Funland (album)
Funland is the third album by American improvisational band Unknown Instructors,[1][7] featuring Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Dos, Banyan),[8] George Hurley (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Red Krayola),[8] Joe Baiza (Saccharine Trust, Universal Congress Of),[8] poet/saxophonist Dan McGuire.[7] The album features guest vocals by David Thomas (Pere Ubu)[1][9] and artist Raymond Pettibon.[7][10]
Funland | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 12, 2009[1][2][3] | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | Experimental rock, improvised music | |||
Label | Smog Veil | |||
Producer | Joe Baiza, Joe Carducci, Dan McGuire | |||
Unknown Instructors chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Rolling Stone | |
Punknews.org | |
Spectrum Culture |
The album was recorded at the same time as the previous album, The Master's Voice.[11]
Track listing
- "Maji Yabai"
- "Those Were the Days"
- "Later That Night"
- "Frownland" (Captain Beefheart cover[5][12])
- "Door Of No Return"
- "Afternoon Spent At The Bar,Sunny"
- "C'mon"
- "Chicago,Illinois"
- "Lead!"
- "No Words"
- "No Chirping"
- "Last Waltz"
Musical Personnel
- Mike Watt - bass, vocals on track 1,8
- George Hurley - drums
- Joe Baiza - guitar
- Dan McGuire - vocals
- David Thomas - vocals on track 6
- Raymond Pettibon- vocals on track 9
Reception
Mark Kemp of Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars.[4] Mike Villano of Metro Times praised the "experimental and eclectic sounds" as well as the vocals and said "If you didn't know better, in fact, you might think this is a lost Captain Beefheart album."[12] Punknews.org gave it three and a half stars calling it "a fantastic musical trip."[5] James Yates of Staten Island Advance said "the groove-heavy sinew and heady humor heard on "Funland" provides a singular trip that touches the deep recesses of mind and body, opening all kinds of guarded emotions and new possibilities" but found the 10-minute-long "No Chirping" indulgent.[7]
Brian Loeper of Spectrum Culture was less enamored with the album saying "Under no circumstances should anyone ever listen to this album" and giving it a single star.[6] Graham Sanford of Gapers Block also criticized the album sarcastically calling the band "the '80s punk/alt-rock set...equivalent of the Traveling Wilburys" and compared them to "The Magic Band as fronted by four Ken Nordines in search of a roadmap."[13]
References
- Breihan, Tom (March 25, 2009). "Mike Watt Drops Album, Tours, Writes Opera". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- "In The News: Neil Young, The Lemonheads, Tortoise, Eels, Broken Social Scene And Free MP3s". Magnet. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- Costello, Brian. "Mike Watt & the Missingmen, Nones". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- Kemp, Mark (May 26, 2009). "Unknown Instructors - Funland". Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- "Unknown Instructors Funland (2009)". Punknews.org. August 14, 2009. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- Loeper, Brian (June 2, 2009). "Unknown Instructors: Funland". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- Yates, James (June 21, 2009). "MUSIC REVIEW: Unknown Instructors' 'Funland'". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- Shimamoto, Ken (April 15, 2009). "Unknown Instructors". Fort Worth Weekly. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- Gallucci, Michael (June 11, 2009). "Pere Ubu Make a Radio Play for the Internet". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- Krinsley, Jeremy. "New: Raymond Pettibon sings, squawks for Mike Watt project". Impose. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- Huddle, Mark (September 7, 2007). "Interview: Joe Baiza and Dan McGuire of Unknown Instructors". Verbicide Magazine. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- Villano, Mike (May 6, 2009). "Funland". Metro Times. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- Sanford, Graham (May 11, 2009). "Mike Watt: Still Banging Away in the Engine Room". Gapers Block. Retrieved October 27, 2019.