Dead Milkmen Free For All

[Rodney]

Hey folks, I was hoping that we could use this thread to discuss the actual songs on TKiY (and not debate vinyl vs digital vs Kramer): id est, the band members could answer any questions you might have and you could give us your honest critiques of the tunes (For example "That songs sucks balls because the Dead Milkmen do, indeed, suck balls").

We'll do our best to answer your questions. Please keep in mind that since we all wrote and played on every song (a first!), it may be somewhat difficult for us to be specific about the origins of certain songs. For instance, Fauxhemia started out with what was one of my many terrible ideas - that the entire song would consist only of vocals and all of us playing percussion. Dandrew pulled that thought out of the toilet by composing the melody, then Dean and Joe added musical ideas, arrangement changes, and lyrical suggestions. Joe was also instrumental in keeping me from removing Nora Jones from the tune.

So, what would you like to know?

[Cult Leader Lettuce]

As some may notice from the other King in Yellow thread, I had asked about the lack of profanity on this release. Now, while Rodney answered it very well, I would like to share my thoughts that I had about that prior to the answering (and why I still think this might be the reason, although subconsciously perhaps).

Commodify Your Dissent speaks volumes. It says many things that we've known for years, although the younger generation of music listeners might not really realize.

Basically, music that was once underground, and was a movement that scared the beejeebus out of parents and mature adults usually ends up being raped by people who see a way to make money from rebellious teens and such. Rap could be a form of music that scared the shit out of people. While the Fat Boys never scared anyone (outside of nutritionists), NWA was considered a dangerous group. Ice T called himself the O.G. (original gangsta), and that made some people soil their drawers with fear. Eventually it became just another commonplace form of music. Punk was another form of music that would get the same reactions from "normal" folk. But look at the current state of punk. Bad pop punk bands have become top 40 bands, and good pop punk bands (or even good punk bands in general) still can't get radio play, yet people have been fooled into thinking that they're being "cutting edge" by listening to Avril Lavigne (did I even spell that right?).

Now, I should get to the point that I was going to address from the first paragraph of this post (and about the car that got me there). Now, I thought about how profanity in music used to be something very scary to certain people. The PMRC were starting to sink their teeth into the music industry back in the mid 1980's, and profanity in music was something that would get quite a rise out of a lot of folk. People were so scared at "bad words" in music that eventually the Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics sticker was born out of the ordeal.

While I think that the PMRC and their supporters felt that this sticker would magically cause profanity to become a relic of the past, something that labels would actively persuade their musicians to steer clear of, quite the opposite seemed to happen. Whereas saying "fuck" on a record used to get shocked gasps from people, somewhere in the 90's it became commonplace. Eventually, it seemed expected that there would be at least one word on an album that would get the Parental Advisory sticker slapped on the album. Its shock value wore off, and it became just like almost anything else that was once considered underground, it became popular and hip.

Well, even if the Dead Milkmen did not actively write an album that wasn't full of swearing, I still feel as if there was a subconscious effort to make an album that didn't need to rely on something that became just another way for the record industry to "sell more albums to the kids."
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The unofficial archivist. Keep digitizing those old recordings everybody!

Current Projects: A stack of tapes from Timothy, will be hopefully getting those finished soon! Lotsa upgrades to things that have been circulating for a while.

[yumcake]

I would like to know if "Can't Relax" was an answer to "I Can't Stay Awake" or was it coincidental? I would also like to know if "Honey Jar" is really THAT bad of a song for the "affected" girl to not know the words of. And WHY doesn't she know the words to it? Also, I am pretty sure the sax on "Can't Relax" is fake. If it is, what was your decision to use fake sax as opposed to actual sax, like why not re-hire the guy who played sax on "RC's Mom" or something? That said, I like the fake sax. I also like to make sex. I also want to know which Kramer was discussed. The Seinfeld Kramer or the Shimmy Disc Kramer. I would go back and read through those posts but I have better things to do with my time. Thank you.

[Brian Bubonic]

How deeply under the influence of tea were the members of the band during the making of the disc?
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Later,
Bubonic ©

[Brian Bubonic]

The Romans 13:13 reference in track #12 leads to track #13 about the Albigensian Crusades of the 13th Century. That's a lot of 13s. There's also a mention of an island in a dirty sea which takes me back to track 10 which references Capri and a blind fisherman that might be able to read the tombstone in track #7 or maybe it's the blind from track #5 that can read braille.

And is the woman on the CH2 news from track #3 the same that gives weather reports on track #11?
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Later,
Bubonic ©

[BStaff24]

Hey guys I'm new here. I just wanted to get in on the Dead Milkmen Action! Also, I think that this topic is interesting. Lettuce I agree with your assessment of modern music. The music is insipid, tasteless, and devoid of any real lyrical talent. Rock and Roll is dead. It was sold up the river a long time ago. I am 24, which isn't very old, but not young either, and when I was a child I never remembered this emphasis on being a rockstar and having rockstar pajamas and rockstar lunchboxes and all of the other useless commercial items they repulsively sell. I wanted to play guitar because I loved music and I was inspired by bands and musicians, not by video games and television. But, as long as bands like the Milkmen and Lawrence Arms exist, I will still love music. Perhaps the dismal nature of the mainstream makes the underground look that much better. Also, if mainstream music wasn't so bad, there would be nothing to rebel against making music less entertaining. But I do agree Lettuce, there is very little to make a statement about anymore.

As far as the language goes, I'm alright with it if it isn't excessive and it fits well within the song. However, excessive cursing can be a turnoff because it can get to be juvenile. The Milkmen have impressive lexicons. They do not need to resort to these methods. And the songs that do contain them are great and they fit. An example of excessive juvenile vulgarity would be embodied by the spokesmen for CoverGirl Eyeliner: Green Day. Green Day is a joke. I saw they had a new live album coming out rebelliously titled 'Awesome As Fuck.' It just makes me laugh to be honest. There are many people who believe that just because a band uses the word "fuck" that they are inherently hardcore. No, not the case. Bands like Green Day only remind me that there is a desperate desire to be viewed as "hardcore" and "artistic" while simultaneously retaining appeal to the mainstream. It just seems like pretentious, pseudo-intellectual crap. I don't worry about it. Most of these "artists" will get their fifteen minutes of fame and be spit out and forgotten like most others that came before them; whereas fans like us will keep supporting the bands we love because music is more than just the flavor of the week for us and it's more than just a catchy beat. Music is a catharsis for many people, myself included, and if listening to a Dead Milkmen or Ramones record can bring you from sadness and lead you to happiness, then that's all you need to worry about.

My apologies for the long rant and the copious use of quotation marks

[dandrew]

[mrclean]

Regarding the profanity issue...I found it interesting when I was uploading the tracks to the online service we are using to sell the album - there was a menu selection for each track to note whether it was "Explicit" or "None".

I suppose I hadn't thought we were to police ourselves...

Nice to see that some are picking up on the song connections...
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-- Mr. Clean

[dandrew]

[Rodney]

[Brian Bubonic]

I forgot to mention - Arnaud Amalric contains 13 letters.

I missed the Bowie reference...

I see you won't address the tea question. I bet Dick Jaws won't let you speak of your connection to the Pre-Fab Four.

And here's my tribute to "Our Little Miss"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rUzQKHyuog

Now I have to get to work on all of the idioms and proverbs...
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Later,
Bubonic ©

[Tugena]

Caitlin Childs also contains thirteen letters.
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If there is a God in heaven surely that band will burn in Hell.

[sparksfiend]

Awww... I see in the original lyrics of Commodify Your Dissent you mentioned the Yippies... But changed it to yuppies in the song... I think your first choice was way more awesome.

I see the lyrics you posted for the songs aren't the final drafts of the songs, it's cool to have the original lyrics, but are you going to correct these?
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"Do you know what it's like to be violated by a 300-pound Filipino skinhead named Gunther? It ain't no picnic!"

[Brian Bubonic]

I didn't see the lyrics on the site until now - that might have saved me from a few extra listens to the album...

A quick question: Is the location of the thrift shop in "Quality of Death" another biblical reference?
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Later,
Bubonic ©

[Cult Leader Lettuce]

What about the angels that are sleeping in Quality of Death? Is that the reason that "there ain't no guardian gonna hover over you" in Buried in the Sky?

Are there connections like these in any of the previous albums?
_________________
The unofficial archivist. Keep digitizing those old recordings everybody!

Current Projects: A stack of tapes from Timothy, will be hopefully getting those finished soon! Lotsa upgrades to things that have been circulating for a while.