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Mike Watt 9 minute treat.

Just dug Ragin’ Full On out for a spin now. One of the best records I own. Just astonishing playing and sound quality. I stand by what I said earlier; it’s like being in the room with them. As good as any classic jazz recording.
 
I must buy it then asap Tony. I'll keep an eye out for an affordable copy. That's under £20 for me.

We should bookend the thread with a nod to the mighty D.Boon I think.

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Capt
 
@Tony L fine fIREHOSE show here- first to comment saying 'Probably the best video recording of firehose from the eighties'. Stonking good. Nice Hiwatt / tele tones, & great audio. GH was such an effortless natural talent on those drums.


Capt
 
Last time I saw Ed Crawford he was roadying for Southern Culture On The Skids, and joined them on stage to play trumpet on one or two songs. Before that I saw him playing lead guitar for Whiskeytown.
 
So was he the one playing trumpet on MMen's only "hit single" then ? forget the name of song, black & white video with DB weirdly holding a baby!
 
The Captain said:
So was he the one playing trumpet on MMen's only "hit single" then ? forget the name of song, black & white video with DB weirdly holding a baby!
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King of the Hill is the trumpet song with the toddler, but it's colour video and it's their other biggie - This Ain't No Picnic - that's in b&w.

A tremendous chorus though very much VHS quality video seems to be all that's out there:

 
I get the impression Crawford was a hardcore Minutemen fan and gradually persuaded the other two out of throwing the towel in after the untimely death of Boon. That he was so good and it all worked so amazingly well is a testament to them all.
 
Yank said:
I think eDFROMOHIO was still in Ohio at that time.
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Yup seems he was just a studenty fan whilst MMen were active. I just assumed possibly same chap, as there can't have been too many trumpeters in postpunker MMen's 'orbit'!

I couldn't ever dig those 2 videos.. urgh/ they were SO diametrically opposite to any marketing xyz, both musically & lyrically, that they both grate & I avert my eyes. I even forgot they had a trumpet in one song too.. because I only ever play Double Nickels: their other Lp's (which I do have) are 'division 1' in comparison. Almost div 2. It's just that DNickels is so stupendously good (& as a bonus, as a recording is spectacular too). It & TroutMaskReplica.. are the two greatest albums ever made. Equal first prize in the Captain's log.

Capt
 
It was very difficult tracking Double Nickels down back in the day, even in central London where you had the pick of the record shops. Largely cos SST was not a good distributor.

I can still remember finally tracking it down one week in Rough Trade in Covent Garden and buying both of the copies they had in stock (as someone else wanted it to)!

In a parallel universe, it would be a standard hi-fi demo disc. As would the Meat Puppets 'Up on the Sun'.
 
There was thankfully a fair bit of this stuff in Liverpool, mainly thanks to Pink Moon Records, where I worked the odd day behind the counter. I sold so many copies of Ragin’ Full On there! I’m pleased I bought a fair bit of it as much is getting hard to find now. I’m light on Meat Puppets though, I’ve only got the EP Out My Way on vinyl. I’d certainly like more. Another crazy tight band with a great rhythm section. SST signed amazing bands.
 
Despite being Black Flag's label, the Minutemen, Husker Du and the Meat Puppets were the holy trinity of SST.

'Up on the Sun' is a must buy. Another superb Spot production. Probably the classic SST era album I play the most these days. Though unlike the other two bands, they had many more dodgy albums. You don't need anything after Mirage.

Quite a tale behind them and the bass player ended up on heroin, a petty criminal and being shot! But all OK now and gigging again. I saw them in 2019 and still very good.

 
notaclue said:
It was very difficult tracking Double Nickels down back in the day, even in central London where you had the pick of the record shops. Largely cos SST was not a good distributor.

I can still remember finally tracking it down one week in Rough Trade in Covent Garden and buying both of the copies they had in stock (as someone else wanted it to)!

In a parallel universe, it would be a standard hi-fi demo disc. As would the Meat Puppets 'Up on the Sun'.
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I must have got lucky then, I just chanced upon it either rough trade covent gdn, or Northampton selectadisc (whatever the only record shop was called back in 1987), nice thick card & double green opaque vinyl, & £13.99 I seem to recall. If someone offered me £1000 I'd not sell it.

I was not a fan of Meat puppets or Husker Du I'm afraid. Or Black Flag! The shame. Had 2 MPuppets albums on vinyl but I sold both last year. In fact the only other SST album I have now, is Dinosaur Jr YLAOMe (assuming Flyin The Flannel isn't on SST) which although in my top 5 albums of alltime.. certainly isn't anything special recordingwise- I guess almost impossible with 5 layers of different distortion!

Capt
 
What? No Hüsker Dü?!

PS Sonic Youth too, though we got them licensed via Blast First/Mute.
 
Tony L said:
What? No Hüsker Dü?

PS Sonic Youth too, though we got them licensed via Blast First/Mute.
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Nope. I actually can't stand Husker Du.

I did see Sugar though (to glean back a bit of cred!), Sheffield Leadmill '92 iirc. Tiny venue, impressive layers of distortion kicked ass & a great show/ right at the front I was. Oddly though for me, many were spitting on Mould & bassist & right in front of them too. I'd never seen the like, & an utter abomination. I guess some bygone " punk " thing but rather pathetic, & I felt bad for BM & bass chap. The closest I ever got to the punk movement? Hmm.. perhaps.

Ah yes if any Sonic Youth on SST then I do have that.

Capt
 
The Captain said:
Nope. I actually can't stand Husker Du.
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They amuse me and I love Zen Arcade. It took ages for the penny to drop as I couldn’t see beyond the rudimentary recording and brutalist wall of guitar noise, but beyond that lies a great pop band with almost Beach Boys-like hooks. I’ve got most of their stuff, but the high-watermarks for me are Zen Arcade (their DNOTD) and the Metal Circus EP. The later stuff on Warners (Candy Apple Grey, Warehouse) makes the pop songs behind noise even more obvious, and are great, but the sheer brutalism of Zen Arcade is a special thing. Give it another go!

The Captain said:
Ah yes if any Sonic Youth on SST then I do have that.
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Pretty much everything prior to Daydream Nation was SST and is worth good money now. Mine are UK Blast First as that’s what was in the shops here.

PS Pop song!

 
@Tony L I have -really- tried with Zen Arcade, believe me. I know I'm "meant" to have it (likewise MPuppets, & Bowie).. to be in the 'cool club' back in the 80's. My best chums had all these, but I went my own way, & bought Pentangle basket of light instead. Or suchlike. One foot in the cool club, & t'other foot in the nerdy hippies' club; one paw in the classical club (uncool), & my little finger dabbling in the jazz club (ubercool).

Capt
 
I've seen Meat Puppets live a few times (and Eyes Adrift too), and I'd describe their set as hours of indulgent, pointless guitar noodling punctuated by moments of melodic brilliance.
 
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