THE MINUTEMEN

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Ever since I started getting into the eighties American alternative rock scene I looked forward to getting this album. It was one of those classics that everyone seems to be united in praising and hailed as one of the most important albums of the whole scene. I was more than a little disappointed to discover, then, that such a universally revered album turned out to be little more than an eighty minute headache. I am a determined sort, though, and kept on listening for many months afterwards. The quality seemed to stay the same and the headaches only increased so I eventually threw it back onto the shelf. Over a year later I eventually rescued it from its alphabetised cell and brought it before my very own court of appeal. Unfortunately, nothing much had changed. I gather the specific style of music is rather nerdily labelled math-rock as it rests on extremely intricate and complex interplay between the loose rhythm section and hyperactive guitarist D. Boon. That I have no problem with and I admit that when it works (the tracks listed above) it is a highly impressive and entertaining mix of musical proficiency and deliberately off-kilter songwriting. Unfortunately on this, their third release, they decide to present such a sound with no less than 43 variations. FORTY THREE! Like I said, now and again they hit upon something genuinely impressive - a rollicking groove or high-tempo off-beat rock'n'roll - but more or often than not they, and more importantly the listener, just gets lost amongst the muddled musical diversions and puerile humour. Some songs surely only exist to justify their cleverer-than-thou titles ("The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts", "Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?"), whilst the three piece band's attempts to incorporate as many different influences as possible into their minimalist dynamics (essentially just trying to show off) results in brief bursts of incomprehensible noise, masquerading as songs. Of course, even with the short song times (rarely do they go on beyond two minutes) 43 tracks (FORTY THREE!!) means the CD is filled to capacity; although it was of course originally a double vinyl set. I find it amazing that I should be the only person who thinks this album is about three times too long. Furthermore, either the distinctive songs were all put on the first record or it is simply impossible to maintain one's attention over the second half as not a single highlight appears after the enjoyably sentimental spoken-word "History Lesson Part II". The last twenty or so songs are just a blur that can be considered lucky if they are played at all, such is the temptation to replace such an over-long CD with something more immediate. It is not that the aesthetics themselves repel me as I am a very big admirer of Wire's somewhat similarly styled Pink Flag. The difference is that the latter album is kept down to an appropriate length and, more importantly, even with the abridged length of the tracks it has bloody songs on it. Take this off the stereo and all one can remember is that rockabilly track that became the theme to 'Jackass' ("Corona") and that's only because we've had it forced down our ears so often in preparation for yet another recruitment show for Al Qaeda. Of course, it would be rather unfair to associate the Minutemen with Johnny Knoxville's team of repressed homosexuals as the former group were obviously a very intelligent outfit. Unfortunately, they water it down so much over the 43 tracks (FORTY THREE!!!) that we're left wishing they'd just stuck the good stuff on an EP instead. It would be offensive to suggest the ranks of perfectly capable critics who for some reason can only listen to this album with a tissue to hand are guilty of praising the Emperor's new clothes so I'll just call them a bunch of fucking idiots instead.

From: Matthew Vogt

Hi Jack, congratulations on seeing through the critical smokescreen that surrounds this album!
I must admit, I actually get a fair amount of enjoyment out of putting this album on ni the background (as opposed to focused-ly listening to it), so I would give it a 7 rather than a 6. However, I feel the album has very little to offer to the restrospective listener. It does many things, but few of them very well, and none of them consistently.
I appreciate that this album was very mind-opening in its day (and in its (purported) genre), but it certainly does not stand up to harsh gaze of objective modern scrutiny.
I often feel that you are the WRC reviewer with whom my opinions are most aligned, and this certainly serves to reinforce that.

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Email me at: jackfeeny@yahoo.co.uk