You\u2019d think that punk acts would instinctively rail against the perceived excesses concept albums and (cough) rock operas, but clearly few Stateside punks read the manifesto. Double sets such as The Minutemen\u2019s Double Nickels On The Dime <\/i>and H\u00fcsker D\u00fc Quadrophenia<\/i>-esque Zen Arcade <\/i>remain among the most feted US hardcore titles.<\/p>\n
Formerly The Minutemen\u2019s bassist, Mike Watt embarked on an intermittent solo career after his second outfit, Firehose, split in 1994. Originally issued in \u201997, his follow-up effort Contemplating The Engine Room <\/i>is another complex song cycle; its 15 songs relating to both Watt\u2019s father\u2019s exploits in the US navy and The Minutemen\u2019s history. It remains his most audacious release.<\/p>\n
Now receiving its double vinyl debut (with a download for an unreleased live LP, Five Man Opera<\/i>) Contemplating The Engine Room <\/i>was conceived as a trio with Watt\u2019s ever-restless basslines and salty, be-bop vocals beefed up by drummer Steve Hodges and versatile future Wilco guitarist Nels Cline.<\/p>\n
Though billed as a nautically-inclined \u201crock opera\u201d, it\u2019s a tight, quirky and bombast-free 50 minute workout and while everything from the ragin\u2019 full on punk of The Bluejacket\u2019s Manual to the Tom Waits-ish junkyard jazz of Topsiders convinces, Watt\u2019s heartfelt tribute to his fallen Minutemen comrade D Boon on The Boilerman stands head and shoulders above the rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You\u2019d think that punk acts would instinctively rail against the perceived excesses concept albums and (cough) rock operas, but clearly few Stateside punks read the manifesto. Double sets such as The Minutemen\u2019s Double Nickels On The Dime and H\u00fcsker D\u00fc Quadrophenia-esque Zen Arcade remain among the most feted US hardcore titles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8023,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,16],"tags":[],"issue":[10093],"class_list":["post-193469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album","category-reviews","issue-january-2018"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n