#38 Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
One of my goals for this thread is to be inclusive of most genres of music without going too far out of the way to associate a particular album with a jazz ideology.
I confess, for a moment I did pose the question "well, what about punk rock?", after a brief flash of doubt I immediately knew the answer was obvious.
Minutemen were an integral part of the burgeoning 80's west coast punk scene, and while the band has always been directly associated with punk music, this is really more due to their DIY philosophy and association with their Cali contemporaries than any sort of stylistic comparison that one would really have a tough time making.
Double Nickels is a double length album and definitely considered by most to be their best work. For my purposes, however, I chose it because it really showcases the trio's natural tendency toward a jazz aesthetic. The majority of the 45 tracks on this album (with
Mr. Robot's Holy Orders Being the only track over 3 minutes long.) are free and loose and exhibit the upbeat feel and dynamic of post bop at its finest. Think Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers being loosely channeled through an 80's rock trio. There are huge elements of free jazz with some tracks, such as
Do You Want New Wave, or Do You Want the Truth are just flat out free jazz a la Ornette Coleman with spoken word layed on top.
So much more could be said about Minutemen and this amazing album. I have really barely scratched the surface. If you have any punk rock leanings and feel any sense of obligation to get in touch with its real history get your hanRAB on this album ASAP.