'' is an album recorded by
The Minutemen on the
SST label in
1984 .
The album is a diverse combination of
Punk ,
Funk , spoken word, noise, 70's rock, acoustic guitar instrumentals, and even
Jazz . Standout tracks include "History Lesson Part II", "
Corona ", "Jesus and Tequila", "Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing", "June 16th", and "
This Ain't No Picnic ".
''Double Nickels'' is often seen not only as the Minutemen's crowning achievement, but, as critic Mark Deming notes, " one of the very best American rock albums of the 1980s."
{Link without Title}
The title of the album is a reaction to the , a portion of
Interstate 10 .
Initially meant to be a single album, the Minutemen had already recorded an album's worth of material in November of 1983 when they learned that their labelmates
Hüsker Dü were about to release the double album ''
Zen Arcade ''. In response, the Minutemen wrote an entire album's worth of material and recorded it in May of 1984. The group then mixed all of the newly recorded songs and remixed the songs recorded the previous November in one all-night session. (On the inside back cover of the double album's gatefold is the note, "Take that, Hüskers!"). The total cost for recording and mixing the entire double album was just over $1,000.00.
Another double album,
Pink Floyd 's ''
Ummagumma '', inspired the track sequencing of the original album. Each member of the band selected the tracks, sequenced them for their own respective side of the album, and included a solo cut in their sequence -- D. Boon's cut was the acoustic guitar instrumental "Cohesion", Watt's was the spoken-word with music cut "Take 5, D." (so named that three other guitarists, rather than Boon, play on the cut), and Hurley's was the multi-tracked percussion and scat-singing composition "You Need The Glory" -- with the leftovers being put on side "Chaff" (the fourth side of the album). Each side of the album began and ended with the respective Minutemen members' car engines being revved; the fourth side has all three cars going.
In addition to the three members of the band, ''Double Nickels On The Dime'' also features lyric contributions from
Black Flag 's
Henry Rollins and
Chuck Dukowski ,
Saccharine Trust 's
Joe and
Jack Brewer , and SST co-owner
Joe Carducci . There are also cover versions of
Creedence Clearwater Revival 's "Don't Look Now",
Van Halen 's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", and
Steely Dan 's "Dr. Wu".
In
1987 , bassist
Mike Watt remixed most of the album for an initial CD release, leaving out the three cover versions as well as "Mr. Robot's Holy Orders" and "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand" and all of the "car jams" except for D. Boon's opening. An outcry from Minutemen fans led to a reinstatement of the original album mix on a
1989 CD reissue, with two of the cover songs restored, but all of the car jams, save for D.'s opening and the three-car jam at the end left off. At the time, technology would not allow the reinsertion of the Van Halen cover or the latter two deleted originals. Rumors persist that a fully-restored and remastered CD version of the original album with all 45 songs will be released, either by SST (unlikely, given the long history of bands who have complained about not being paid royalties by SST, and have since taken their masters and reissued them elsewhere) or another label.
#Anxious Mo-Fo - 1:19
#Theatre is the Life of You - 1:30
#Viet Nam - 1:27
#Cohesion - 1:55
#It's Expected I'm Gone - 2:04
#
#1 Hit Song - 1:47
#Two Beads at the End - 1:52
#Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth? - 1:49
#Don't Look Now - 1:46
#Shit From an Old Notebook - 1:35
#Nature Without Man - 1:45
#One Reporters Opinion - 1:50
#Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing - 1:33
#Maybe Partying Will Help - 1:56
#Toadies - 1:38
#Retreat - 2:01
#The Big Foist - 1:29
#God Bows To Math - 1:15
#Corona - 2:24
#The Glory of Man - 2:55
#Take 5, D. - 1:40
#My Heart and the Real World - 1:05
#History Lesson - Part II - 2:10
#You Need the Glory - 2:01
#The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts - 1:20
#Mr. Robot's Holy Orders - 3:05
#West Germany - 1:48
#The Politics of Time - 1:10
#Themselves - 1:17
#Please Don't Be Gentle With Me - 0:46
#Nothing Indeed - 1:21
#No Exchange - 1:50
#There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight - 1:34
#This Ain't No Picnic - 1:56
#Spillage - 1:51
#Untitled Song for Latin America - 2:03
#Jesus and Tequila - 2:52
#June 16th - 1:48
#Storm in My House - 1:57
#Martin's Story - 0:51
#Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - 0:40
#Dr. Wu - 1:44
#Little Man With A Gun In His Hand - 2:53
#The World According to Nouns - 2:05
#Love Dance - 2:00
:''This version of the album was remixed by Mike Watt and Vitus Matare in August
1987 .
#D.'s Car Jam
#Anxious Mo-Fo
#Theatre is the Life of You
#Viet Nam
#Cohesion
#It's Expected I'm Gone
#
#1 Hit Song
#Two Beads at the End
#Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?
#Shit From an Old Notebook
#Nature Without Man
#One Reporter's Opinion
#Mike's Car Jam
#Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing
#Maybe Partying Will Help
#Toadies
#Retreat
#The Big Foist
#God Bows To Math
#Corona
#The Glory of Man
#Take 5, D.
#My Heart and the Real World
#History Lesson - Part II
#George's Car Jam
#You Need the Glory
#The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts
#West Germany
#The Politics of Time
#Themselves
#Please Don't Be Gentle With Me
#Nothing Indeed
#No Exchange
#There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight
#This Ain't No Picnic
#Spillage
#Three Car Jam
#Untitled Song for Latin America
#Jesus and Tequila
#June 16th
#Storm in My House
#Martin's Story
#The World According to Nouns
#Love Dance
The 1989 CD restores the original album mix but still leaves off "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand", and "Mr. Robot's Holy Orders". The songs were deleted to ensure the CDs would play on all CD players.
#D.'s Car Jam/Anxious Mo-Fo - 1:19
#Theatre is the Life of You - 1:30
#Viet Nam - 1:27
#Cohesion - 1:55
#It's Expected I'm Gone - 2:04
#
#1 Hit Song - 1:47
#Two Beads at the End - 1:52
#Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth? - 1:49
#Don't Look Now - 1:46
#Shit From an Old Notebook - 1:35
#Nature Without Man - 1:45
#One Reporters Opinion - 1:50
#Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing - 1:33
#Maybe Partying Will Help - 1:56
#Toadies - 1:38
#Retreat - 2:01
#The Big Foist - 1:29
#God Bows To Math - 1:15
#Corona - 2:24
#The Glory of Man - 2:55
#Take 5, D. - 1:40
#My Heart and the Real World - 1:05
#History Lesson - Part II - 2:10
#You Need the Glory - 2:01
#The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts - 1:20
#West Germany - 1:48
#The Politics of Time - 1:10
#Themselves - 1:17
#Please Don't Be Gentle With Me - 0:46
#Nothing Indeed - 1:21
#No Exchange - 1:50
#There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight - 1:34
#This Ain't No Picnic - 1:56
#Spillage - 1:51
#Untitled Song for Latin America - 2:03
#Jesus and Tequila - 2:52
#June 16th - 1:48
#Storm in My House - 1:57
#Martin's Story - 0:51
#Dr. Wu - 1:44
#The World According to Nouns - 2:05
#Love Dance - 2:00
#Three Car Jam - 0:36
- "Love Dance" was licensed by Volvo for a commercial in 2001 . Watt, as administrator of the Minutemen's copyrights, authorized the use solely because, since it was a D. Boon composition, the royalties were going directly to D. Boon's father, who was suffering from emphysema.
- "Corona" was used as the theme song for the MTV show '' Jackass ''.
- The Badlees borrowed the line "You and me, babe. Twinkle, twinkle. Blah, blah, blah." from "#1 Hit Song" for their own "Back Where We Came From" on their '' Diamonds In The Coal '' album.
- Several different song lyrics from the album are interpolated by poet/saxophonist Dan McGuire on "Punk (is Whatever We Make It to Be)", a track from '' The Way Things Work '' the debut album by improvisatory rock group the Unknown Instructors , which includes Watt and Hurley in its lineup.
- "History Lesson - Part II" is Sampled in the beginning of Sublime 's '' 40 Oz. To Freedom ''.
- Michael Azerrad's punk/indie rock history book '' Our Band Could Be Your Life '' takes its title from "History Lesson - Part II".
