Fishbone (EP)
Fishbone is the recording debut of alternative group Fishbone. This six-song EP was released in 1985 and captures the band at the height of their early funk/ska era. The track "Party at Ground Zero" remains one of the band's most popular tracks.
| Fishbone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA; Eldorado Recording Studios, Burbank, CA | |||
| Genre | Ska;[1] Rock | |||
| Length | 26:33 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | David Kahne | |||
| Fishbone chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fishbone | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
The track "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." stands for "Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts", as confirmed on the band's website, and is about a government attempt to convince the public that Hiroshima was actually caused by Godzilla farting.
Reception
Spin wrote, "The spirits of Little Richard, Chuck Berry and dozens of anonymous honkers and shouters haunt the grooves. Fishbone charges through the six cuts at breakneck speed. Tunes jump jaggedly from one change to another, flashing a frantic ska-beat, squawking horns, growling guitars, nearly a capella harmonies, yelps, squeaks, guffaws and moans."[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ugly" | Kendall Jones | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Another Generation" | Jones | 4:04 |
| 3. | "? (Modern Industry)" | David Kahne, Jones | 4:26 |
| 4. | "Party at Ground Zero" | Jones, Angelo Moore, John Norwood Fisher | 6:31 |
| 5. | "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." | Fisher | 4:23 |
| 6. | "Lyin' Ass Bitch" | Lisa R. Grant, Jones, Moore | 4:16 |
- 7. "Skankin' to the Beat" (bonus track, some vinyl editions)[5]
Personnel
- Fishbone
- Angelo Moore - saxophone, vocals
- Walter A. Kibby II - trumpet, vocals
- Kendall Jones - guitars, vocals
- Chris Dowd - keyboards, trombone, vocals
- John Norwood Fisher - bass, vocals
- Philip "Fish" Fisher - drums
- Additional personnel
- Lisa Grant – vocals on "Lyin' Ass Bitch"
- Production
- Nancy Donald – design
- David Kahne – engineer
- Tony Lane – design
- David Leonard – engineer, mixing
- John Scarpati – photography
- Jack Skinner – mastering (Sterling Sound, New York City)
Accolades
| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Village Voice | United States | "Albums of the Year (EP)" | 3 | [6] |
References
- Prato, Greg. "allmusic ((( Fishbone > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
- Christgau, Robert. "Fishbone". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 31, 2010.
- Brackett, Nathan. "Fishbone". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 298, cited March 31, 2010
- Randall F. Grass (July 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 3. p. 32.
- Fishbone Official Page, Facebook, April 19, 2014
- "Village Voice - Albums of the Year". AcclaimedMusic.net. Retrieved 2009-01-26.