Ball-Hog or Tugboat

Mike Watt

Columbia

CD

Reviewed by: Kevin and Derek

Kevin: on Big Train, Mike Watt sounds like Tom Waits, but he should smoke some more.
Kevin: Eddie Vedder, J. Mascis, Dave Grohl...
Derek: these are all-star line-ups
Derek: frank black, joe baiza
Kevin: what was he in?
Derek: he was in Saccharine Trust.
Derek: beastie boys, sonic youth guys, flea, bernie worrell
Kevin: well, so far I'm unimpressed (with the song)
Kevin: oh no, it's "against the 70's", this song is on 24 hours a day in Seattle. I can't stand it.

Derek: I don't know, I can't recall hearing it on the radio here (in San Fran). I can see it becoming annoying.
Kevin: I think it's only on so much 'cause Vedder is singing on it. Eddie Vedder taking a shit would go to #1 in Seattle.
Kevin: kira's not on here at all
Derek: maybe they're not married anymore, or they couldn't work together
Kevin: they put out two albums together...
Kevin: wow! they do maggot brain!
Derek: that was the only song I stood up to get the case for to figure out who was on it the first time I listened to it.
Kevin: "drove up from pedro" kinda showcases Mike Watt on bass a bit, but it kinda sounds like Led Zeppelin or King Crimson.
Derek: I can see that.
Kevin: Piss-Bottle Man sounds like something straight out of 70's pop
Derek: it's got those choruses. It's Evan Dando.
Kevin: I hear DOS influences, but not really minutemen or fIREHOSE influences so far.
Derek: hmm... It's certainly not minuteman-ish, but I haven't heard the last couple fIREHOSE records. Intense Song for Madonna to Sing is somewhat sacharine trust-ish
Derek: There's 3/4 of sonic youth on Tuff Gnarl sounds like Daydream Nation kind of stuff.
Kevin: definitely
Derek: I guess that this is sort of like buying a compilation.
Kevin: every song does sound pretty different. Let's skip ahead to Maggot Brain.
Kevin: cool. Any final comments?
Derek: let's listen to the Kathleen Hanna thing for a little while
Kevin: This is a bassline from a DOS song. it is!
Kevin: this kathleen Hanna thing is totally cool. Mike Watt is so nifty for including this. She slams him, but then she ends parodying herself, which is too bad.
Derek: I guess it makes you think why someone would want to create a record like this, that is, what kind of decisions you have to make (or not make).

Unit Circle Music