Published on Jun 21, 1997
Thanks to Eddie Vedder, the Minutemen are enjoying a second wave
of success. In 1995, Vedder joined former Minutemen bassist Mike
Watt on a couple of tour dates. Unfortunately, the media chased
Vedder once they got word of the small club tour. Fortunately, it
brought back the legacy of a great trio, capable of writing
politically charged rock and punk anthems.
It’s probably safe to assume the Minutemen were never fit for
rock star status. But the tragic death of singer D. Boon in a car
accident and their last album they made in the studio,
3-Way Tie(For Last) makes you wonder what the band may have
accomplished after this great release. (The Minutemen did release
one more album,
Ballot Result, but it was more of a greatest hits, chosen by
the fans in true anti-rock star splendor.)
Unlike harder edged indie rockers Husker Du and Black Flag, the
Minutemen had an amazing ability to bring mainstream music into
their underground world. A good example of this is the rockabilly
swagger of “The Big Stick.” They also do a great, grunge cover of
CCR’s hit “Have You Ever Seen The Rain.”
Proudly activists, the Minutemen’s lyrics were both insightful
and funny. The anti-war rants of “The Price Of Paradise” and “The
Big Stick” may not have the lyric complexity of their relaized
masterpiece
Double Nickels On The Dime, but they still rock with
conviction. Best way to describe the lyric quality is like
listening to a brilliant, well read, passionate activist…..who’s
currently tanked on whiskey and gin.
Musically, the Minutemen prove why trios usually tend to rock
more than a four piece. Drummer George Hurley never shows off,.but
his pop smarts are evident in tracks like “Courage”. D. Boon
effortlessly plays both acoustic and electric guitar on “The Big
Stick”, with a finess that matches fellow SSTer Bob Mould of Husker
Du. And bassist Mike Watt shows he can play at any tempo and fit a
great bass riff to any of the style that the Minutemen explore on
3-Way Tie (For Last). He even does a nice, dark vocal
delivery of “Spoken Word Piece”.
3-Way Tie (For Last) may be a better starting point for a
newcomer to the Minutemen. In true punk fashion, the album clocks
in at less than 40 minutes. And with 16 tracks, if you don’t like
one, don’t sweat it, in less than two minutes it will end. “Hitting
The Bong” and “Bermuda” end this one on a slightly weak note.
Though the recording through the phone deliverance of “Bermuda” has
since been perfected by bands like The Beastie Boys and Sonic
Youth, it still sounds fresh.
Unpretensious, intelligent and just plain kick ass,
3-Way Tie (For Last) serves as a nice requiem for D. Boon.
Thankfully, Hurley and Watt decided to disband and persue their
solo interests. While Watt went on to form fIREHOSE, his best
material may still be yet to come in his solo projects. In the
meantime, check out
3-Way Tie (For Last), then go buy
Double Nickels On The Dime…..now.