One of my long-time favorites is the much lamented band Minutemen. They had a too-short life span but an incredible amount of great output. The talented trio, consisting of D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley (who was not only a great drummer but also developed some of the best hair ever to grace a rock-n-roll stage), were built on punk but mixed in elements of almost any other genre of music you care to name. And they were punks as I think of it…not necessarily defined by their appearance or speed of their music, but by their attitude and the joy gained by following their own path. The opening line from one of their songs says it best: ”Our band could be your life.”
Today I want to mention five of their songs that I highly recommend. Really, I always tell people to start with Double Nickels on the Dime. The breadth and quality of songs on that (double) album are amazing; it is considered a classic for good reason. But perhaps you just want to dip your toe? Here are my five favorite Minutemen songs:
The driving “This Ain’t No Picnic” from Double Nickels on the Dime also happens to be one of the few songs they made that resulted in an official video. Minutemen were known for the brevity of many of their songs; they had to add a bit of music to flesh this one out for video purposes:
Another track I love from Double Nickels is “History Lesson – Part II.” The title might seem to imply this song is a sequel to “History Lesson” from their debut album The Punch Line. Not even close. That track was a funny, angry, quick history lesson about General George Custer. “Part II” is actually a very sweet song about the Minutemen and their journey as “corndogs from Pedro” to having their lives changed through punk rock:
As with many of their songs, “Paranoid Chant” from Paranoid Time is blend of classic punk, politics, humor, and is over before you know it. “Working Men are Pissed” from The Politics of Time somewhat follows the same formula, although the humor is dialed down on this one. The great “Party With Me Punker” was, I believe, originally on a Various Artists compilation but also ended up on the Minutemen compilation The Politics of Time. It’s yet another slice of energy, humor, punk, and social commentary that is the hallmark of so much of the band’s output.
Since Minutemen always gave you a lot of songs for your money…for a bonus in this edition of Take Five I offer five additional Minutemen songs, listed here solely for their great titles, starting with my favorite:
“God Bows to Math” from Double Nickels on the Dime
“Maybe Partying Will Help” from Double Nickels on the Dime
“Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing” from Double Nickels on the Dime
“Dreams Are Free, Motherfucker!” from Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat
“Shit You Hear at Parties” from The Politics of Time
RIP D. Boon.