Double Nickels on the Dime

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Double Nickels On The Dime
Double Nickels On The Dime cover
Double album by The Minutemen
Released 1984
Recorded November 1983-April 1984
Genre Alternative, Punk
Length 81:01
Label SST
Producer(s) Ethan James
Professional reviews
The Minutemen chronology
The Politics of Time
(1984)		 Double Nickels On The Dime
(1984)		 Project: Mersh
(1985)


Double Nickels on the Dime is an album recorded by The Minutemen on the SST label in 1984.

The album is a diverse combination of punk, funk, spoken word, 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."[1] In 2003, the album was ranked number 411 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was also #86 in Joe S. Harrington's Top 100 Albums.

Contents

[edit] Album History

The title of the album is a reaction to the Sammy Hagar song "I Can't Drive 55"; the title essentially states that the Minutemen intended to take chances with their music rather than behind the wheel, as opposed to Hagar, who the Minutemen thought did the exact opposite. (The cover photo depicts Mike Watt driving his Volkswagen Bus, with the spedometer at exactly 55mph, while the freeway exit sign for his hometown of San Pedro is visible through the windshield.) The phrase "double nickels" is also CB Radio and trucker slang used for the 55mph speed limit, dating back to at least 1976 [1]; Watt has noted this fact inspired the album title as well [2] "The dime" is a nickname for the Santa Monica Freeway, 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 persisted in the wake of many labels remastering new editions of their CD back catalog 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. In a 2006 interview reproduced on his official website, Watt announced his intention to discuss a remastered, complete edition of the full Double Nickels album with SST owner Greg Ginn.[3]

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Original double album

[edit] Side D.

  1. "Anxious Mo-Fo" – 1:19
  2. "Theatre is the Life of You" – 1:30
  3. "Viet Nam" – 1:27
  4. "Cohesion" – 1:55
  5. "It's Expected I'm Gone" – 2:04
  6. "#1 Hit Song" – 1:47
  7. "Two Beads at the End" – 1:52
  8. "Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?" – 1:49
  9. "Don't Look Now" – 1:46
  10. "Shit From an Old Notebook" – 1:35
  11. "Nature Without Man" – 1:45
  12. "One Reporters Opinion" – 1:50

[edit] Side Mike

  1. "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing" – 1:33
  2. "Maybe Partying Will Help" – 1:56
  3. "Toadies" – 1:38
  4. "Retreat" – 2:01
  5. "The Big Foist" – 1:29
  6. "God Bows To Math" – 1:15
  7. "Corona" – 2:24
  8. "The Glory of Man" – 2:55
  9. "Take 5, D." – 1:40
  10. "My Heart and the Real World" – 1:05
  11. "History Lesson - Part II" – 2:10

[edit] Side George

  1. "You Need the Glory" – 2:01
  2. "The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts" – 1:20
  3. "Mr. Robot's Holy Orders" – 3:05
  4. "West Germany" – 1:48
  5. "The Politics of Time" – 1:10
  6. "Themselves" – 1:17
  7. "Please Don't Be Gentle With Me" – 0:46
  8. "Nothing Indeed" – 1:21
  9. "No Exchange" – 1:50
  10. "There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight" – 1:34
  11. "This Ain't No Picnic" – 1:56
  12. "Spillage" – 1:51

[edit] Side Chaff

  1. "Untitled Song for Latin America" – 2:03
  2. "Jesus and Tequila" – 2:52
  3. "June 16th" – 1:48
  4. "Storm in My House" – 1:57
  5. "Martin's Story" – 0:51
  6. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" – 0:40
  7. "Dr. Wu" – 1:44
  8. "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand" – 2:53
  9. "The World According to Nouns" – 2:05
  10. "Love Dance" – 2:00

[edit] 1987 CD with remixed songs

This version of the album was remixed by Mike Watt and Vitus Matare in August 1987.
  1. D.'s Car Jam
  2. Anxious Mo-Fo
  3. Theatre is the Life of You
  4. Viet Nam
  5. Cohesion
  6. It's Expected I'm Gone
  7. #1 Hit Song
  8. Two Beads at the End
  9. Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?
  10. Shit From an Old Notebook
  11. Nature Without Man
  12. One Reporter's Opinion
  13. Mike's Car Jam
  14. Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing
  15. Maybe Partying Will Help
  16. Toadies
  17. Retreat
  18. The Big Foist
  19. God Bows To Math
  20. Corona
  21. The Glory of Man
  22. Take 5, D.
  23. My Heart and the Real World
  24. History Lesson - Part II
  25. George's Car Jam
  26. You Need the Glory
  27. The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts
  28. West Germany
  29. The Politics of Time
  30. Themselves
  31. Please Don't Be Gentle With Me
  32. Nothing Indeed
  33. No Exchange
  34. There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight
  35. This Ain't No Picnic
  36. Spillage
  37. Three Car Jam
  38. Untitled Song for Latin America
  39. Jesus and Tequila
  40. June 16th
  41. Storm in My House
  42. Martin's Story
  43. The World According to Nouns
  44. Love Dance

[edit] 1989 CD

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.
  1. D.'s Car Jam/Anxious Mo-Fo – 1:19
  2. Theatre is the Life of You – 1:30
  3. Viet Nam – 1:27
  4. Cohesion – 1:55
  5. It's Expected I'm Gone – 2:04
  6. #1 Hit Song – 1:47
  7. Two Beads at the End – 1:52
  8. Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth? – 1:49
  9. Don't Look Now – 1:46
  10. Shit From an Old Notebook – 1:35
  11. Nature Without Man – 1:45
  12. One Reporters Opinion – 1:50
  13. Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing – 1:33
  14. Maybe Partying Will Help – 1:56
  15. Toadies – 1:38
  16. Retreat – 2:01
  17. The Big Foist – 1:29
  18. God Bows To Math – 1:15
  19. Corona – 2:24
  20. The Glory of Man – 2:55
  21. Take 5, D. – 1:40
  22. My Heart and the Real World – 1:05
  23. History Lesson - Part II – 2:10
  24. You Need the Glory – 2:01
  25. The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts – 1:20
  26. West Germany – 1:48
  27. The Politics of Time – 1:10
  28. Themselves – 1:17
  29. Please Don't Be Gentle With Me – 0:46
  30. Nothing Indeed – 1:21
  31. No Exchange – 1:50
  32. There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight – 1:34
  33. This Ain't No Picnic – 1:56
  34. Spillage – 1:51
  35. Untitled Song for Latin America – 2:03
  36. Jesus and Tequila – 2:52
  37. June 16th – 1:48
  38. Storm in My House – 1:57
  39. Martin's Story – 0:51
  40. Dr. Wu – 1:44
  41. The World According to Nouns – 2:05
  42. Love Dance – 2:00
  43. Three Car Jam – 0:36

[edit] Personnel

  • D. Boon - vocals, guitar
  • Mike Watt - bass, vocals (on "Take 5, D.", "Dr. Wu", and "The Politics of Time")
  • George Hurley - drums, vocals
  • Joe Baiza - guitar on "Take 5, D."
  • John Rocknowski - guitar on "Take 5, D."
  • Dirk Vandenburg - guitar on "Take 5, D."

[edit] Miscellanea

  • "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.
  • "It's Expected I'm Gone" is sampled for the drum track in Pinback's "Hurley", which is named for drummer George Hurley.
  • Michael Azerrad's punk/indie rock history book Our Band Could Be Your Life takes its title from "History Lesson - Part II".

[edit] References and footnotes

  1. ^ Mark Deming, untitled review of Double Nickels On The Dime at AllMusic.com
  2. ^ Chimpomatic.com, 2001 interview with Mike Watt, not published until 2004
  3. ^ Michael T. Fournier, "Mike Watt Talks w/Michael T. Fournier About Double Nickels On The Dime", reproduced at Mike Watt's Hootpage.

[edit] External links

The Minutemen
D. Boon | Mike Watt | George Hurley
Discography
Albums: The Punch Line | What Makes a Man Start Fires? | Double Nickels on the Dime | 3-Way Tie (For Last) | Ballot Result
Extended plays: Paranoid Time | Joy | Bean-Spill | Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat | Tour-Spiel | Project: Mersh | Georgeless E.P.
Compilations: The Politics of Time | My First Bells | Post-Mersh Vol. 1 | Post-Mersh Vol. 2 | Post-Mersh Vol. 3 | Introducing the Minutemen
Other releases: Minuteflag | D. Boon and Friends
Bootlegs: ...just a Minute Men | Jam "Schtik" To Do For Gigs | Live In 1985: Acoustic Blowout | Acoustic Blowout | Live At Flynn's Ocean 71
Related articles
The Reactionaries | New Alliance Records | Martin Tamburovich | George Hurley and Mike Watt
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