23/04/2024
«The Hüsker Dü were friends of ours – we put their debut album, Land Speed Record, out on our New Alliance label in 1981. When they came to California to record in 1983, we barbecued for them on Cabrillo Beach and they told us about their new double concept album, Zen Arcade. We thought: “The Minutemen could do that too!” It was a dare, right? We’d just cut an album of songs with Ethan James at his studio, Radio Tokyo, but hadn’t released them yet. So we decided to write a bunch more songs, record them in March 1984 and put out a double record of our own. Hüskers had a concept for their double – but we didn’t. So we made like Pink Floyd on Ummagumma and each took a side to curate. We drew straws and started choosing from the songs we’d recorded – and the fourth side, the ‘chaff side’, was leftovers. The first song D chose was Anxious Mo-Fo, which I’d wanted for my side, because his guitar solo blows me away. We recorded Double Nickels On The Dime over two three-day sessions, months apart, on an 8-track Otari machine for $1,100 – and Ethan James mixed the whole thing in one night. The album title meant driving exactly at the speed limit, 55mph. D didn’t like that guy Sammy Hagar, who sang I Can’t Drive 55. We were gonna drive safe and make crazy music, while that clown was gonna drive crazy and make safe music. We went in the studio and played like it was a gig – but with the tapes rolling. And we let it all out, this weird, weird collection of things – everything we were about» – mike watt , 2024