'' is the debut solo album by former
Minutemen and
FIREHOSE Bassist ,
Songwriter and
Vocalist Mike Watt . It was recorded in 1994, and came at a personal and professional career crossroads for Watt. fIREHOSE had broken up after eight years and six releases earlier in 1994, and his marriage to former
Black Flag bassist
Kira Roessler had ended in divorce (although both their friendship and their dual-bass project
Dos continued; Kira also contributed some computer graphics to the album's artwork).
Without a full-time band, Watt recruited a wide variety of friends and fellow travelers to participate in the recording of the album. These included fellow
SST Records alumni like former Black Flag vocalist
Henry Rollins , members of
Sonic Youth ,
Curt and
Cris Kirkwood of the
Meat Puppets , former
Saccharine Trust guitarist
Joe Baiza ,
Dinosaur Jr 's
J Mascis , and former SST house
Producer Spot , as well as members of bands who had either toured with and/or been influenced by the Minutemen and fIREHOSE, including
Pearl Jam 's
Eddie Vedder ,
Nirvana 's
Pat Smear ,
Krist Novoselic , and
Dave Grohl (making their first recorded appearance on a record since
Kurt Cobain 's death),
Jane's Addiction and
Porno For Pyros drummer
Stephen Perkins ,
Red Hot Chili Peppers 's
Flea ,
Soul Asylum 's
Dave Pirner , former
Germs and
Nirvana guitarist
Pat Smear , former
Pixies singer
Frank Black , former
Screamers and
Twisted Roots keyboardist
Paul Roessler (who was also Watt's brother-in-law),
The Lemonheads frontman
Evan Dando ,
The Circle Jerks 's
Zander Schloss , jazz/punk guitar wizard
Nels Cline and his drummer
Michael Preussner ,
That Dog 's
Petra and
Rachel Haden and
Anna Waronker and
Mike D and
Adam Horowitz of the
Beastie Boys . Also participating on the album were
Parliament /
Funkadelic organist
Bernie Worrell ,
Carla Bozulich of the
Geraldine Fibbers and
Bruce Hornsby drummer
John Molo .
In interviews and on his online tour journals, Watt has nicknamed ''Ball-Hog...'' "The Wrestling Album", as he considered the various lineups we worked with on the album as "people getting into the ring" with him. Watt has also mentioned in interviews that
Professional Wrestling is one of the few things he regularly watches on television (He once named
The Magnificent Muraco as a favorite wrestler of his.) Watt's longtime best friend, artist
Raymond Pettibon (another wrestling fan), added to the wrestling theme by contributing to the artwork a
Panel Cartoon with the caption "Sex with you is like watching scientific wrestling".Contrary to some Internet speculation, the "''Tugboat?''" in the album title is not a reference to the
WWE wrestling character
Tugboat
"Big Train" was the first single from the album and one of only two songs Watt sang lead vocal on (the other being the closing track, "Coincidence Is Either Hit Or Miss".) The album's other singles, "Against The 70's" and "Piss-Bottle Man", featured Eddie Vedder and Evan Dando on lead vocals respectively. All three of the singles were airplay hits on both modern rock and college radio. Videos were also shot for "Big Train" and "Piss-Bottle Man"; the former video originally featured models of
Union Pacific trains in the footage, which was blurred out in a subsequent version of the clip after the company raised a copyright objection.
As part of the label's push behind the album,
Columbia released the album as a limited-run double-vinyl LP, pressed on deep blue vinyl, and in a limited edition cardboard 12-inch by 6-inch sleeve that included both the standard CD insert as well as a second CD booklet that contained a "
Glossary of
Pedro Slang "
{Link without Title}
Watt toured behind the album with two different ensembles, the first being an all-star trio with Eddie Vedder on guitar and vocals and Dave Grohl on drums, and the second being a four-piece nicknamed
The Crew Of The Flying Saucer with guitarist Nels Cline and two drummers, Michael Preussner and Vince Meghrouni.
To date, ''Ball-Hog...'' is the biggest selling album of Mike Watt's career other than the Minutemen's ''
Double Nickels On The Dime ''.
#"Big Train" – 3:21
#"Against The 70's" – 3:28
#"Drove Up From Pedro" – 4:32
#"Piss-Bottle Man" – 3:16
#"Chinese Firedrill" – 3:25
#"Intense Song For Madonna To Sing" – 3:05
#"Tuff Gnarl" – 3:10
#"Sexual Military Dynamics" – 2:39
#"Max And Wells" – 3:11
#"E-Ticket Ride" – 4:27
#"Forever... One Reporter's Opinion" – 3:41
#"Song For Igor" – 2:46
#"Tell 'Em Boy!" – 3:29
#"Sidemouse Advice" – 3:31
#"Heartbeat" – 5:34
#"Maggot Brain" – 12:05
#"Coincidence Is Either Hit Or Miss" – 2:20
All songs written by Mike Watt except "Big Train" by Tony and Chip Kinman, "Tuff Gnarl" by Sonic Youth, "Chinese Firedrill" by Joe Carducci and Mike Watt, "Sexual Military Dynamics" by Henry Rollins and Mike Watt, and "Maggot Brain" by George Clinton and Eddie Hazel.
- Mike Watt - Bass, Lead Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Spoken Word
- Dave Grohl - Drums, Lap Steel,
- Nels Cline - Guitar, Slide Guitar, Lead Guitar, Nylon Guitar
- Eddie Vedder - Guitar, Lead Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
- J Mascis - Guitar, Drums
- Cris Kirkwood - Banjo
- Curt Kirkwood - Lead Guitar
- Gary Lee Connor - Lead Guitar
- Krist Novoselic - Farfisa Organ
- Carla Bozulich - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
- Michael Preussner - Drums
- Joe Baiza - Guitar
- Paul Roessler - Piano
- Danny Frankel - Percussion
- Spot - Mandolin, Viola
- Evan Dando - Vocals
- Bob Lee - Drums
- Zander Schloss - Guitar
- John Strohm - Guitar
- Anna Waronker - Vocals (bckgr)
- Petra Haden - Vocals (bckgr), Violin
- Rachel Haden - Vocals (bckgr)
- Frank Black - Vocals
- Keith McCaw - Acoustic Guitar
- Stephen Perkins - Percussion, Drums
- Thurston Moore - Guitar
- Lee Ranaldo - Guitar
- Steve Shelley - Drums
- Epic Soundtracks - Tambourine
- Henry Rollins - Vocals
- Wayne Griffin - Drums
- Butler - Guitar
- Mark Lanegan - Vocals
- Brock Avery - Drums
- Todd Rigione - Guitar
- Michael Diamond - Vocals
- Tony Atherton - Alto Sax
- Coco Hayley Gordon Moore - Vocals (bckgr)
- Flea - Lead Bass, Pocket Trumpet
- John Molo - Drums
- Vince Meghrouni - Percussion, Vocals (bckgr), Vocals, Drums, Tenor Sax
- Pat Smear - Vocals
- Dave Pirner - Vocals
- Tiffany Anders - Vocals
- Richie West - Drums
- Kathleen Hanna - Spoken Word
- Bernie Worrell - B3 Organ
- Adam Horovitz - Drums, Guitar, Vocals (bckgr)
- Ronda Rindone - Bass Clarinet
- Mario Caldato Jr. - Vocals (bckgr)
- Tony Maxwell - Cello
