Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe

Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
Studio album by Fishbone
Released May 23, 1993 (1993-05-23)
Recorded One on One Studios
Genre Ska, Alternative metal, funk metal, ska punk
Length 64:44
Label Columbia
Producer Terry Date, Fishbone
Fishbone chronology
The Reality of My Surroundings
(1991)The Reality of My Surroundings1991		 Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
(1993)		 Chim Chim's Badass Revenge
(1996)Chim Chim's Badass Revenge1996
Singles from Give a Monkey a Brain...
  1. "Swim"
  2. "Unyielding Conditioning"
    Released: 1993
  3. "Servitude"
    Released: 1993
  4. "Black Flowers"
    Released: 1993
  5. "No Fear"
    Released: 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[3]
Robert Christgau[4]

Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe is the fourth full-length album from Funk Metal and Ska band Fishbone. It is the last album to feature all six original members, as guitarist Kendall Jones left the band a few months after the album's release, and keyboardist/trombonist Chris Dowd would leave the next year.

It is Fishbone's heaviest album, with the band focusing on heavy metal without any trace of their trademark horn section until the fourth song, the ska-infused "Unyielding Conditioning". Saxophonist Branford Marsalis makes an appearance on the manic "Drunk Skitzo", and the ending of "Swim" includes excerpts of a Damon Wayans stand-up routine about his experience at a Fishbone concert.

Shortly after the release of the album, the band toured as part of the third annual Lollapalooza festival, but was dropped by Sony Records the following year.

The title is a quotation from the discordian religious text Principia Discordia.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Swim"John Bigham4:42
2."Servitude"Kendall Jones5:20
3."Black Flowers"Chris Dowd5:46
4."Unyielding Conditioning"Kendall Jones4:45
5."Properties of Propaganda (Fuk This Shit On Up)"John Norwood Fisher5:22
6."The Warmth of Your Breath"John Norwood Fisher, Angelo Moore4:55
7."Lemon Meringue"John Norwood Fisher6:10
8."They All Have Abandoned Their Hopes"John Norwood Fisher, Angelo Moore, Chris Dowd4:58
9."End the Reign"Kendall Jones5:23
10."Drunk Skitzo"Angelo Moore, John Norwood Fisher5:17
11."No Fear"John Bigham6:01
12."Nutt Megalomaniac"John Norwood Fisher5:43

Accolades

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
1996VisionsGermany "The Best Albums 1991-96"*[5]
"*" denotes an unordered list.

Personnel

  • Angelo Moore – saxophone, vocals
  • Walter A. Kibby II – trumpet, vocals
  • Kendall Jones – lead guitar, vocals
  • Chris Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals
  • John Bigham – guitar, keyboard
  • John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals
  • Philip "Fish" Fisher – drums
  • Kristen Vigard - background vocals

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1993 The Billboard 200 99

References

  1. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Brackett, Nathan. "Fishbone". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 298, cited March 31, 2010
  3. ↑ Bernard, James (May 1993). "Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe". Entertainment Weekly. p. 66. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Fishbone Review". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  5. ↑ "Visions - The Best Albums 1991-96". Visions. Retrieved 2010-01-18.


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