| Three Men And A Baby | ||
|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Melvins | ||
| Released | April 1 2016 | |
| Recorded | at Louder Studios (1999) and Sounds of Sirens Studios (February 2015) in California, USA | |
| Genre | Sludge Metal, Alternative Rock, Noise Rock, Experimental | |
| Length | 36:55 | |
| Label | Sub Pop | |
| Producer | Mike and The Melvins | |
| Melvins chronology | ||
| Around The USA in 51 Days: The Movie! (2015) |
Three Men And A Baby (2016) |
Basses Loaded (2016) |
Three Men and a Baby is a collaborative studio album by GodheadSilo leader Mike Kunka and the American rock band Melvins, released on 1 April 2016 through Sub Pop. The album was mostly recorded in 1999 by Tim Green, but further production was delayed for over a decade. It was finished in 2015 once Kunka approached the band to finish the album, with longtime Melvins associate Toshi Kasai engineering and mixing. It is also the first full Melvins release to feature longtime bassist Kevin Rutmanis since the 2004 collaborations with Lustmord and Jello Biafra, along with the 2005 compilation album Sieg Howdy!.[1]
Notably the album also has a loose concept in that the album features three bass guitarists (Kunka, Osborne and Rutmanis) and sparse guitar throughout. None of the songs have been performed live, even in instances where the band had two bassists in a live format (2018, 2020.).
Background[]
Following the breakup of GodheadSilo in 1998, Mike Kunka would form a new band in Enemymine and tour with Melvins in 1999. Somewhere along the way, Mike and the Melvins – King Buzzo (guitar/bass/vocals), Dale Crover (drums/vocals), and Kevin Rutmanis (bass/vocals), at the time – decided to make a record together, and gave the project the imaginative moniker Mike and the Melvins. Sub Pop, ever on the hunt for music’s Next Big Thing, enthusiastically agreed to fund and release the super-group’s debut, and recording commenced sometime in 1999 at Louder Studios with Tim Green. However for reasons largely unknown, the album was not properly finished and shelved.[2]
According to Buzz Osborne in an interview with Paste Magazine, the album was 80 - 90% finished at the time of recording, only needing some vocals and overdubs. Kunka would reconnect with the band in 2015 to finish the record to which the band would bring Kevin Rutmanis back to help finish the studio recording, working the remainder at Sounds of Sirens Studios with Toshi Kasai. Sub Pop would be contacted to press the record and despite the long gap would agree to do it.[3]
Three Men And A Baby would be announced in January 2016,[4] ultimately released on 1 April 2016 (April Fool's Day) on CD, Cassette and Vinyl, the latter having a standard edition and a limited "Loser" edition. Three Men And A Baby would attain mostly positive reviews, accruing a 70/100 score on Metacritic.[5]
Tracklist[]
All songs written by Mike and the Melvins except where noted.
- 1. Chicken 'n' Dump (3:35)
- 2. Limited Teeth (3:48)
- 3. Bummer Conversation (3:33)
- 4. Annalisa (3:47) (John Lydon, Public Image Ltd.)
- 5. A Dead Pile of Worthless Junk (2:51)
- 6. Read The Label (It's Chili) (4:40)
- 7. Dead Canaries (2:37)
- 8. Pound The Giants (3:23)
- 9. A Friend in Need Is a Friend You Don't Need (2:25)
- 10. Lifestyle Hammer (1:47)
- 11. Gravel (2:09)
- 12. Art School Fight Song (2:11)
Personnel[]
Mike and The Melvins[]
- Dale Crover - Drums, Vocals, Photography
- Buzz Osborne - Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Photography
- Kevin Rutmanis - Bass, Vocals
- Mike Kunka - Bass, Vocals
Other Personnel[]
- Tim Green - Engineer (1999)
- Toshi Kasai - Engineer (2015); Mixing
- John Golden - Mastering
- Mackie Osborne - Artwork, Design