[KFTH HOME] - [SEARCH] - [ABOUT KFTH] [BANDS] - [COMPS] - [LABELS] - [ZINES] [BOOKS] - [FILMS] - [FLYERS] - [LINKS] [NEWS] - [CONTRIBUTORS] - [CONTACT]

Minutemen
United States - San Pedro, CA

WHAT MAKES A MAN START FIRES? LP 01. Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs 02. One Chapter In the Book 03. Fake Contest 04. Beacon Sighted Through the Fog 05. Mutiny In Jonestown 06. East Wind/Faith 07. Pure Joy 08. '99 09. The Anchor 10. Sell or Be Sold 11. The Only Minority 12. Split Red 13. Colors 14. Plight 15. The Tin Roof 16. Life as a Rehersal 17. This Road 18. Polarity Label: SST Records Cat #: SST 014 Format: LP Released: 1983

Reviews: In my opinion, this is a very good record- it could be one of the best things I've heard from this band. This LP has a lot of fast, noisy, and jazz sort of stuff that the Minutemen are known for, but there is a lot more melody and slower material that lets them expand and experiment more. The first track on the first side is "Bob Dyland Wrote Propaganda Songs." It is typical Minutemen material; it is fast and very energetic. The second song is "One Chapter in the Book" which also starts off with a neat fast jazz sound, but then is taken over by a melodic chorus. The last song on the first side is a good example of more experimental stuff. It may be one of theis band's best songs. It is called "The Anchor" and starts off slow with a good drum roll pattern, a quiet, melodic bass line, and scratchy guitar. It contains about three different parts and one even sounds a little bit like Scottish folk. This is one of three songs on this album that is longer than two minutes. The lyrics are fairly good, although forms of pretension slip into a few of them. Most of them are short pieces of poetry. Two good examples are "Mutiny in Jonestown" (Cast off! Me in these ropes? I'm one knot tangled in the heap... The ship's creaking taking on bullshit I fuckin scream: Jump ship!") and "The Only Minority" (It's not black or white not brown or yellow it's green with might survives on fright... They own the land we work the land we fight their wars they think we're whores it's who they are it's what they are that's who I hate it's what I see what I feel what I taste"). This is a good record and it's worth buying. And if the Minutemen stay as tight and energetic as they are now and keep experimenting, they will remain to be an excellent band. -Kevin Mattson (from If This Goes On #3, June 1983) Do I really have to describe them after they've put out so much vinyl? No radical departures here, as their whole style is a continuing radical departure. You'll know if you like them by now--I sure do. -Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #4, January/February 1983) Too arty for you? Too bad, you're missing the best band of this time (not to mention any other). Musically, it's more of the minimalist punk/jazz/funk like only only they can play it. Composition of the the songs is amazing. If this were the Renaissance, D. Boon would be a musical Da Vinci. -uncredited (from Southern Lifestyle #4, 1983)