Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
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Free Music Notes for Double Nickels on the Dime
Free Music Review: A Landmark Album for 80's Punk Rock
Hit: 5 Stars
If one were to pick the Minutemen's top album this would be it. In other words, it is their "Nevermind", as it's their most pop-oriented and listener friendly major release, not to say that their other albums aren't amazing as well.
The Minutemen were named that because, well, most of their songs fall short of the two minute barrier, but for this style of music, having songs go over that mark would be, well, too much and overbearing. 'Double Nickels' is a fusion of punk, pop, funk, rock, and country all in one, all the while accompanied by D. Boon's melodic and cool voice. At times the tempo is slow, other times fast paced, but always fitting the song. Transitions on some songs in tempo could be worked on as other reviewers have mentioned, but that shouldn't detract from the album at all. This album, containing an astonishing 42 tracks, has everything from soft ballads ("History Lesson Part II") to blazing punk anthems (such as the well known 'Jackass' them "Corona"), all the way to the funk-filled diddlies ("Anxious Mofo").
Even though a lot of the lyrics are political, some tongue-in-cheek, D. Boon does a great job of conveying the emotion of the lyrics AND the music into the listeners minds, topped off by the fact that the music is catchy, and it is the perfect formula for and incredible album that will have you listening again and again. This is punk at it's FINEST in the eighties, but as well is free-form and not bound by the usual standard punk cliches and sounds.
If you are looking for an album that's full of passion and emotion packed into a 42 song swirl of indie rock, this is your ticket there, courtesy of D. Boon.
Free Music Review: sorting out the correct number of tracks
Hit: 5 Stars
Others have sufficiently spoken to the immortality of this brilliant recording. I can say no more about that aspect that hasn't already been said.Instead, I will add some comments to hopefully clear up the track listing questions some of you may have.
Original double-LP version has 45 tracks.
First CD issue (now out of print, replaced with the version Amazon offers) contained 44 tracks, but four of those tracks were the "car jams" (one for each band member, plus a "Three Car Jam") that were previously uncredited on the LP version.
The five missing tracks from that CD issue were: "Don't Look Now" (Fogerty); "Mr Robot's Holy Orders" (Hurley/Watt); "Ain't Talkin Bout Love" (Van Halen/Van Halen/Roth/Anthony); "Doctor Wu" (Becker/Fagen); and "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand" (Dukowski/Boon).
The newer CD issue that Amazon offers has better sound and packs a couple more songs in. Now only three songs are missing: "Mr Robot's Holy Orders"; "Ain't Talkin Bout Love"; and "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand." (Note that the new issue counts 43 tracks rather than the 42 you'd expect because they list the "Three Car Jam" as a separate track at the end.)
Hope this helps. The new CD issue is pretty good. Decent sound and the convenience of CD format.
However, the vinyl still sounds even better (SST did a great job mastering this album to vinyl!), and it includes all 45 tracks, so track it down (sealed copies can still be found, my friends) for the complete, original, unfiltered Double Nickels experience.
Free Music Review: An Embarassment of Riches
Hit: 5 Stars
All I can say about the Minutemen's 43 song epic is wow. Wow, this is one of the greatest albums ever made. Wow, these guys could play circles around other bands of the era like the Dead Kennedy's and Black Flag. I like both those bands, but this is on a whole different level.
The music itself is a kind of jazzy funk mix with lyrics and structure that aren't like any other pop music your likely to hear. The songs are brief, most clocking in at under 2 minutes, and don't feature conventional bridges or choruses. So if you try to pigeon hole them into the hardcore punk category that critics and listeners try to group them in, then you'll be sadly disapointed. What they have most in common with the punks of the time are the conscious lyrics and the length of the songs. If I could compare it to anything, it would be Pink Flag by Wire, with it's precise and energetic sound that zips by at breakneck pace. Where Wire is thrashy on that album, the Minutemen are smooth and laid back, but not all the time.
It is impossible to describe this album to someone who hasn't heard it. Their are slow groovy songs, fast energetic songs, songs about politics, songs about drinking, songs about girls, and songs about metaphysical things that don't really make sense. But all the songs are great. 43 songs and 75 minutes of music make Double Nickels on the Dime a must own for anyone who like alterantive music. It may be a little daunting for a first time Minutemen listener, but this is the place to start. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: Take that, Sandinsita!
Hit: 5 Stars
You know the theme song for the show jack@$$? The song that sounds like some joke band wrote, making fun of country if anything else? It was actually by Minutemen, and is found on this album. The song is Corona, just one song on this 43-track album. 43 different sounds is hard to come up with. It's an ambitious album, and the songs, as mentioned before, are short. The great thing is that at least....... damn, I don't even know how many great songs there are! It's certainly a sprawling album, and the fact that the music is great (with variety !!!), just makes things better.
Most punk bands like to play loud as _____ and agressive, not Minutemen. The three piece power trio adds another talented trio. Three people? No worries. D., Mike, and George are all talented, and with their talent, were able to make clean (and messy) music. Mike Watt is especially good at the bass, his basslines are audible and pop like no other. He's no Les Claypool when it comes to techniquallity, he dosen't exactly take up lead instrument, but he's a talented bassist. Any aspiring bassist should give this guy a listen.
Double Nickels On The Dime may have a few... or some, clunky tracks on here, but at 74 minutes, that's not going to be a problem. In fact, there isn't a horrible song, there are a average songs, but there not even bad. A great value, and even better, this stuff is just a blast to play on guitar, bass, or drums. Not a musician? No worries. There's a solution.
One word: Air
9.0/10
Free Music Review: $1,100 for one of the best rock albums ever? That's just filthy!
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, an embarrasing admission. I stumbled onto the Minutemen just recently, thanks to an off the cuff comment by some poster in another forum. Whoever you are, thank you, thank you, thank you. Back in the early 80's I didn't have much time or income to explore the L.A. punk scene except for X (another great band by the way). Thank God I didn't die before hearing the Minutemen. Double Nickels on the Dime is without a doubt one of the best, if not THE best, rock and roll albums I have ever heard.
DNOTD sounds amazingly fresh even today. In short, this is timeless music that can't be easily categorized. The musicianship on this album is tops, the songwriting excellent, and while D. Boon may not have been the greatest singer, his singing is very effective on this album. I can understand if you have been raised on radio, listening to formula rock all your life, that you won't get this album. But if you have an open mind, and enjoy a variety of different music styles, then you can't help but be completely blown away by DNOTD.
At this point in my life, I have listened to thousands upon thousands of musical recordings in so many different genres. I'm hard pressed to find anything that can best the Minutemen playing DNOTD. Then, consider that this double album was produced for $1,100 in 1983/84. $1,100? That boggles the mind!!
I give this recording my highest possible recommendation.