historical info on the band is good but brief. For more, I'd recommend the Minutemen chapter in Michael Azerrad's fantastic history of the '80s underground, "Our Band Could Be Your Life" (taken from a song off this album).
Which is where Fournier's book comes in. Overall the "33 1/3" series of little books about classic albums is somewhat hit or miss, but Fournier sticks closely to his subject matter. Mike Watt, who was clearly happy to talk to him for as long as he wanted, sheds so much light on the albums four sides of countless short songs, that it's almost his book. Among the nuggets are that James Joyce's "Ulysses" was a major inspiration for many of the songs (not bad for a couple of "corndogs from Pedro"); that the three band members picked the song order draft-style, with each one getting his own album side and the fourth side being "Side Chaff"; their love of Blue Oyster Cult (Dennis Boon changed his name to "d. Boon" in honor of Cult vocalist-guitarist Eric Bloom, who was credited on an early Cult album as "E. Bloom").
The historical info on the band is good but brief. For more, I'd recommend the Minutemen chapter in Michael Azerrad's fantastic history of the '80s underground, "Our Band Could Be Your Life" (taken from a song off this album).
Read
October 21, 2007I"ve read a lot of these 33 and a third books and the quality varies wildly, but I love the size of them--so easy to carry and then either give to someone when you're done or just leave in a public place. The one on The Replacements' "Let it Be"(by the singer of the Decemberists) is amazing, Ric Menk's one on The Notorious Byrd Bros is really good as well. At best, these books make you want to play the record while you're reading, or re-visit them with new ears. That said, this one is so bad that I'm tempted to curse in my review. Just bloody awful. The guy writing it has no grip or insight whatsoever to the Minutemen as a band or this record. Yeah, this record is great/amazing/one of my faves etc, but so what? The only worthwhile aspects of the book are the comments from Mike Watt. In fact, the whole book should have just been the "author" (term used in the loosest sense) interviewing Mike Watt and George Hurley about each song. THAT would have been a book worth reading. I hate to pull rank, but punk rock,76-84 or 5, was such a personal thing on so many levels, that you really had to be there for it to mean anything. Fournier didn't even discover the record til '91 and while it's all well and good that you like this record and it changed your life, it doesn't mean that you have anything to say about it BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THERE. I want my money back, plus the couple of hours of my life took to read it. And he teaches a punk rock class at Tufts? Jesus, they'll obviously hire anyone.
August 20, 2007
This was my first taste of the 33 and a third series. I read it and then re-read it. It is exactly what I wanted it to be; personal; insightful; funny; full of the kind of details and anecdotes that geeks like me want to know. Makes me think someone should write one about Pedro the Lion's 'Control'
February 27, 2020
If you’re like me, you probably have a handful of square-shaped books from the 33 1/3 series on your shelf. I tend to like the concept of these more than the execution. It turns out writing a book length record review is a lot harder than it looks, but I keep buying them. This one sat on my shelf at least a decade before I cracked it open, and it did not disappoint. Fournier is a novelist, book reviewer, and contributor to Razorcake, so we have a lot in common.
Fournier took on a daunting subject because not only is Double Nickels on the Dime a double album, the Minutemen were famous for writing extremely short songs. Hence, there are 45 songs on the album.
The Minutemen are, of course, the legendary three-piece punk band from San Pedro, California. They operated from 1980 until late 1985 when the band’s vocalist, D. Boon, was killed in a car accident, which effectively ended the band.
I love that instead of going on and on about what the songs mean to him, Fournier, who lives in New England, bought himself a plane ticket and went to San Pedro where he talked at great length to former Minutemen songwriter and bass player Mike Watt . In the course of that discussion they went through all 45 songs. Now that’s how you write a book-length album review!
Fournier breaks down the album’s unusual structure and uncovers all kinds of interesting information about what was going on behind the scenes during the writing of the songs. The Minutemen never wanted to repeat themselves, and so they hit up their friends and peers in the scene for lyrics. For instance, I never knew that Henry Rollins and Chuck Dukowski wrote lyrics for some of these songs. There’s even a song penned by the band’s first vocalist, back when they went by the name the Reactionaries.
I loved learning that Hermosa Beach weirdo Raymond Pettibon turned Mike Watt and D. Boon on to all kinds of writers, including Umberto Eco, Wittgenstein, and James Joyce, whose masterwork Ulysses was a major influence on the album. There’s even a song called June 16th, the day on which Ulysses is set. But it’s also Raymond Pettibon’s birthday, so who knows?
The only aspect of the book I wasn’t too keen on were the instrument-by-instrument descriptions of what the music sounds like. All rock writers fall into this trap, and it can be hard to know how much is enough. For me, less is more. Nevertheless, it’s an engaging and informative read.
This review originally ran in Message from the Underworld
http://jimruland.substack.com
Fournier took on a daunting subject because not only is Double Nickels on the Dime a double album, the Minutemen were famous for writing extremely short songs. Hence, there are 45 songs on the album.
The Minutemen are, of course, the legendary three-piece punk band from San Pedro, California. They operated from 1980 until late 1985 when the band’s vocalist, D. Boon, was killed in a car accident, which effectively ended the band.
I love that instead of going on and on about what the songs mean to him, Fournier, who lives in New England, bought himself a plane ticket and went to San Pedro where he talked at great length to former Minutemen songwriter and bass player Mike Watt . In the course of that discussion they went through all 45 songs. Now that’s how you write a book-length album review!
Fournier breaks down the album’s unusual structure and uncovers all kinds of interesting information about what was going on behind the scenes during the writing of the songs. The Minutemen never wanted to repeat themselves, and so they hit up their friends and peers in the scene for lyrics. For instance, I never knew that Henry Rollins and Chuck Dukowski wrote lyrics for some of these songs. There’s even a song penned by the band’s first vocalist, back when they went by the name the Reactionaries.
I loved learning that Hermosa Beach weirdo Raymond Pettibon turned Mike Watt and D. Boon on to all kinds of writers, including Umberto Eco, Wittgenstein, and James Joyce, whose masterwork Ulysses was a major influence on the album. There’s even a song called June 16th, the day on which Ulysses is set. But it’s also Raymond Pettibon’s birthday, so who knows?
The only aspect of the book I wasn’t too keen on were the instrument-by-instrument descriptions of what the music sounds like. All rock writers fall into this trap, and it can be hard to know how much is enough. For me, less is more. Nevertheless, it’s an engaging and informative read.
This review originally ran in Message from the Underworld
http://jimruland.substack.com
March 18, 2024
I like this book for two reasons:
1. I love this record and I am therefore thrilled to read someone talking about it for 100 tiny pages.
2. It’s such a *big* record - number of songs, sure, but also people involved, themes, and cultural importance - that honestly a map is helpful.
1. I love this record and I am therefore thrilled to read someone talking about it for 100 tiny pages.
2. It’s such a *big* record - number of songs, sure, but also people involved, themes, and cultural importance - that honestly a map is helpful.
March 7, 2014
Michael Fournier's The Minutemen: Double Nickels On the Dime benefits greatly from the author's passion, enthusiasm, and in-depth knowledge of the Minutemen's great album. Fournier's structure is very straightforward, with a short introduction followed by a more lengthy (but brief - this is the Minutemen he's writing about, after all) song-by-song discussion. The song pieces provide both details of lyrics and instrumentation, as well as interesting background on the band's history and mindset. On the downside, however, I found Fournier's writing style to be too casual for my tastes, seeming less like text and more of a transcription of the lectures he gives as a college instructor on the history of punk rock. The too-frequent asides ("Awesome!") and sloppy grammar - somewhat acceptable in everyday speech, but awkward on the written page - distracted me time and again from the otherwise interesting narrative.
Reading the book was a unique experience. After receiving it as Christmas gift, I zipped through it cover to cover over the holidays, but even as I did so, I realized that the song-heavy focus of the narrative meant it really should be read while listening to the album. So I read it again on the train while plugged into my iPod. With the iPod on pause, I would read the installment of one song, then listen to that song as I read through the installment again. This really helped me see the songs in much greater depth, although the repeated play-pause-play did lessen the listening flow of the album to some extent.
Despite my reservations on the writing style, if you're a fan of Double Nickels I can definitely recommend this book, which will undoubtedly enhance your enjoyment and appreciation of the album.
Reading the book was a unique experience. After receiving it as Christmas gift, I zipped through it cover to cover over the holidays, but even as I did so, I realized that the song-heavy focus of the narrative meant it really should be read while listening to the album. So I read it again on the train while plugged into my iPod. With the iPod on pause, I would read the installment of one song, then listen to that song as I read through the installment again. This really helped me see the songs in much greater depth, although the repeated play-pause-play did lessen the listening flow of the album to some extent.
Despite my reservations on the writing style, if you're a fan of Double Nickels I can definitely recommend this book, which will undoubtedly enhance your enjoyment and appreciation of the album.
January 26, 2022
After finishing the first chapter, I realized that, while I would definitely read this whole book, it wasn't the book I wanted to read. What I really wanted to read was something akin to a (nonexistent) Part Two to the documentary, We Jam Econo. Fournier references the film more than once, and it's more than a bit of a tough act to follow (it's one of the best music documentaries I've seen). From the outset, the author is clear that his book is more of study of the songs, and particularly the lyrics, on this album, as opposed to a book about the band. But while I don't think that his analysis of the lyrics detracted from my love for the songs or the album (or the band), I can't say it really added much to my love either. I just didn't feel a strong need to know where exactly the inspiration came from for each and every one of the 45 songs. I suppose had there been some incredibly interesting stories that formed the inspiration for the songs, I may feel differently. But, unsurprising, often songs were wordplay inspired by boredom at work. Or, understandably, the band simply didn't remember much about the origin of the lyrics. The one major surprise was that James Joyce's Ulysses was a recurring inspiration for Mike Watt's compositions. The otherwise lack of intrigue behind the album's song lyrics does nothing to deflate my rabid enthusiasm for this album. It's just that I was equally rabid before learning about the songs' origins. I don't blame the author for this--I think he set out for a difficult task. And there is an undeniable joy in reading the joyous work of a fellow fan with a bad (even worse!) case of rabies for the band.
February 3, 2024
This is one of the best books in the 33 1/3 series. The reader never doubts the deep love Michael T. Fournier has for the Minutemen’s double-album masterpiece, but he doesn’t make himself the central character as I’ve seen done in many books in the series (no dig in those books, as I enjoyed many of them too). Instead he uses interviews with bassist Mike Watt to tell the story. If you know Watt and know his voice and personality, you can almost hear him narrating this book in your head, as I did. Great read.
June 1, 2008
Even though I know the the author, I still believe I can give unbiased thumbs up for this book. The reason is I really didn't know the band before reading it. As Mike started to walk through the story behind every song I realized this needed to be an interactive experience. I went out and bought the album so I could start listening to the tracks as I read. It really make this book shine even more. Mike has a great way of painting the picture for the mind's (and ear's) eye. It is obvious he spent a good amount of time hanging with the Minutemen and that he is also a big fan. This book will also make you a fan. Double Nickels on the Dime is now in my rotation and without this book it wouldn't even be on my iPod.
Thanks Mike for making me a fan of the Minutemen!
Thanks Mike for making me a fan of the Minutemen!
November 21, 2020
beautifully straightforward yet sprawling and intricate. plays out like a stripped-down model for the ideal 33 1/3 book: here is an album. here are the guys that made the album, and here's where they came from, and here's what they were thinking. let's listen to the album, track by track, and wax lyrical about why these songs (all 45 of them!) are so damn good. great great read
January 12, 2020
Read & re-read! I owned the subject album first on cassette tape, then vinyl & finally, CD. I wept upon hearing of D. Boon's death. I saw them once, at The Living Room in PVDRI. My 55th birthday 🎂 quickly approaches, hence my pulling the album out for a listen & the book for a re-read. It is a REALLY well-written thesis about a seminal album.
June 11, 2023
Lots of valuable info about one of my all time favorite albums. I will truly cherish the valuable info I have received from reading this book. Definitely trying to read more entries in the 33 1/3 series.
March 11, 2016
Highly recommended for any fans of The Minutemen, Punk Rock, Bands, Music, Art, DIY, Guitar, Bass, Drums.
July 30, 2014
Learned a few things about my favorite album ever.
June 18, 2015
The album is wonderful - the book adds a great back-story.
October 18, 2022
With so little written about The Only Band That Mattered in the 80s (to steal the Clash's title), anything about the Minutemen is like manna from heaven. Jammin' econo forever!
July 21, 2025
8.5/10.
February 1, 2025
Overall, this was a good read, and I listened to the album as I read along, which made for an enjoyable experience. But the author could have done so much more with this book.
I've read many books in this series, and I most enjoy the ones that dive deep into the history of the record. I want to know about how the album came together: the history of the band, relationships between all the people involved in the record, the process of writing and recording it, etc.
Fournier doesn't deliver on much of that. There is a brief introduction that explores the history of the band and the circumstances that led to the Minutemen deciding to record a double album. But it doesn't go very deep. Instead, most of this book reads like listening notes on a song-per-song basis. Those notes are enriched with insights on the writing and recording process from one of the two surviving members of the band, bassist Mike Watt, whom the author interviewed extensively. Still, I felt like something was missing. The book doesn't give us a deep dive into the making of this album or the people who made it.
I would have liked to hear more from drummer George Hurley, as well as peers from other bands who were involved in or influenced by this landmark album.
I've read many books in this series, and I most enjoy the ones that dive deep into the history of the record. I want to know about how the album came together: the history of the band, relationships between all the people involved in the record, the process of writing and recording it, etc.
Fournier doesn't deliver on much of that. There is a brief introduction that explores the history of the band and the circumstances that led to the Minutemen deciding to record a double album. But it doesn't go very deep. Instead, most of this book reads like listening notes on a song-per-song basis. Those notes are enriched with insights on the writing and recording process from one of the two surviving members of the band, bassist Mike Watt, whom the author interviewed extensively. Still, I felt like something was missing. The book doesn't give us a deep dive into the making of this album or the people who made it.
I would have liked to hear more from drummer George Hurley, as well as peers from other bands who were involved in or influenced by this landmark album.
April 19, 2023
The album that gave the world the title of The Book on Indie Rock and the theme to Jackass is now 40 years old. Its influence remains, despite its difficulty - some of it was inspired by the book Ulysses - and this great essay captures it well, thanks to a Mike Watt interview and the author's deep passion for the band.
July 9, 2021
This entry into the 33 1/3 series conformed with my expectation of a track-by-track analysis. Fournier does well to emphasize how the idiosyncrasies of the individual band members coalesced into a unified vision of the boundlessness of punk rock.
July 10, 2021
The author provided enough interesting tidbits about this album to make a good article or essay, but he did not sustain my attention for a 103 page book. I found the track by track analysis of DNOTD tedious--one of the least successful books I've read in the 33 1/3 catalog.
January 10, 2018
P. 73 claims that Jack Brewer was the guitarist for saccharine trust.
December 21, 2020
Great band and album, and the book is well researched. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look. However, the copy I read on Nook was poorly edited with many grammatical and spelling errors.
September 18, 2015
Double Nickels on the Dime is my personal choice for greatest album ever recorded in the history of man, an opinion I share with the author. As Fournier points out many times, despite the enormous length and quick spurts that make up each 90 second song, there's really no filler. The second half may be less iconic than the first but ultimately everything on that album is memorable in its own way. Even today as I listen it amazes me how I am able to know exactly what track comes next.
So given that this is my favorite album by one of my favorite bands, I'm more forgiving of the weaker parts of this book and more energized by the strong elements. When Fournier really digs in to a track, pulling quotes from Mike Watt and breaking down the instrumentation and influences, it shines. His analysis of Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing is excellent, especially with the trivia that there's no irony for the title - Mike Watt wrote the lyrics and sent them to Michael Jackson thinking his voice would be able to get the anti-war message heard.
However, as Fournier wears on, and realizes he has another 20 goddamn tracks to write about, his analyses feel a bit more worn, repetitive, occasionally struggling for things to say about the side of the album he himself admits to not being as fervent of a listener. But also given that the book is 100 pages long helps things.
The most valuable thing I learned from this book though is that THERE ARE THREE GODDAMN SONGS ON THIS ALBUM I HAVE NEVER HEARD. I had no fucking idea that three tracks, including a goddamn Van Halen cover, were removed from the CD release due to time constraints and never restored. I've always just had the CD and my burned copy of the CD. It's like opening my eyes and finding out the sky is actually red.
So given that this is my favorite album by one of my favorite bands, I'm more forgiving of the weaker parts of this book and more energized by the strong elements. When Fournier really digs in to a track, pulling quotes from Mike Watt and breaking down the instrumentation and influences, it shines. His analysis of Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing is excellent, especially with the trivia that there's no irony for the title - Mike Watt wrote the lyrics and sent them to Michael Jackson thinking his voice would be able to get the anti-war message heard.
However, as Fournier wears on, and realizes he has another 20 goddamn tracks to write about, his analyses feel a bit more worn, repetitive, occasionally struggling for things to say about the side of the album he himself admits to not being as fervent of a listener. But also given that the book is 100 pages long helps things.
The most valuable thing I learned from this book though is that THERE ARE THREE GODDAMN SONGS ON THIS ALBUM I HAVE NEVER HEARD. I had no fucking idea that three tracks, including a goddamn Van Halen cover, were removed from the CD release due to time constraints and never restored. I've always just had the CD and my burned copy of the CD. It's like opening my eyes and finding out the sky is actually red.
October 8, 2007
The blessing and curse of the 33 1/3 series is that without a standard format, any writer is able to interpret their favorite record in a number of different ways. In my experience, its greatest successes have been in the novella treatment (Pernice on The Smiths, Meloy on the Replacements) as well as thorough investigations of the era and subject at hand (done best in the treatment of Love's Forever Changes).
At their worst (Ok Computer, Unknown Pleasure) they have been minute textbooks, banal interpretations of how many 7"s they've released or the scientific measure of beats per minute.
Fournier's take on "Double Nickels," the Minutemen's momentous second album is both nicely anecdotal and historical making it just personal enough to not sound overtly didactic. In fact, Fournier's language is informal but its the structure of the book-sticking to a straight song by song analysis- that makes this seem more rigid than it probably is. Given that Fournier was already (semi) beaten to the punch with 2005's amazing "We Jam Econo" I can understand why he'd want to avoid a strict re-telling of the band's story but something a bit looser would be beneficial.
At their worst (Ok Computer, Unknown Pleasure) they have been minute textbooks, banal interpretations of how many 7"s they've released or the scientific measure of beats per minute.
Fournier's take on "Double Nickels," the Minutemen's momentous second album is both nicely anecdotal and historical making it just personal enough to not sound overtly didactic. In fact, Fournier's language is informal but its the structure of the book-sticking to a straight song by song analysis- that makes this seem more rigid than it probably is. Given that Fournier was already (semi) beaten to the punch with 2005's amazing "We Jam Econo" I can understand why he'd want to avoid a strict re-telling of the band's story but something a bit looser would be beneficial.
March 14, 2010
This book was fail. I only give it two stars in honor of the album that inspired it. There is an art to criticism and I had hoped an approach to one of the most dynamic, creative, inspiring, unclassifiable records in the history of rock would have been just as dynamic and inspiring. Instead what we get is this a middle of road tract that reads like an essay written by a teenager about his "favorite band" but with all cuss words left out to make sure he doesn't piss off his English teacher. A little bit of music theory actually would have been nice. Blurry anecdotes about what the songs' lyrics' aboutness are all you are going to find here. Maybe we could have learned that ourselves from I don't know... listening to the album, which if you're bothering to read this book you've probably wore this record out three times over.
The author teaches a university course about punk rock and bought a copy of Double Nickles on the Dime on the way home from taking his college prep tests. He splits the difference between academia and punk attitude and the results are neither insightful or inspiring.
When I hear "History Lesson, Pt. 2" I weep.
The author teaches a university course about punk rock and bought a copy of Double Nickles on the Dime on the way home from taking his college prep tests. He splits the difference between academia and punk attitude and the results are neither insightful or inspiring.
When I hear "History Lesson, Pt. 2" I weep.
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