Continuing our spotlight on Minutemen this week, as mentioned in yesterday’s Manic Monday column, the band was nothing if not eclectic. For best evidence of this, one should look no further than their classic 1984 album Double Nickels on the Dime. Throughout its sprawling 44-song tracklist, the band dabbles in everything from country, blues, spoken word, funk, and jazz, resulting in one of the most distinctive and varied punk albums of all time. While most of the songs are relatively brief (The Minutemen’s whole philosophy was “We Jam Econo” after all), the band’s remarkably tight musicianship and chemistry become more apparent on repeated listens.
But the true heart and soul of the album (and the band as a whole) was, of course, the late great D. Boon. His stripped-down, trebly guitar-playing (which rarely utilized distortion) proved to be highly influential on subsequent So-Cal guitar heroes like John Frusciante and Bradley Nowell for example. And his deceptively low-key vocal approach helped make his cleverly political and history-focused lyrics less preachy and more approachable overall, thanks in large part to his stoner-flavored (and occasionally self-depreciating) sense of humor. And one of the most compelling moments on the album is the quiet and contemplative “History Lesson Part 2”, which reflects on the band’s beginnings and inspirations. Check out this intimate acoustic performance of the track live on Public Access TV from 1985, recorded shortly before D. Boon’s tragic death later that year (R.I.P.):
