Few punk bands better represented the American underground better than Minutemen. Fronted by the imitable D. Boon and anchored by the funk-inspired rhythms of bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, the band laid the groundwork for post-hardcore by incorporating a diverse range of influences into its music. This is best illustrated on the legendary 1984 double-album “Double Nickels on the Dime“, which explores many musical styles across its 45 songs. You could always rely on the Minutemen to “jam econo,” maintaining a staunchly DIY approach until D. Boon was killed in a tragic van accident while on tour on December 22nd, 1985.
For their third album, San Pedro, California, punk trio Minutemen branched out from the punk rock of their earliest records to include jazz, post-rock, country and even three classic rock covers (Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Don’t Look Now,” Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” and Steely Dan’s “Dr. Wu”) into their thorny mix. Forty-five tracks deep, “Double Nickels on the Dime” clocks in at an economical 81 minutes.
The idea of a double album from a band called “Minutemen” is funny in itself. (What is that, 80 songs?) But the Minutemen drew inspiration from a pitched creative battle with their talented SST Records labelmates, Hüsker Dü and the Meat Puppets. The San Pedro boys were the most down-to-earth of the bunch: When I arrived at Mike Watt’s house for an interview, years later, he literally lobbed his bass at me. God help me if I hadn’t caught it. Every Minuteman album is good, but this one is probably the best. You get the deathless classics “Corona,” “This Ain’t No Picnic,” “Jesus and Tequila” and, of course, “Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing.”
Also recommended: “What Makes a Man Start Fires?“, from 1983, kicks off with “Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs.” 3-Way Tie (For Last) is the tragic swansong, released shortly before the death of the great D. Boon.
The Fat Angel Sings 