Would love to help, count me on board!
Haven’t posted here in a while; am doing a studio residency in Stockholm and this site is - who’d thunk it - banned from the list of surf-able sites owing to “profanity and violence.” The BBW porn thread seems to have escaped notice, at any rate.
At any rate - yes, please feel free to include me in the survey.
To the original poster - having authored some books myself, I have been in contact with a couple people at Continuum in the past, please PM me if you’d like their contact info and want to pick their brains about anything in particular.
I’m pretty happy with the 33 1/3 series in general, since there doesn’t seem to be any over-arching dogma or game plan for it.
Psalm 69 for me was GREAT!
The reason it was great was because it was where I really got to experience all that is great about being a fan. I had BECOME a fan with ICYDFLSU, LORAH, and TMIATTT a year or two earlier, but this was the first NEW album (waiting expectantly) and I had not yet had the chance to SEE Ministry.
There was something awesome back in the day about waiting for the new release of something. Stopping in at the record store every week or on the newly posted release date . . . “Is it here yet??” “Nope, sorry” [flipping through the list of photocopied papers] “New date says the 21st.” This would be sometimes a 4-6 month process with Ministry albums, but it was great. It built up the tension and made the payoff that much sweeter.
I loved the new album. It was heavy and immense. At the time it was a pretty unique sound and as an angry 18 year old, it was perfect timing to join the soundtrack of my life.
And then came the next fan rite . . . first time seeing Ministry! Yes, my first Ministry show was at Lollapalooza. I had a homemade LARD shirt and came ready to just go completely bananas. I didn’t even give a crap about any of the other bands on the bill, so I spent the earlier part of the festival down around the second stage or booths. Saw the Jim Rose Circus, Sharkbait, Rage Against the Machine (at that time an unknown 2pm side stage act) and a bunch of other cool small timers.
I had a lawn ticket and headed up to see the show a bit after whatever prior band finished their set. I was so stoked I couldn’t control myself. All the chaos, danger, and destruction that drew me in with that “Burning Inside” video was now within my grasp. Jumping up and down screaming just wasn’t enough for me, so I started rousing those around me as I began collecting some debris, “COME ON, MUTHAFUCKAZ!!! MINISTRY’S COMING!!! WE GOTTA BURN SHIT!!!” And, lo and behold, my call to arms paid off, and my little boyscout fire of a few cups and napkins grew exponentially . . .
But that’s when I got pinched. A firm grasp took hold of each of my elbows and I realized I was now flanked by two security guards and they proceeded to march me up the hill. NOOOO!!! How could this be? The most important moment of my life was about to happen and I’m going to miss it. The guards saw that I was being compliant and cooperative and one of them took off. The other one’s grip loosened up and it was then that the lights went dark just before Ministry took stage.
I ducked and twisted and broke free and just started running, crouched and cannonballing, through the dark mess of people on the hill. I saw kind of a circle of people and dove into the center and hit the ground. They were perplexed and I just said, “SSSSHHHH!!! STAY COOL!!! I NEED TO HIDE!!!”
I doubt the guards even bothered chasing me, but either way, that very moment when I reached my safety was when the stage EXPLODED with sound and lights!. I made my way back to the bonfire I’d founded and there was a big angry pit forming around it.
This was at Irvine Meadows (now called Verizon Amphitheatre, I think) in CA. The pit is something that has to be seen to be believed because it gives new meaning to treacherous. The hill is quite steep and at the bottom of it is where the reserved seating sections start. There is about a 7 feet drop from the “hill” to the concrete below where the seating is. And separating that drop, at the top of that wall, is heavy duty thick gauge steel railing. The total sum of this equation is that, you climb UP a brutal hill while fighting angry moshers and then you go DOWN the other side and if you lose your step you could very well go tumbing into steel, or past it and onto the concrete below. It was PERFECT!!! I punished myself in or near the pit fo the entire show, taking occasional exit, I think, to actually see what was on the stage. The show had everything in a classic Ministry gig . . . . SCACCIA (already my hero for about 4 years), Connelly, Al, Rieflin, Gibby . . . lights, pyro, booming sound, and a proper setlist.
I don’t know how else to describe the show, but it was EVERYTHING I expected and it felt like a full-on membership initiation or something. After that, I considered myself 100% legit in the Ministry fanbase. I was bloodied, bruised, grass-stained, muddied, almost arrested, starting fires . . . I gave it my all.
I had actually gotten to the show by convincing my grandmother to drop me off. Yeah, you heard me right. My grandma (I was staying at her place for the weekend as she was closer to the venue than my folks). I just told her, “Don’t worry. I’ll get a ride back.” So after the Chili Peppers ended I stood conspicuously at a main exit area asking people where they were heading. I saw a friend of mine (from same neighborhood) and hit pay dirt. He and his girlfriend, though, only had one of those little mini Toyota trucks, so there was no room for me in the cab. Since it was newly illegal to ride in a loose pickup bed, I just layed flat for the 1 hour ride until they dropped me safely back at Gram’s place.
I ended up seeing Ministry AGAIN when they came back to LA with Sepultura and Helmet. That’s a whole other story, hahaha!!!
I always have an amazing time at Ministry shows. For me they’ve always been a LIVE band first, regardless of how much Al may hate it.
So, yeah, Psalm 69, while the album and songs in and of themselves might not be my alltime favorites, certainly holds a huge importance to me.
The first time I saw Ministry was amazing - but for COMPLETELY different reasons.
It was January 1995 and Ministry were headlining the Big Day Out. I don’t know whose idea it was but in hindsight it was an odd choice. Why? let’s just say the next most “alternative” or “out there” act on the bill was…er…Primal Scream - who were waist deep in the middle of their “Noo Orleens” boogie rock phase and SUCKED!! Needless to say Ministry stood out like a sore thumb. Imagine 20,000 people in an ampitheater standing around in complete silence looking confused if not not slightly disgusted.
“What the fuck is this?”
“Is this for real?”
“OK I’m outta here”
Was the general consensus from the crowd from where I was standing. There were maybe - I kid you not - 100 people down the front going crazy and throwing up the horns. And that’s it. 100 people out of 20,000. Pretty amazing. The crowd were shell shocked. Most gig goers that day looked like they’d be more at home at a U2 show (and probably would have been).
Anyway it was awesome. I was maybe 20 meters away from the stage and could feel Rey Washam’s force hit me in the guts every time he struck that kick drum. Al was mesmerizing - wrapping himself in the American flag, taunting the crowd, swigging from the ever present bottle of Jim Beam and slinking across the stage like Nosferatu dressed as a hippy biker. It was like something straight out of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas and I loved every second of it. The 12 minute version of Scarecrow (complete with mike’d up harmonica solo) was worth the price of admission alone.
Sadly those days are long gone.
[:(]
Awesome story. You’re a nut.
Thanks.
Although the story is 22 years old, it’s still me, actually. I keep thinking I’ll be too old for that stuff. And sometimes I’ll even go to a show saying, “Yeah, I’m just gonna take it easy for this one,” but then the music starts and I just lose my mind. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, haha!
Yeah, awesome story. I first saw them playing with Helmet in New York in 92. I was completely asshole’d on a strange concoction of…what I don’t remember. I do remember a mind blowing extended version of TV Song being played though as well as a dubby, dirgey Cannibal Song though. Word has it that Al and Paul had almost come to blows backstage - resulting in a near cancellation of the gig that night. I’m pretty sure the crowd would have rioted if they’d pulled an Axl Rose.
I’ll participate though my real introduction to Ministry was with Mind.
I had heard Land and Twitch previously but for some reason just didn’t resonate at first. I was a punker/hardcore/thrash/metal head at the time and had friends that were really into electro industrial such as SP, Nitzer, Nuebauten, FLA, Front 242 etc. I thought it was decent and radical enough but it was definitely missing something from my perspective. One day I was sitting in our office (I was an officer in one of the Engineering groups on campus.) and someone plopped Mind on. 1st track - Thieves and I’m like hmmm… this is definitely interesting. 2nd track - Burning Inside and it’s on like Donkey Kong. I was hooked right then and there. Audio heroin. I’ve been an addict every since, though Al has done a remarkable job of weaning me over the last 10 years.
I love how you answered a question that no one asked.
I want to thank everyone who has replied to this thread and agreed to participate in the survey. I’ve really enjoyed reading through everyones comments. I’m going to try to get the survey up on Monday 9/15.
If you have any ideas for a good survey question, send me a private message. When the survey period ends I will share all the questions and results with the board. Everyones individual answers will remain anonymous, of course.
Here’s a book teaser/what I’m working on now: A chapter devoted to the cover art!
Have a mix of direct / concrete items as well as more vague-openended ones and I think you can pull a good batch of snippets, thoughts, and anecdotes.
I’m thinking something like the following might help pull some interesting and/or readable material from your contributors.
- When/where did you first hear the album?
- Were you already a fan of Ministry?
- What type of music were you typically listening to when you heard this album?
- How did the album change or affect you?
- What does the album mean for you personally?
[reply]
I love how you answered a question that no one asked.
I think you would be more correct in saying that I made a comment no one asked for.[/reply]
deadguy’s entire posting history is the answer to a question that no one asked…
[reply][reply]
I love how you answered a question that no one asked.
I think you would be more correct in saying that I made a comment no one asked for.[/reply]
deadguy’s entire posting history is the answer to a question that no one asked…[/reply]
He’s also not really dead. You know, just as an FYI.
If you have any ideas for a good survey question, send me a private message. When the survey period ends I will share all the questions and results with the board. Everyones individual answers will remain anonymous, of course.
Here’s a good question for your survey. “Why are we coming up with the questions if it’s your project?” Dick move I know but you’ve been here 10 minutes, someone oughta start the hate. Welcome aboard [;)]
…is a joy to listen to while driving down the freeway late at night.
Don’t you mean “driving through New Orleans at night.”?
I think it’s their most important album in terms of commercial success.
I mean, making a book about an album that didn’t sell well and wasn’t well recieved wouldn’t be a smart thing to do financially. So, this makes sense. Although I’m sure a 33 1/3 book about Filth Pig or DSOTS (assuming you could actually get enough factual info about the sessions) would be far more interesting.
The first half of Psalm is decent head banging material and is a joy to listen to while driving down the freeway late at night.
The second half is total bedroom dweller, curtains drawn, rolling around on the carpet in my underpants at 3am stuff and makes me jizz bucketloads.
So…yeah I’m in.
Their most important? Well…it made the most money but who cares?
This is exactly how it is for me. If I want to blast “heavy” Ministry while driving - that isn’t complete shit like the post-Barker stuff - I’ll put the first half of this album on or ICYDFLSU.
The second half of the album is definitely bedroom dweller music I’d play after dealing with bouts of insomnia for a few months. Sitting on the floor in the dark, staring at the floor while “Corrosion” or “Grace” is playing too loud but I don’t bother turning it down out of some weird spaced-out laziness… good times… good terrible times.
Update: My proposal has been submitted. Only going up against 604 other proposals.
Complete list of submissions is here: http://333sound.com/2015/07/29/open-call-2015-the-complete-list-of-albums-proposed-for-the-33-13-series/
Won’t hear anything until November. Wish me luck!
Good luck, Brother!
There is some random crap on that list, haha!
Appetite for Destruction seems like an obvious one.
The Beastie Boys “License to Ill” would be cool too.
I don’t know anything about the others on your list but I do remember Superchunk, DJ. And I agree with your assessment. They were one of a plethora of semi-competent but vastly overrated alternative/ college rock bands.
Good luck, Brother!
There is some random crap on that list, haha!
Appetite for Destruction seems like an obvious one.
The Beastie Boys “License to Ill” would be cool too.
There’s some interesting albums on there. But, come on, some Arcade Fire gets 4 proposals. I just wonder if they give special consideration to albums with multiple proposals.
I think I counted 7 different Dylan albums with a single proposal. 8 proposals for Tori Amos ‘boys for pele’ album. Well shit, will they dump it if it’s all fairy loving fan girl fan fiction? See, the Pretty Hate Machine 33 1/3 is notoriously bad. Anywho…
But, there’s some shit and some interesting shit on the list. We’ll see how they narrow it down.
Most importantly, thanks for the support.
I saw Superchunk on the list. Do any of you listen to them? I don’t but I am familiar with them and never thought they were anything more than an average college band. I’d rather listen to Polvo, Archers of Loaf, or Zen Frisbee.
I’m with Gunnar. I’ve heard of Superchunk, but wouldn’t know a song if it slapped me in the face. I imagine they’re like Tad.