Project Mersh

Project: Mersh
EP by The Minutemen
Released 1985
Recorded February 1985
Genre Alternative rock, post-punk, experimental rock
Length 22:14
Language English
Label SST (034)
Producer Joe Carducci
The Minutemen chronology
Double Nickels on the Dime
(1984)Double Nickels on the Dime1984		 Project: Mersh
(1985)		 3-Way Tie (For Last)
(1985)3-Way Tie (For Last)1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Project: Mersh is the final extended play, or EP release from the American punk rock trio Minutemen. It is their penultimate release, before D. Boon's death later that year in an auto accident.

Background

The cover art is a painting by D. Boon depicting a meeting of three exhausted record label executives in which one of them says "I got it! We'll have them write hit songs!" Project: Mersh was a sarcastic and ironic attempt at a commercial (or "mersh") recording rather than their "econo" method. Though, as bassist Mike Watt pointed out in a 1985 Bard College interview, "It's only mersh because we said it was mersh, it only sold about half as much as our art record Double Nickels on the Dime." All six songs surpass the two-minute mark ("More Spiel" is nearly six minutes long) and incorporate verses, choruses, hooks, and fade outs, in contrast to nearly all the band's previous recordings. Crane, who provided backing vocals and played the trumpet on Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat, returned to lend his voice and instrumentals to the album. The album even utilizes a synthesizer, which was played by Ethan James who produced their previous album Double Nickels on the Dime.[2] The album also features a cover of Steppenwolf's "Hey Lawdy Mama."

Track listing

Side one
  1. "The Cheerleaders" (D. Boon) – 3:52
  2. "King of the Hill" (Boon) – 3:24
  3. "Hey Lawdy Mama" – 3:37 (Larry Byrom, Jerry Edmonton & John Kay of Steppenwolf)
Side two
  1. "Take Our Test" (Mike Watt) – 2:44
  2. "Tour-Spiel" (Watt) – 2:45
  3. "More Spiel" (Watt) – 5:52

Personnel

The Minutemen
Additional musicians

Charts

Chart (1985) Peak
position
UK Indie Chart[3] 21

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r13158/credits
  3. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
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