Bean-Spill is the third extended-play single and fourth release overall by The Minutemen, released on Joe Carducci's Thermidor Records (catalog number T8).
Background[]
Continuing their prolific ways - and their belief that their records served as promotional flyers for their live shows - the band recorded a new five-song EP using the same methodology - one night's recording and mixing during late-night/early morning hours, using previously used (but erased) tape, and recording the songs in the order in which they appear on the record - they used for their three previous records.
Bean-Spill came about in part when SST Records partner Joe Carducci was getting concerned about the amount of songs the Minutemen were giving away to various cassette and vinyl compilations at the time. As the Minutemen were already writing songs at a prolific pace, Carducci, who at the time was running his own label, Thermidor Records, invited the band to release an EP on the label. By the time the EP was released, the Minutemen had already recorded their second full-length album, What Makes a Man Start Fires?.
The end result features amongst its five tracks, two of the band's most enduring early numbers, "Split Red" and "If Reagan Played Disco". Bean-Spill is notable for being the only Minutemen record to feature bassist Mike Watt, rather than guitarist D. Boon as the lead vocalist on most of the songs. Boon only sings on "Split Red" and "Futurism Restated".
The original pressing featured on its B-side label a red-and-orange reproduction of a Raymond Pettibon drawing of a man's naked lower torso, with the spindle-hole located on the rectal area, and the caption, "We Need The Money".
While the original EP went out of print after Carducci folded Thermidor and joined SST as a partner, the tracks can be found in their original running order the Post-Mersh Vol. 3 CD, and with the side two tracks preceding the side one tracks on the My First Bells cassette.
Track listing[]
Side one[]
- Split Red - 0:53 (Boon, Watt)
- If Reagan Played Disco - 1:15 (Watt)
- Case Closed - 1:28 (Watt)
Side two[]
- Afternoons - 1:34 (Tamburovich, Watt)
- Futurism Restated - 0:56 (Joe Boon, Watt)