Mike Watt - The Secondman's Middle Stand

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(I don't know the secret to nu-ILM images so this may not work, so I'll post the link too http://www.wattage.com/images/TheSecondmansMiddleStand.jpg ):

out August 24th on Columbia. dunno if it's leaked yet but I think reviews are already started to get published.

it's yet another "punk rock opera", this time about the life-threatening illness he had about 4 years ago, paralleled with Dante's Inferno, and his band now has a B-3 organ in place of guitar. I saw his last couple tours with the organ trio and it was somewhat promising (his cover of "Little Johnny Jewel" sounded better than ever) but I wasn't sure what to make of the new songs, so I'm curious how the album will turn out, but I'm not expecting it to be as good as Contemplating The Engine Room.

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 24 July 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw his last couple tours with the organ trio and it was somewhat promising

Based on the last time I saw him opening for Savage Republic with the organ-not-guitar lineup...uh, no. But that was almost two years back so maybe some serious woodshedding has occurred.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 24 July 2004 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I've heard it, and I don't know what to think of it.
maybe a "grower" ?
It reminded me of Mountain in a few places, but sorta proggy, and goofy.
a weird one for sure...

― Russ, Saturday, 24 July 2004 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.wattage.com/images/TheSecondmansMiddleStand.jpg

Watt also has one of the most endearing home pages out there by a seminal musician. There's a journal about the making of this record on there ... somewhere.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Sunday, 25 July 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

that's an awful album cover.

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Sunday, 25 July 2004 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

It does have a "Deep Thoughts" feel about it.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000256VK.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000M03.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

It's in good company, at least.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Sunday, 25 July 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Another possible inspiration -

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 25 July 2004 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Having trouble posting images - was trying to put in Coltrane's Interstellar Space.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 25 July 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved Mike Watt's show last year with the new band, but this album isn't doing anything for me. And no way is that cover as cool as New Day Rising...

― Pete Scholtes, Sunday, 25 July 2004 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

New Day Rising's dogs are eating the birds from Middle Stand. I'll almost undoubtedly end up with this album at some point. Maybe not for years to come, but I'll buy it up someday. I have great faith in Mike Watt.

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Monday, 26 July 2004 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

four weeks pass...

out day, listening to it for the first time right now. it's definitely no Engine Room. kind of reminds me of some of the Minutemen's earlier, less enjoyable stuff, except the songs are all 6 minutes long. Petra Haden's backing vocals fit surprisingly well, though.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Watt is singing?

― dean? (deangulberry), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Has anybody heard tapes of the show(s?) he did with the Asheton Brothers in California, before the Iggy tour, when they had Texas Terri as vocalist? (Later, they did a London show with Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, and the audience laughed at him, and he threw a mic stand and a woman sued the shit out of him for injuries--that was in Mojo or Uncut). Uh, anyway anybody heard any of that?

― Don, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, Watt is singing lead on all the songs, same as his last album.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

May be different show than what I read about.Texas Terri audible too?

― Don, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i was replying to dean's post, not yours, Don, sorry bout the confusion.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

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