"Ring Spiel" Tour ’95

"Ring Spiel" Tour '95 is a live album by former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist, songwriter and vocalist Mike Watt. The album material is from the tour to accompany Watt's first solo album, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?.

"Ring Spiel" Tour '95
Live album by
Mike Watt
ReleasedNovember 11, 2016[1]
RecordedMay 6, 1995[1]
GenreAlternative rock
Length57:00
LabelColumbia/Legacy
ProducerMike Watt

Tour

The Ball-Hog or Tugboat? album had 48 contributors[2] so Watt never thought he could tour the album.[2] Dave Grohl called with an idea for how to create a small touring band[2] with Eddie Vedder's band Hovercraft and Dave Grohl's newly formed Foo Fighters opening for Watt.[1][3]

Watt's touring band consisted of Grohl, Vedder, Pat Smear, and William Goldsmith.[4] Grohl wanted to play more guitar[2] so he only played drums on eight songs with Goldsmith handling the rest.[5] Wanting to keep things under the radar, promoters of the tour were instructed to not use Grohl or Vedder's names to promote the tour[4] but word leaked and MTV showed up at one tour stop.[4]

Album release

When Columbia/Legacy approached Watt about releasing the album he was initially hesitant and suggested the label contact the other musicians to see how they felt about the idea.[6] Watt was afraid some of the others would be embarrassed to have an album from twenty years earlier released. "It turns out they weren't embarrassed. They wanted it out."[6] Pat Smear urged Watt to release the album as well.[6]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Mike Watt; except where indicated

  1. walking the cow (Daniel Johnston cover)[4]
  2. big train (Chip + Tony Kinman cover)
  3. formal introduction
  4. against the '70s
  5. drove up from pedro
  6. habit (early performance of Eddie Vedder composition)
  7. makin' the freeway
  8. chinese firedrill
  9. piss-bottle man
  10. forever...one reporter's opinion
  11. e-ticket ride
  12. political song for michael jackson to sing
  13. coincidence is either hit or miss
  14. the red and the black (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
  15. secret garden (Madonna cover)
  16. powerful hankerin'

Reception

SLUG magazine praised the album calling it an "astonishing sonic time capsule."[7] Pitchfork said "At their best, live albums capture not just a concert performance, but also document the energy and the context around the music. "ring spiel" tour '95 manages to accomplish all of the above; it's a nice time capsule if you were there, and it's a great document to have if you weren't, commemorating early years of musicians who are now canonic."[4]

References
  1. "Audio of Mike Watt's "ring spiel" tour '95 to be Released for the First Time Commercially on November 11". Columbia/Legacy. September 30, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  2. Frey, Jamie. "Mike Watt: Jersey Beat Spiel #5". Jersey Beat. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  3. Cohan, Brad (November 17, 2016). "The Time Mike Watt, Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder Jammed Econo". Observer.com. New York. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  4. Rose, Caryn (November 22, 2016). "Mike Watt "ring spiel" tour '95". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  5. "Mike Watt – "Ring Spiel" Tour '95". Discogs. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  6. Beaudoin, Justin (December 12, 2016). "Get in the Ring: Mike Watt Talks 'Ring Spiel '95'". PopMatters. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  7. Bennett, James (November 11, 2016). "Review: Mike Watt – "Ring Spiel" Tour '95". SLUG magazine. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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