Search - Minutemen :: What Makes a Man Start Fires?

Masterpiece. 1 of 4. Completely unique band. Saw 'em live

Chris bct | San Diego, CA USA | 03/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Missed 'em live about 3 other times. Lemme tell you a story. Maybe not?



However, this album, we can call it that, packed with lots 'o songs but not lasting very long. Yes, they recreated the album in their own form.



This is their second album, came out 1983.



What's their four masterpieces? Punch line 1981, this one, Buzz Howl... 1983 and Double Nickles 2xLP 1984. Feel free to include My First Bells if you like, a compilation tape of their early 7" records and compilation tracks.



Can't really include Politics of Time, 1984 cuz there's too many poorly recorded songs on it. Same reason for Ballot Result. Musically both are brilliant however.



Mersh I wouldn't include cuz they sorta go a different path musically but, heck, it's still the MINUTEMEN.



Thank goodness amazon.com has those 'listen' buttons for most of the records they sell. Just let the music speak for itself man. Nobody made music like this. God took d. boon too soon from us and it was as big a blow as taking Jimi and Belushi too soon. God bless d. boon.



Meanwhile, buy this as is or on one of those 3 Post Mersh CD's released together with other MINUTEMEN records on one CD. You cannot go wrong.



Brief, passionate, bit 'o funky, beautiful voice(s), sharp drumming. That incredible bass playing and together a 3 man unit that sailed through songs and gave us a gift that will stand the ages. Well.



Ok, if you wanna know, I wish I'd seen 'em more times but I saw that Mojave Desert show in the broad flat middle of nowhere salt flats with SAVAGE REPUBLIC. Four bus loads of us. Generators and two passionate bands and us and lots of nowhere. In the afternoon.



And the San Pedro Bay show just on a boat with the MEAT PUPPETS and about 50 other folks who loved either or both bands sitting a few boat lengths away from the dock on a Wednesday night. Outdoors, on a clear night on the water. Lovely.



And when 100 FLOWERS called it quits at Al's Bar in L.A. d. boon and Keith Morris both got on stage to sing with 100 FLOWERS at the end of their set. MINUTEMEN raged.



And with MEAT PUPPETS opening then MINUTEMEN then HUSKER DU in San Diego on El Cajon Blvd. in a place I'd never seen a gig be at before nor since, like a place with a stage and it said it was a recording studio but no equipment around. You can imagine, the three together made for a very memorable show.



They played with an SST line up all of whom I loathed (musically) like DINASOUR JR. so I stupidly listened to the MINUTEMEN's set from the back alley. Yup. Big dope.



I forget if I saw 'em an actual fourth time.



Missed 'em in Tijuana. Giant 12 band show in a movie theatre. SOLUCION MORTAL opened at 3pm. Only Mexican band. Then some incredible Tucson acid rockabilly band. And like more bands just kept getting added. Excene and John Doe did a set maybe a stripped down KNITTERS. CICRLE JERKS and the MINUTMEN were both there hangin' out. But midnight came along and the cops simply shut the show down even thoug;h I didn't see any trouble anywhere. Everyone simply went home without the two headliners ever playing.



Me and my second BCT (Bad Compilation Tapes/Borderless Countries Tapes) partner, Chris, were visiting Bruce Licher of SAVAGE REPUBLIC in L.A. and he told us the MINUTEMEN were playing down the way. Chris had a girlfriend who she said would frown on him getting back to San Diego late. Yup. Breath. Let it go. Don't hang onto that nugget. Lost chance.

RIP d boon.

Thanks MINUTEMEN.[...]"

When punk became post-punk?

bruce horner | 01/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""What Makes a Man Start Fires" seems to be a demarcation point: for the Minutemen at least. And, unlike a previous reviewer, I wouldn't use the imagery of an "extended nightmare," as much as a "blissed-out daydream." D. Boone, Mike Watt and George Hurley were talented enough to realize early that hardcore punk had serious limitations. In many senses, this album branches out into territory that "Double Nickels" never touched. I am not sure where this place is, but I can guess that it involves driving old cars down the Pacific Coastline, dreaming about things other than the plight of the working man."

Minutemen find their form with this awesome album

bruce horner | 07/12/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"just drop the laser on "Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs". Go ahead, do it. The bass flies out at you faster than life, the lyrics and vocals are right to the point, the drums kick and the guitar howls. After three hit and miss ep's (and one album) prior, the Minutemen finally find their niche on this awesome outing. The tracks follow one another like thought patterns, and many even try new tricks. "East Wind/Faith" is the best, building George Hurley's oil drum solo (you read right) into a total rockin' funk fest. Fabulous! And many tracks ("Life As A Rehearsal", for instance) come nearly as close. From here it was straight up for the Minutemen, but don't let this album pass you by... It's one of the best."