The discography for the Minutemen , an American punk rock band, includes four studio albums, eight extended plays, one live album and seven compilations.
Formed in 1980 by guitarist D. Boon and bassist Mike Watt, the Minutemen signed to the Californian independent record label SST Records at their second concert. [1] Their first extended play, Paranoid Time , appeared later that year, followed by the Joy EP (on their own label, New Alliance Records) and their first studio album, The Punch Line . The Minutemen continued to release new material throughout 1982 and 1983 to a mostly local audience. [2] In 1984, the band released Double Nickels on the Dime , their only double album and best-selling release. [3] They continued to release more material, including the commercially oriented Project: Mersh and 3-Way Tie (For Last) , until Boon's untimely death in December 1985. [4]
Following the band's breakup, SST Records purchased New Alliance and reissued a number of recordings on compact disc and vinyl. SST also released a live album, Ballot Result , [5] and Minuteflag , the result of an earlier collaboration with Black Flag. [6] A three volume compilation, Post-Mersh, which combined several of the Minutemen's EPs and albums, was released between 1987 and 1989. [7] The band's songs continued to appear in compilations, videos and soundtracks; "Corona" was the theme music of MTV's Jackass . A compilation album featuring a selection of songs from the band's career, the Watt-compiled Introducing the Minutemen , was released in 1998. We Jam Econo , a feature-length Minutemen film, appeared in theaters in February 2005. [8]
Year | Title |
---|---|
1981 | The Punch Line
|
1983 | What Makes a Man Start Fires?
|
1984 | Double Nickels on the Dime
|
1985 | 3-Way Tie (For Last)
|
Year | Title | Recorded | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Ballot Result
| September 1980—30 November 1985 | Live recordings from throughout the Minutemen's career selected from the result of a fan ballot. |
Year | Title | Comments |
---|---|---|
1980 | Paranoid Time
| Debut release. |
1981 | Joy
| |
1982 | Bean-Spill
| |
1983 | Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat
| |
1984 | Tour-Spiel
| Comprises four cover songs. |
1985 | Project: Mersh
| |
1986 | Minuteflag
| Collaboration with the members of Black Flag. |
1993 | Georgeless
| Live EP of a concert in March 1980 with Frank Tonche as drummer. |
2011 | Minutemen/Saccharine Trust split 7-inch
| 3 songs each band recorded in 80/81 that were only available on Comp Records. |
Year | Title | Comments |
---|---|---|
1984 | The Politics of Time
| Features seven songs meant for a non-SST album, a number of live tracks, and a Reactionaries song. |
1985 | My First Bells
| |
1987 | Post-Mersh Vol. 1
| Combines The Punch Line and What Makes a Man Start Fires? on one CD. |
1988 | Post-Mersh Vol. 2
| Combines the EPs Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat and Project: Mersh on one CD. |
1989 | Post-Mersh Vol. 3
| Combines four EPs ( Paranoid Time , Joy , Bean-Spill , and Tour-Spiel ) and The Politics of Time on one CD. |
1998 | Introducing the Minutemen
|
Year | Compilation | Songs | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Cracks in the Sidewalk | "9:30 May 2" | Later released on My First Bells. The compilation was New Alliance Records' first release. [9] |
1981 | Chunks | "Clocks" | Later released on My First Bells. [10] |
Rodney on the Roq: Volume 2 | "Search" | From The Punch Line. [10] | |
Life Is Beautiful So Why Not Eat Health Foods? | "Prelude" | T. Rex cover, later released on My First Bells. [9] | |
American Youth Report | "Working Men are Pissed" | Later released on The Politics of Time. [10] | |
The Future Looks Bright Ahead | "Punch Line", "Warfare", "Straight Jacket", "Tension" | Later released on The Punch Line. [10] | |
1982 | Life Is Ugly So Why Not Kill Yourself? | "Shit You Hear at Parties", "Maternal Rite" | Later released on The Politics of Time. [10] |
1983 | Hell Comes to Your House Part II | "Corona" | Later released on Double Nickels on the Dime. |
The Blasting Concept | "Paranoid Chant", "The Maze", "Boiling", "Games" | "Paranoid Chant" and "The Maze" from Paranoid Time, and "Boiling" and "Games" from The Punch Line. | |
We Got Power | "Party with Me Punker" | Later released on The Politics of Time. | |
The Radio Tokyo Tapes | "I Felt Like A Gringo" | From Buzz or Howl Under The Influence of Heat. [9] | |
1984 | Rat Music for Rat People Vol. 2 (CD Presents) | "Fake Contest (live - KCRW 11/27/82)" | Studio version from What Makes a Man Start Fires?. [9] |
Mystic Sampler #1 | "Party with Me Punker" | Later released on The Politics of Time. [11] | |
Meathouse 1 | "Split Red", "Base King", "Prelude" | "Split Red" from Bean Spill, "Base King" from The Politics of Time. "Prelude" is a T. Rex cover, later released on My First Bells. | |
1985 | The Radio Tokyo Tapes, Vol. 3 | "Time" | Richard Hell cover [9] |
1986 | The Blasting Concept Vol. 2 | "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" | Van Halen cover from Double Nickels on the Dime. Chorusless version of the song. |
The 7 Inch Wonders of the World | "Validation", "The Maze", "Definitions", "Sickles and Hammers", "Fascist", "Joe McCarthy's Ghost", "Paranoid Chant" | All the songs of Paranoid Time. [12] | |
1987 | The Best Of The Radio Tokyo Tapes | "I Felt Like A Gringo" | From Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat. [9] |
1988 | SST Acoustic | "Stories" | From 3-Way Tie (For Last). [13] |
1990 | CMJ 10 | "Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing" | From Double Nickels on the Dime. |
Duck and Cover | "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" | ||
1994 | Our Band Could Be Your Life | "Badges (live)" | A Minutemen tribute album, featuring covers of Minutemen songs by various artists. "Badges" is a live version recorded with Richard Derrick on drums. |
1997 | Live at WREK | "Political Nightmare" | From 3-Way Tie (For Last) |
2000 | Gimmie Indie Rock V.1 | "Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing" | From Double Nickels on the Dime. |
Under the Influence | "History Lesson - Part II", "Storm In My House" | ||
2002 | Modern Rock | "Courage" | From 3-Way Tie (For Last). |
2003 | D. Boon and Friends | "I Felt Like A Gringo", "Self-Referenced", God Bows to Math", "Themselves", "#1 Hit Song", "History Lesson - Part II" | "I Felt Like A Gringo" and "Self-Referenced" from Buzz or Howl Under The Influence of Heat, others from Double Nickels on the Dime. |
2004 | Party or Go Home | "Party with Me Punker" | From The Politics of Time. |
Left of the Dial | "Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing" | From Double Nickels on the Dime. | |
Year | Video | Songs | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Streets on Fire | "Paranoid Chant", "I Felt Like A Gringo" | Skateboarding video soundtracks. |
Savannah Slamma III | "Dream Told By Moto", "Cut", "I Felt Like A Gringo" | ||
1995 | 5 Prime | "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand" | |
1998 | Strip Mall Heroes | ||
1999 | Magic | "Anxious Mofo" | |
2003 | Jackass: The Movie | "Corona" | Film soundtrack. "Corona" was also the theme music in the TV series. |
2004 | Levelland | "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand", "Shit From An Old Notebook", "This Ain't No Picnic", "History Lesson - Part II" | Film soundtrack. |
2004 | Word Wars | "Do You Want New Wave (Or Do You Want the Truth)", "The Glory of Man" |
Year | Title | Comments |
---|---|---|
1984 | Wheels of Fortune
| Sampler of nine songs from Double Nickels on the Dime. |
1985 | "Courage"
| From their then-forthcoming album 3 Way-Tie (For Last), the single features three songs, "Courage", "What Is It?" and "Stories". |
Year | Title | Director | Album |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" | Randall Jahnson | Double Nickels on the Dime |
"This Ain't No Picnic" | |||
1985 | "King Of The Hill" | Project: Mersh | |
"Ack Ack Ack" | John Talley-Jones | 3-Way Tie (For Last) |
Year | VHS/DVD | Comments |
---|---|---|
1986 | The Tour
| Includes live performance by the Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Meat Puppets, SWA, and Saccharine Trust as recorded in March 1985. |
2006 | We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen
| Two disc set. Includes the feature-length film We Jam Econo , the Minutemen's music videos and previously unseen interviews and scenes on the first disc, and several live shows on the second. |
2011 | "A History Lesson Part 1 Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984"
| Live performances of 6 Minutemen songs in 1984 from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and the Cathay De Grande in Hollywood and an interview of Mike Watt. Also featured are performances and interviews of the Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, and Twisted Roots. |
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold electronics equipment. Ginn repurposed the company as a record label to release material by his band Black Flag.
Minuteflag was an experimental jam band collaboration between members of the American punk bands Minutemen and Black Flag. Their only release, an EP, consists entirely of instrumentals with the exception of "Fetch the Water" which features D. Boon on lead vocals.
Dennes Dale Boon was an American musician, best known as the guitarist, singer and songwriter of the punk rock trio Minutemen. He was born on April 1, 1958, in San Pedro, California, and formed Minutemen in 1980 with bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley. Minutemen were known for their politically-charged lyrics and energetic, fast-paced music, and they released several influential records during their career. Boon died in an automobile accident on December 22, 1985, at the age of 27. Despite his early death, Boon's contributions to punk rock and independent music have been widely-recognized. He is remembered as an important figure in the history of these genres.
George Hurley is a drummer noted for his work with Minutemen and fIREHOSE.
Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad. It chronicles the careers of several underground rock bands who, while finding little or no mainstream success, were hugely influential in establishing American alternative and indie rock, mostly through nearly constant touring and records released on small, regional independent record labels. Azerrad conducted many interviews with band members, and also conducted extensive research of old fanzines, as well as more mainstream newspapers and books.
EVOL is the third full-length studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Released in May 1986, EVOL was Sonic Youth’s first album on SST Records, and also the first album to feature then-new drummer Steve Shelley who had just replaced Bob Bert.
Double Nickels on the Dime is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the California independent record label SST Records in 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, Double Nickels on the Dime combines elements of punk rock, funk, country, spoken word and jazz, and references a variety of themes, from the Vietnam War and racism in America, to working-class experience and linguistics.
Joy is the second EP by American hardcore punk band Minutemen. Recorded not long after the release of their first EP Paranoid Time, it is also the first release on Minutemen's own label New Alliance Records. Their first studio album The Punch Line was released three months after Joy, but Joy was recorded after The Punch Line.
Paranoid Time is the debut EP by American hardcore punk band Minutemen. It is also the second ever release by the SST record label, founded by Black Flag's Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski. The album cover is a drawing by the American artist Raymond Pettibon.
The Punch Line is the debut studio album and third overall release by American punk rock band Minutemen, and the fourth-ever release from SST Records. After their previous release, Paranoid Time, sold out its 300-copy pressing, Greg Ginn invited the band to record again. Less than half the length of most LPs, the total playing time for all 18 songs is a mere 15 minutes. The album was an early milestone release for the band and SST. The Punch Line hit record store shelves three months after the release of Joy, although Joy was recorded after The Punch Line.
New Alliance Records was an independent record label founded by American musicians D. Boon and Mike Watt and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich. They were inspired by the example of their friends in southern California band Black Flag who had earlier formed SST Records. The existence of SST led Watt to understand, according to a 1987 interview he gave to Musician magazine, how easy it was to get a record made: "All you had to do was pay the record plant man."
Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat is the sixth overall release from American hardcore punk band Minutemen. It was released by SST Records in 1983. It is noted for featuring tracks with greater depth and more conventional song structure than on the band's previous releases.
The Politics of Time is the seventh overall release, third album-length release, and first compilation by American hardcore punk band the Minutemen.
"Ballot Result" is a posthumous live album by Minutemen.
3-Way Tie is the fourth and final full-length album recorded by the American punk band Minutemen. It is notable for featuring several covers of songs by the Urinals, Meat Puppets, Blue Öyster Cult, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Roky Erickson. The last song, a cover of Erickson's "Bermuda", was sung over the phone by Mike Watt.
Project: Mersh is the final extended play, or EP release from the American punk rock trio Minutemen. It is their penultimate release, before D. Boon's death later that year in an auto accident.
Joe Baiza is a punk rock and jazz guitarist whom Eugene Chadbourne cites as one of the most noteworthy guitarists to emerge from the Southern California punk rock milieu.
Two Things at Once is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1988 through SST Records. It combines the band's 1982 debut album Milo Goes to College with the 1985 release Bonus Fat, itself a compilation of 1981's Fat EP, 1979's "Ride the Wild" / "It's a Hectic World" single, and the track "Global Probing" from a 1981 compilation titled Chunks. Two Things at Once has been described by critics as an essential collection of the band's early years.
"History Lesson – Part II" is a song from the 1984 album Double Nickels on the Dime by the American rock band Minutemen. The song, written by Mike Watt, is about the relationship of singer D. Boon and Watt as they played music together.
Minutemen were an American punk rock band formed in San Pedro, California, in 1980. Composed of guitarist/vocalist D. Boon, bassist/vocalist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in 1985; the band broke up shortly thereafter. They were noted in the California punk community for a philosophy of "jamming econo"—a sense of thriftiness reflected in their touring and short, tight songs as well as their eclectic style drawing on hardcore punk, funk, jazz, and other sources.