Project Mersh

Project: Mersh
Project: Mersh
EP by The Minutemen
Released	April 8, 1985
Recorded	February 1985
Genre	Punk rock
Length	22:14
Language	English
Label	SST (034)
Producer	Joe Carducci
The Minutemen chronology

Project: Mersh is the final extended play by American punk rock trio Minutemen, released on April 8, 1985, through SST Records. It is the band's penultimate release before the death of frontman and composer D. Boon later that year due to injuries sustained in an auto accident.^[1]

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.^[2] 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,^[2] 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.^[3] The album also features a cover of Steppenwolf's "Hey Lawdy Mama."^[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[5]
Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s	B+^[6]
The Great Rock Discography	6/10^[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[8]

Byron Coley at Spin said "it seemed a forward-moving continuation of the form annihilation the band had undertaken with Double Nickels on the Dime. The band seem like San Pedro, California's branch of the Sun Ra Arkestra at one moment and the '85 version of Cream the next."^[9]

Track listing

Side one

"The Cheerleaders" (D. Boon) – 3:52
"King of the Hill" (Boon) – 3:24
"Hey Lawdy Mama" – 3:37 (Larry Byrom, Jerry Edmonton & John Kay of Steppenwolf)

Side two

"Take Our Test" (Mike Watt) – 2:44
"Tour-Spiel" (Watt) – 2:45
"More Spiel" (Watt) – 5:52

Personnel

The Minutemen

D. Boon – guitar, singing
George Hurley – drums, sound effects, wood block
Mike Watt – bass guitar, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, speech

Additional musicians

Crane – trumpet, backing vocals
Ethan James – synthesizer, backing vocals

Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
UK Indie Chart^[10]	21

References

^ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Hal Leonard. p. 741. ISBN 9780879306533.
^ ^a ^b Rice, Barbara (1986). "The Minutemen". Truly Needy. 1 (10). Retrieved March 27, 2019.
^ "Project: Mersh - Minutemen - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
^ Coley, Brian. "Minute by Minutemen". Archived from the original on February 19, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
^ "Project: Mersh Minutemen". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
^ Christgau, Robert (1994). The Politics of Time. Robert Christgau. ISBN 9780306805820. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
^ Martin C. Strong (1998). The Great Rock Discography (1st ed.). Canongate Books. ISBN 978-0-86241-827-4. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Minutemen". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. pp. 545–546. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
^ Byron Coley (April 1986). "Spins". Spin. No. 12. p. 43.
^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2014.

[1] Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Hal Leonard. p. 741. ISBN 9780879306533.

[rice-2] Rice, Barbara (1986). "The Minutemen". Truly Needy. 1 (10). Retrieved March 27, 2019.

[3] "Project: Mersh - Minutemen - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

[4] Coley, Brian. "Minute by Minutemen". Archived from the original on February 19, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2019.

[5] "Project: Mersh Minutemen". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

[6] Christgau, Robert (1994). The Politics of Time. Robert Christgau. ISBN 9780306805820. Retrieved April 21, 2022.

[7] Martin C. Strong (1998). The Great Rock Discography (1st ed.). Canongate Books. ISBN 978-0-86241-827-4. Retrieved March 15, 2020.

[RSguide-8] Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Minutemen". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. pp. 545–546. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved October 17, 2011.

[9] Byron Coley (April 1986). "Spins". Spin. No. 12. p. 43.

[10] 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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v t e Minutemen
D. Boon Mike Watt George Hurley Frank Tonche
Studio albums	The Punch Line What Makes a Man Start Fires? Double Nickels on the Dime 3-Way Tie (For Last)
Extended plays	Paranoid Time Joy Bean-Spill Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat Tour-Spiel Project: Mersh
Compilation albums	The Politics of Time My First Bells Ballot Result Introducing the Minutemen
Other releases	Minuteflag D. Boon and Friends
Songs	"Corona" "History Lesson – Part II"
Related articles	Full Discography "Don't Look Now (It Ain't You or Me)" New Alliance Records Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute to D Boon and the Minutemen The Reactionaries Martin Tamburovich We Jam Econo

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