Episode 65: Fishbone’s “The Reality of My Surroundings” (1991)

Summary

Accelerated Culture Podcast: Episode 65 Summary

Title: Fishbone’s “The Reality of My Surroundings” (1991)
Release Date: May 10, 2025
Host: Lori and Scott Free
Podcast Description: A walk through an often-ignored bit of music history, exploring how new wave stormed the airwaves in the early '80s and gave way to the rise of alternative music.

---

Introduction

In Episode 65 of the Accelerated Culture podcast, hosts Lori and Scott Free delve deep into Fishbone’s seminal 1991 album, The Reality of My Surroundings. This episode not only explores the album's musical landscape but also provides insights into Fishbone's tumultuous journey and lasting impact on alternative music.

---

Shout Out: Listener Feedback

The episode begins with a shout-out to a listener named Brian, who expressed appreciation for the podcast but noted the lack of Canadian content in previous episodes. Brian writes:

“Canada had a thriving and innovative music industry throughout the 80s and early 90s that led to an explosion of Canadian alternative/rock music...” (02:26)

Lori and Scott acknowledge his feedback, promising future episodes dedicated to Canadian bands like Leonard Cohen and Sloan.

---

Fishbone: Band Overview and Album Context

Scott introduces Fishbone’s The Reality of My Surroundings as a pivotal album in alternative music, noting its “organized chaos” and genre-blending style. He describes the album as:

“A bonkers album and a really fine example of Fishbone’s work… it's madness, organized chaos and sometimes not all that organized, but it's a lot of fun.” (07:15)

Lori adds context about their live performances, emphasizing Fishbone's unparalleled energy and musicianship:

“They always put on a fantastic show… they're one of the few bands that sounds as good, if not better live than in their recordings.” (05:43)

---

Band History and Formation

Scott provides a thorough background on Fishbone, highlighting their origins in 1979 Los Angeles, the diverse influences that shaped their sound, and their early successes. Key points include:

• Formation: Originally named Megatron, Fishbone was formed by a group of black students from South Central LA who were bused to predominantly white schools in the San Fernando Valley. Angelo Moore joined the band, bringing his wild energy and positive attitude (12:55).

• Early Influences: Fishbone’s sound was influenced by an eclectic mix of artists, including Parliament Funkadelic, Prince, The Clash, Devo, and Black Sabbath. Norwood Fisher mentions their commitment to originality:

  “We were just influenced by everything that was coming up in our time and we were looking to make it distinctive. We knew we wanted to be original.” (16:29)

• Rise to Fame: Signed to Columbia Records in 1984, Fishbone quickly gained a reputation for their high-energy performances and genre-defying music, opening for acts like the Beastie Boys and releasing influential albums like Truth and Soul (1988).

---

Album Analysis: The Reality of My Surroundings

Overview:

Scott characterizes the album as Fishbone's third full-length LP, released on April 23, 1991. It blends ska, punk, funk, and metal, addressing social and political themes with a mix of upbeat rhythms and heavy lyrical content.

“It did respectably well, it hit number 49 on the Billboard 200… it's a prolifically weird album.” (23:26)

Key Themes:

• Social Commentary: The album tackles issues like gang violence, drug abuse, and racial tensions in early '90s America.

• Musical Diversity: Tracks oscillate between high-energy ska punk and heavier, funk-infused sounds, often within the same song, showcasing Fishbone’s versatility.

---

Track-by-Track Highlights

1. Fight the Youth to Face the World (00:28:08 - 00:33:01)

Lori and Scott discuss the song’s call to action against societal issues and ponder its ambiguous lyrical references. Scott emphasizes the energetic delivery juxtaposed with dark themes:

“It's heavy, harder, faster… it's not ska; it's a jam.” (29:25)

4. Ass Whipping (00:34:37 - 00:46:43)

An interlude that Scott humorously refers to as an awkward transition, reflecting on historical references and the harsh realities addressed in the album.

5. Housework (00:46:43 - 00:48:36)

A ska punk track that resonates with universal themes of single parenthood and youth rebellion. Lori relates it to her own experiences:

“It's relatable… even though it's from a perspective of black men in Southern California.” (47:11)

8. Ordinary Sunshine (00:68:51 - 00:70:43)

One of the album’s singles, praised for its accessibility and upbeat rhythm. The hosts discuss its performance on Saturday Night Live and its modest success on the charts:

“It's the band’s highest-charting single… number seven on the US Modern Rock charts.” (84:17)

14. Junkie’s Prayer (00:59:51 - 01:06:00)

A controversial track featuring a gritty portrayal of drug addiction, juxtaposed with upbeat instrumentals. The hosts express discomfort with the lyrical content but acknowledge its artistic intent.

---

Personal Reflections and Favorites

Scott and Lori share their favorite tracks from the album, highlighting Behavior Control Technician and Housework for their compelling blend of ska, funk, and punk elements. They express appreciation for Fishbone's ability to maintain high energy and complex musicianship throughout the album, despite its unevenness.

“Sunless Saturday is one of those times… the album as a whole is uneven, but when it's good, it's so good.” (92:56)

---

Fishbone’s Legacy and Current Status

The hosts discuss Fishbone’s struggles post-Reality of My Surroundings, including lineup changes and financial difficulties. Steven Spielberg’s documentary Everyday Sunshine is referenced, illustrating the internal challenges faced by the band.

Scott notes that despite these challenges, Angelo Moore continues to lead Fishbone, releasing new politically charged music and maintaining their reputation for explosive live performances.

“If you get a chance to see Fishbone live, even if it is not all of the original members… just that energy, even at their more advanced age. Riotously fun.” (99:30)

---

Conclusion

Lori and Scott conclude the episode by acknowledging Fishbone's significant yet underappreciated contribution to alternative music. They express hope for future episodes to continue exploring diverse and influential artists, inspired by listener feedback.

“Thank you again for listening. Please come back in two weeks. We're going to talk about the Ocean Blue.” (101:03)

---

Notable Quotes

• Brian’s Feedback:

  “Canada had a thriving and innovative music industry throughout the 80s and early 90s…” (02:26)

• Norwood Fisher on Originality:

  “We knew we wanted to be original.” (16:29)

• Scott on Album's Success and Style:

  “It's madness, organized chaos and sometimes not all that organized, but it's a lot of fun.” (07:15)

• Branford Marsalis on Fishbone:

  “The musicians get it, the other people don't.” (91:20)

---

Final Thoughts: Episode 65 offers an in-depth exploration of Fishbone's The Reality of My Surroundings, balancing technical analysis with personal anecdotes. It highlights the band's innovative spirit and enduring legacy in the alternative music scene, making it a must-listen for enthusiasts seeking to understand the complexities of early '90s alternative rock.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

Hey friend. I know how it feels waking up exhausted after multiple trips to the bathroom and feeling embarrassed by sudden leaks. I used to be constantly on edge searching for a restroom whenever I was out. Then I discovered Better Woman. I was skeptical at first, but two months in, everything changed. I experienced improved bladder control, no more heart stopping moments when I laugh or sneeze, less urge to go deeper and more restful sleep. I finally felt like myself again, confident and in control. Better Woman is natural, effective and trusted by Women for over 25 years. Ready to take back your control? Head over to bebetternow.com to order your supply today. That's bebetternow.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use as directed. Individual results may vary.

[Lori]

Welcome to the Accelerated Culture Podcast. A sonic journey through the vibrant and revolutionary sounds of the 1980s and 1990s. And now 2024. Webby honoree for best Indie Podcast. I'm Lori, along with my co host Scott Free, and in this podcast we explore how new waves stormed the airwaves in the early 80s and gave way for the rise of alternative music in the 90s. Find us on the [e-mail] hello everybody and welcome back to the Accelerated Culture Podcast.

[Scott Free]

I'm Laurie and I am Scott Free.

[Lori]

Well, Scott, let's dive right in and get to our shout out for the week.

[Scott Free]

What do we got?

[Lori]

Well, we received an email from a gentleman named Brian. No last name. And he writes, hi Lori and Scott. I started a new job a few months ago that requires a lot of driving, so I've listened to almost every episode you've posted and I'm a big fan of the podcast.

[Scott Free]

Nice.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Hey Brian.

[Lori]

My only complaint is that apart from brief mentions of Leonard Cohen, Skinny Puppy and Cowboy Junkies, there has been virtually zero Canadian content in over 60 episodes.

[Scott Free]

Hold up, hold up, hold up. Skinny Puppy or Canadian Vancouver, apparently. Ain't that something? I had no idea. I just figured they were from the depths of hell or some other dimension or something. I had no idea they were from this earthly plane. Ain't that something?

[Lori]

I didn't know that either. So Brian taught us both something.

[Scott Free]

So Ryan is lamenting our lack of Canadian content to date, correct? Well, I mean, there's only so many episodes we can do on the Tragically Hip.

[Lori]

So he continues. Canada had a thriving and innovative music industry throughout the 80s and early 90s that led to an explosion of Canadian alternative slash rock music. Right through to the end of the 90s. Maybe you could give Canada an episode similar to what you did for Australia. Good day, eh? Signed, Brian.

[Scott Free]

Oh, good day, good day, Good day.

[Lori]

Scott, when we get into 92, fair warning, one of my selections is going to be Leonard Cohen.

[Scott Free]

Oh, and back at you, 92, we're going to get to talk about Canadian power pop band Sloan and their debut album, Smeared, and I'm pretty much going to insist on that one. It is a great album. So, Ryan, don't you worry. We got you and all of Canada.

[Lori]

Yeah. So thanks for listening, thanks for writing in, we appreciate you. So Scott, what have you been up to? What have you seen? What have you done?

[Scott Free]

Well, pretty much the same thing as you and I know because we went to the show together. You and I saw the Ocean Blue playing their first two albums in reverse order. They played their sophomore effort, Cerulean, and then their debut album, the Ocean Blue at Lincoln hall in Chicago.

[Lori]

And this was your first time seeing them live, wasn't it?

[Scott Free]

It was. In fact, you know, I remember vividly when they debuted and the big splash they made because their self titled debut album, the Ocean Blue came out while they were still in high school and that was a big deal.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

You know, I had not actually heard or had not been aware of hearing much from their sophomore effort, Cerulean, but when I saw the show, yeah, I actually recognized a couple of the tracks in there. So I had heard it and not even known it. Ah, great show. By the way. How did you enjoy. We actually didn't really take notes afterwards.

[Lori]

No, we didn't, we didn't. But no, they always put on a fantastic show. This is like my, I want to say, fourth time seeing them live.

[Scott Free]

Yeah.

[Lori]

But yeah, they're one of the few bands that sounds as good, if not better live than in their recordings. So.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah, I was really impressed with the musicianship. You know, it's not the flashiest, it's not the. They're not going for virtuoso. They're going for finely crafted pop rock, new wave inspired songs. And the lead singer, David, I want to say, just so damn charming in person. Ow. In his middle age as he was back in his floppy haired teenage years.

[Lori]

And I'm still trying to coordinate with Peter from the Ocean Blue. So fingers crossed that we can actually schedule an interview, but it's open. Yeah. All right. So Scott.

[Scott Free]

Yes.

[Lori]

You picked our album today, right.

[Scott Free]

So much like our friend to the North, Brian and his lamentation upon the lack of Canadian content It struck me that we have not seen a lot of bands of color, at least not in the episodes that I. I've participated in thus far. And there was a big album in 1991, big with an asterisk next to it, big within the context of alternative music. And that was Fishbones third full length lp, the Reality of My Surroundings. It had some big singles, again, big with the asterisk, that had quite a bit of play on MTV and, you know, a couple tracks that actually charted. It is a bonkers album and a really fine example of Fishbones work. If you are not familiar with them, this is a great one to get your feet wet with. Along with the album that preceded it, 1988, I believe, truth and Soul. But this is the one where they really went for it production wise, where. Where they tried out everything stylistically, oftentimes within the same song. And yeah, it is madness, organized chaos and sometimes not all that organized, but it's a lot of fun. And yeah, Fishbone, I confess I'd never.

[Lori]

Heard this album before. I knew who Fishbone were, given that they have some connections with some of the other bands that I like and some of the bands that we've talked about, not just on this podcast, but on my old podcast, Stateside Madness.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. I have to think that you as a ska fan, at least in as much as you are a madness fan, there had to have been some overlap. And if nothing else, the bands that you like, like this band.

[Lori]

Yes, that's exactly right. They're highly influential, especially on what would be considered the third wave ska movement.

[Scott Free]

Absolutely.

[Lori]

Yeah. So they were contemporaneous with the two tone ska movement in the uk, but they were distinctly different and had their own different. Different sound.

[Scott Free]

Oh yeah. I mean, if you take the Specials or Madness 2 Tone SCA bands, they got that fast reggae, syncopated thing. They got their horn sections, they got, you know, those very distinctive scout rhythms and all that. And Fishbone, you know, the band was founded in 1979, so really the same time as those English two tone scout bands. But they have a wildly different sound. And Wild is important to their sound. It has you just bananas amounts of energy. And you know, Fishbone is not strictly speaking a ska band. They are a punk, ska, funk, metal band. And that's a lot of genres all there crammed into one label. And that is a pretty apt way of labeling for Fishbone. They've got a lot going on oftentimes at the same time. That is their strength. Sometimes it's their Weakness, but it makes for an interesting ride every time.

[Lori]

Now, I couldn't help but notice that they originated in Los Angeles around the same time as one of our favorite bands here at Accelerated Culture, Oingo Boingo.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah.

[Lori]

There was some overlap, I think, between the fans of these two groups, but also there are some similarities in some of what they're doing in the music.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, I mean, we think of Oingo Boingo and we think of their big singles, you're Dead Man's Party. And mostly people think of Dead Man's Party. You and I are both big Oingo Boingo fans, and I could go deep into Oingo Boingo lore, but for most people, it's Dead Man's Party in Weird Science. Right, right, right. Maybe they've heard some of the earlier stuff, Only a Lad, or some of their later stuff off the same album as Dead Man's Party, which is to say the album Dead Man's Party, Stay or no One Lives Forever. But, you know, in their early days, they were another post punk, ska influenced band. They had a serious ska strain running through a lot of their early work. So, yeah, I will tell you, as we do like to cite our sources on this podcast, I got a lot of information about their early days from a Great Documentary, a 2010 documentary directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler called Everyday Sunshine, the Story of Fishbone. That documentary is great. It tells the story of the band getting together and coming up and their early successes. It also has a lot of interviews with a lot of other musicians and bands, particularly those from the LA scene, you know, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea appears in this documentary singing high praises of Fishbone. Gwen Stefani of third wave ska slash pop band no Doubt again sing high praises of Fishbone. Notably absent was anyone from Oingo Boingo. And I guess Danny Elfman is a tough guy to get on the horn these days, but I would have thought we would have gotten Steve Bartek or any of the others, but did not appear notably absent from this documentary. A lot of talk for a point of. Yeah, no.

[Lori]

Okay, well. So, Scott, I confess that I really don't know much about these guys. So what can you tell me about the Fishbone story?

[Scott Free]

Right, as we've already mentioned, when you talk about Fishbone, you need to go way back to 1979 when a group of black kids from South Central LA were bused to white schools in the San Fernando Valley. Among those kids from South Central were the Fisher brothers, Norwood and Philip Fish Fisher, 1, Kendall Jones, Christopher Dowd and Dirty Walter Kitty. They were bused in middle school and there they met a kid who lived in the Valley, one Angelo Moore, who was a pretty straight laced kid, always smiling, wildly energetic. The South Central kids had formed a band and Angelo Moore basically approached Norwood Fisher and demanded that he be allowed into their band. He pestered them enough that the band let him in. Just ingratiated himself to them with his good attitude and wild energy. And they would practice in the Fisher's apartment in South Central. And it's a six man band practicing in a single bedroom in a small apartment in la. And it's a lot of guys with a lot of horns and a lot of guitars and energy. But they put their act together and won a talent show. While they were in high school. They started playing club gigs, including their first club date at the legendary Madame Wong's, a venue in LA's Chinatown that was famous for showcasing punk bands. At first they were working under the name Megatron, which struck me as insane because this would have been the early 80s. If you hear Megatron, you think Transformers, right?

[Lori]

Yes.

[Scott Free]

Transformers did not debut in the United States until 1984. So I'm a bit perplexed as to how that worked. By 1983 this band had renamed themselves Fishbone and got signed to Columbia Records. Their influences were all over the board. I have a quote from the aforementioned documentary from Norwood Fisher saying, we loved Parliament Funkadelic and here comes this Prince guy and he was nuts as hell. Movie has a lot of animations and graphic illustrations of their various influences. Flash by Van Halen, the Bus Boys, who actually helped discover them and get them signed. The Specials, Rick James, Bob Marley, the Germs, James Brown, the Clash, Devo, Bootsy Collins, Black Sabbath, Willie Nelson, the Sex Pistols, Rush, Led Zeppelin and Kiss. Like that is an insane set of influences, especially for a group of black kids in South Central la. But they were instrumentalists and they liked anything that had that energy. And so Norwood goes on to say, you know, we were just influenced by everything that was coming up in our time and we were looking to make it distinctive. We knew we wanted to be original. We thought that's what success means.

[Lori]

Well then they've achieved it, haven't they?

[Scott Free]

Yeah. How about it?

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

Hey, friend, I know how it feels waking up exhausted after multiple trips to the bathroom and feeling embarrassed by sudden leaks. I used to be constantly on edge, searching for a restroom whenever I was out. Then I discovered Better Woman. I was skeptical at first, but two Months in, everything changed. I experienced improved bladder control, no more heart stopping moments when I laugh or sneeze, less urge to go deeper and more restful sleep. I finally felt like myself again. Confident and in control. Better woman is natural, effective and trusted by Women for over 25 years. Ready to take back your control? Head over to bebetternow.com to order your supply today. That's bebetternow.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use as directed. Individual results may vary.

[Scott Free]

They befriended the Red Hot Chili Peppers and in their early days they played shows with the Dead Kennedys and the Circle Jerks, Felonious Monster and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others. They were prolific. They were performing a lot. Their shows were wild, high energy happenings. Everybody on stage is always doing something. Multiple guys in the band can sing. Even you know, sometimes the trombone player is taking long lead vocals. The other lead singer, Angelo Moore is playing baritone sax or and I love this theremin. Like not a lot of bands I'm a theremin player, much less a lead singer who is also a theremin player. It's hard to adequately describe the energy in the early shows, but just absolutely bonkers. Level of frenetic, chaotic energy, but with precision in the musicianship. They were tight while being absolute madness on stage. So yeah, as I mentioned, in 1984 the band got signed to Columbia Records. That incidentally was the year that they graduated high school. So again, a really young band but they were ambitious. So their first release on Columbia was a single in 1985 which is, you know, one of their best known songs to this day. Party at Ground Zero. It is a straight up ska bop, but it's got that ska punk energy to it. Great song. They did a self titled EP, then they released their first full length album in 1986 called in your Face. Even weirder. Also in 1986, you're old enough to remember the movies of that part of the 80s.

[Lori]

Absolutely.

[Scott Free]

There's a 1986 revival of the Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Beach Blanket Bingo beach blanket bingo. In 1986 it was returned to the beach where a now middle aged Annette and Frankie. I want to say Annette and Frankie's daughter is getting mixed up with a surfer or something like that. I forget the particulars of that. There is however a bonkers scene in that where Annette Funicello is singing lead vocals in front of a high energy ska band. A song called Jamaica Ska and that ska band that she is singing lead vocals over is Fishbone.

[Lori]

Wow.

[Scott Free]

Right?

[Lori]

Never would have imagined that pairing.

[Scott Free]

No cuckoo bananas. I want to say Pee Wee Herman was also in that one, doing surfing. Bird. Bird. Bird. Really?

[Lori]

Yeah, I remember his cover of that one.

[Scott Free]

Terrible movie, but boy it had some. Had some weird hits in it. Anyway, 1987 they go on tour over opening for the Beastie Boys on their License to Ill tour. So they were getting the support, they were getting the high profile gigs. 1988 they release Truth and Soul, their second LP that has a hard rocking cover of Curtis Mayfield's Freddy's Dead. One of their bigger hits, Ma and Pa. There are a number of really great tracks on that one. One of my very favorites was Boning in the Boneyard. Yeah. Oh man, high energy, so good. Anyway, they started writing songs for this album in 1989 after the Truth and Soul tour ended. This is just from the wiki, but the project was plagued by production delays until November of 1990 when the band entered Ocean Way recording booking two months of studio time. The band self produced this album with the assistance of producer David Kahn. And at this point they brought into the band former Miles Davis music director John Bingham, who played guitar and chords on the band. He had played during the 1989 Truth and Soul tour.

[Lori]

I was going to say a little bit of trivia about David Kahn. I didn't know that's how you pronounce his name.

[Scott Free]

K A. I don't know that it could be Kane. I don't know.

[Lori]

Okay. But he actually created the Fishbone logo and I want to say it was using a Mac.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, that is absolutely true. Using one of the first Mac computers, dashed out that distinctive Fishbone logo, which has been wildly popular and was used in a lot of late 80s and 90s pop culture. If you wanted to indicate that your character in your TV show or movie was cool and liked cool music, throw a Fishbone T shirt on them.

[Lori]

I can't say that I can place any, any movie where that was, but okay, they.

[Scott Free]

They list a lot of them, but whatever. Okay, all good. So yeah. Their third full length LP, the Reality of My Surroundings was released on April 23, 1991 on Columbia Records, as I had mentioned, and it did respectably well. It hit number 49 on the Billboard 200 on May 18th of 1991 and it spent 10 weeks in total on that Billboard 200 sold 200,000 copies, which is not huge, but respectable, especially for such a profoundly weird album.

[Lori]

It's interesting to me that it went to 49 because that sounds. Seems very high for something that seems very niche, you know what I mean? I do remember seeing them on Saturday Night Live.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. You know, like they were getting a lot of promotion from the record company and appearances like that SNL performance. And, you know, they played two songs and they were two of their big singles from this album. And they are amazing performances. Worth talking about the personnel in the band, as I said, many people in the band sing. And among the things that this band does well is big vocal harmonies, sometimes almost gospel inspired or older R B inspired, and a lot of call and response vocals. And they really have two main lead singers. The more iconic of the two is Angelo Moore, Shaven headed or Mohawked, depending on the era. Who also, as I mentioned earlier, plays the baritone sax and the theremin with his big big grin. He's just got this massive and really magnetic smile. And then another lead singer, Chris Dowd, who is also a keyboard player and trombone player for the band. Other members of the band include Dirty Walt, Kibby, Walter A. Kibby II on trumpet and vocals, Kendall Jones on lead guitar and vocals. John Bigam, formerly with Miles Davis playing guitar and keyboard. And then the Fisher Brothers, John, better known as Norwood Fiser, on bass and vocals, and his brother, Phillip Fish Fiser on drums. And there you have the band.

[Lori]

Cool.

[Scott Free]

And with that many people in the band, you're going to have a lot of different ideas of what the band should be doing. And Fishbone did not shy away from those different ideas. Norwood talks about this in the aforementioned documentary. It was always the band that was trying to accommodate everybody's vision. And we had this idea that we could be a pure democracy. But looking back, God damn it. It was a lot of work dealing with everybody. And I wouldn't change it for the world because it created the music it created. And it wasn't a bad time. Especially in the beginning and this album. The reality of my surroundings could be argued to be the end of the beginning. There were good ideas. There were lots of ideas. They smashed them all in there. And in its weird, weird way, it worked. For that matter, also in the documentary, Mike Watt of the Circle Jerks described it much more succinctly. I've seen them do every style in the same song.

[Lori]

And that's kind of what I was thinking when I was listening to this too. And when we get to the track by track, it is really a hodgepodge. It's a little bit of everything. Now, if I'm not mistaken, Scott, this Album is more political in its content than the previous ones. Is that an accurate assessment?

[Scott Free]

I suppose it depends how you define political. They were never shying away from social issues here. At times, they get into politics explicitly. So I'd say it's just another step in their evolution about talking what was going on in their world or the reality of their surroundings, if you will.

[Lori]

Gotcha.

[Scott Free]

All right. Feels like a decent, if scattered, summary of the band and the album. And decent, if scattered, is also a decent way to introduce the track by track.

[Lori]

Sounds good.

[Scott Free]

Well, then let's start at the beginning. Track 1. Fight the youth to face the world.

[Unknown Speaker]

Around you Never question what you know inside is lax and untrue but take a look around we're not running anymore anymore It's a positive we're ready for the war for the world Neither you you switch Pause in mind ignite.

[Lori]

All right. So, Scott, I again had not heard this album prior to this weekend. When you told me this is what we were doing. I'll be honest, at first I thought I downloaded the wrong album because I was expecting ska. And this, to me is. I mean, it's like alternative bordering on heavy metal. It reminded me a lot of Living Color.

[Scott Free]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Lori]

Yes. And I understand that Living Color was influenced by Fishbone.

[Scott Free]

Absolutely.

[Lori]

But then at the five minute mark, then the horns come in and I'm just like, what is right?

[Scott Free]

Yeah, like, clearly these guys were influenced by early Funkadelic. And when I say Funkadelic, people tend to think funk, but like their early stuff, especially Maggot Brain, like, that's got some just straight up rock on it. And we know that they were influenced by early Funkadelic because they straight up say so. But this is heavier, harder, faster, and slicker than anything from that early era. But you can draw a pretty straight line from there to here on this one. And like, this just straight up rocks. If you came here looking for ska or ska punk, as you were. Yeah, well, this ain't that. But it is a jam. But then like you say, yeah, later on, the horns come in and it's like, okay, I can see that there's that flavor in there, but this is not that tempo. This is not that beat. This is not ska. Yeah, but don't worry, it comes later. Yeah, yeah. And musically, obviously the big crunchy, distorted chords. But don't sleep on that bass. Norwood Fisher coming through. Solid bass line. And, you know, at times, Kendall Jones just full on shredding on the lead guitar. You can be a little bit busy. I can Admit. But still, you gotta appreciate the skills.

[Lori]

The symbol.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. The ride symbol.

[Lori]

Yeah. What did you call it?

[Scott Free]

Ride symbol.

[Lori]

Ride symbol. R, I, D, E. Yes.

[Scott Free]

As opposed to the hi hat, which is the Goes up and down. The ride symbol gives you more of that. Ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting.

[Lori]

Ah, okay, good to know. I, I, I, I don't know anything about, about drums, but I played some.

[Scott Free]

Drums with my brother and nephews just last night. I'm recording this home studio.

[Lori]

Ooh, fancy. So lyrically, I mean, I was a little confused at first until I actually looked up the lyrics because, you know, they're saying, fight the youth. And I'm thinking, well, aren't you the youth in 1991? Are you fighting yourselves? But when I read the lyrics, it made a little more sense. Fight the youth.

[Scott Free]

And they're in their. They're in their late 20s at this point, right?

[Lori]

Are they? Yeah, Actually, the second verse, every time I see the hatred that engulfs these children, it makes me wonder if the quest for peace will one day subside. So I'm not sure specifically what it is that they're talking about, but I'm kind of wondering if maybe it might not have been like kind of the white power movement. That was at least, you know, my high school, There were a lot of people that really seemed like they were into that, you know, So I don't know.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, also, this is. The 80s were just barely over. And the 80s were, you know, the Reagan era and the Greed is Good era. And a lot of kids really did subscribe to that mindset. Not all that different from today, if we're honest.

[Lori]

But that's not really hatred, though, is it? And the quest for peace, I don't know.

[Scott Free]

And all the feelings of a generation fed with anger make all the choices for a future where all nightmares come true I choose to fight for youth to fight for truth to fight for justice I choose to heal the wounds of sacrifice made by the children. Yeah, I don't know what he's talking about either.

[Lori]

Yeah, well, you know, it's an interesting contrast with another song that came out this year that we've already talked about. Right Here, right Now by Jesus Jones.

[Scott Free]

Yes.

[Lori]

They came out within a few months of each other. And it's just such a vastly, vastly different worldview. But I think that really speaks to where these guys in Fishbone, where they grew up, the kind of environment, the busing, you know, so obviously there's, you know, some racial tension there.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, they talk about in the documentary when they were bused to the Valley. And yeah, they were not necessarily welcomed with open arms. Similarly, they were from South Central and they oftentimes encountered the gangs that South Central in the 80s and 90s was notorious for and that whole genres of music came out about. And so that could very well be the hatred that they are talking about. The. The crime and the gangs and the drugs of the time.

[Lori]

Yeah, well, and then that's a theme that we're going to be hearing about more in some of the other tracks too.

[Scott Free]

Oh, absolutely.

[Lori]

Yeah. Well, I have nothing else on that one. How about you?

[Scott Free]

Other than that. The official video for this one is a live performance and while the studio version is certainly energetic and driving and rocks the live performance even more so and gives you an idea of exactly how high energy their stage show is. All right, so then, worth noting is this album on its face appears to be an 18 track album which is bigger than we tend to go. It's a. It's a lot of tracks. However, a solid third of those tracks are what would be better described as interludes a minute or less. Sometimes, you know, 35 seconds long. In the case of the second track on this album, it's a 55 second interlude. But like I said earlier, if you were hoping for SCA in track one and went away disappointed, well, you're in luck.

[Unknown Speaker]

If I believed everything I saw on television, I think like ready for even useful urge Drop a Dax a Subaru and never pushing foot get a 9 to 5 never have a life been in 20 half two years then I was my wife It'll be a cop and I won't be stopped.

[Lori]

This is where I see the similarity with lingo Boingo. Yeah, yeah. You don't think so?

[Scott Free]

I mean, yes, in that they are LA influence bands. Time. But this is hard in a way that.

[Lori]

Well, that's true, that's true.

[Scott Free]

But I feel you.

[Lori]

One thing that I think is worth mentioning. In the early 90s, the in thing was doing interludes or skits in between the tracks of an album. And De La Soul actually really popularized this.

[Scott Free]

It was more popular in hip hop. You did not often see that in a rock album, for instance.

[Lori]

Yes. So I found an article called Whatever Happened to the traditional album skit written by David Opie.

[Scott Free]

All right.

[Lori]

And I just want to read, read what he said here. So at least I feel like I'm contributing something to this episode. From the early 90s right up until the end of the 2000s, the inclusion of album Skits became the norm in hip hop. In fact, it wasn't unusual for the biggest rap albums to span 20 tracks or more, thanks to numerous skits, interludes and segues that tried and sometimes in parentheses, sometimes succeeded to make us laugh.

[Scott Free]

Rarely, and especially if you were repeatedly playing the album, which if the album was any good, you were a lot of skip skipping you would have to do.

[Lori]

Yes, he goes on to write. That all changed, though, as the importance of sequencing albums in a specific order began to fade in favor of infinite streaming. And over the years, these kind of comedic skits gradually evolved into a distracting nuisance. After all, such anachronistic breaks don't lend themselves well to the world of YouTube and Spotify. And when a skit does crop up these days, even the most playful interlude can instantly kill the mood of a playlist demanding an instant skip. So that's consistent with what you just said.

[Scott Free]

So yeah, I mean, these are different in that they're musical interludes, generally speaking. They may break in the music even within that 55 second interlude and have a spoken bit, but then the ska kicks back in and all of these. And there are four different of these interludes within the reality of my surroundings. And they all have the structure of if I were a something, I'd whatever I would do. So we're not going to belabor these interludes too much, although they do oftentimes within this album, sort of thematically introduce the next track or at least relate to it somehow.

[Lori]

And the next track on the album is called so Many Millions.

[Unknown Speaker]

Education could do me no good in my neighborhood the name of your you show me how to do good in my neighborhood in my neighbor, my lounging in the neighborhood so many millions of strong that all these people.

[Scott Free]

All right, so talk about a band that loved Parliament Funkadelic. Oh yeah, like this could be from a P Funk show. It has that live sound to it. It's cool bass line, an incredibly tight horn section. I'll go ahead and admit this song is unfocused. The vocal melody line doesn't feel like it has a lot to do with the instrumentals. I mean, it's in time, but it's kind of at times melody less. I could see this one being Fun Live, but it doesn't really gel on the album.

[Lori]

Okay, as Fun Live as a song about inner city kids, drug abuse, trafficking, prostitution, as much as those topics could be considered fun.

[Scott Free]

But that's the weird thing about this band is they can be talking about the really heavy stuff, but it's this upbeat bopping horn section. And the, you know, music is lively and like, it doesn't feel dark, doesn't feel like down. It's not a downer because the music is so up, so upbeat and it's just going right. It's got energy, man.

[Lori]

Yeah. And this is actually where the album title comes from, too. The very beginning of the lyrics. I cannot get over legitimately the reality of my surroundings.

[Scott Free]

Yes.

[Lori]

So, I mean, and he's singing about all the issues, especially in their neighborhood. Everybody's howling for something and it's understood the drug education can do me no good. Yeah. Very dark subject matter juxtaposed with this up tempo Sly in the Family Stone or Parliament Funkadelic kind of vibe. Oh, and then, I'm sorry, this lyric. It's a pile of shit in your sugar shack. It's a pile of shit in the White House. And I'm going to step on in when I'm visiting so I can drag it more all across the flag. Was this 1991 or was this 2025?

[Scott Free]

Ah, zing.

[Lori]

Yeah. I mean, I enjoyed this song. I enjoyed listening to it. I could see where, and I'm going to say this a couple times in this album, I could see where this band is absolutely freaking amazing live. And that's really what got them their following and that's why they had the reputation that they had. But I feel like listening to this on an album, like we're missing that really important aspect of this band. You know what I mean?

[Scott Free]

Yeah. I mean, a big part of their appeal in live shows is the crazy energy, not just in the music, but they are jumping around the stage, they are dancing their wild. Their wild live show. I don't. I mean, Angela Moore was oftentimes climbing up onto the speaker cabinets or climbing the trussing and stage diving and getting wild. You obviously don't get that on the album. But also, yeah, for me, this track, I feel like it's unfortunate that this track is so early in the album because to my mind, there are more cohesive songs that would do well early in the album's playlist. And honestly, this feels like last third of the album material kind of filler, at least as far as I'm concerned. As I was researching, I read some reviews of the album and there was one for this track that struck me. This is from uppitymusic.com the author was one Mark Montgomery French. And on August 3rd, 2005, in describing this song in particular, says gangs of vocals moan over insistent guitar Solos. And the song doesn't so much stop as it passes out from all of its expended energy.

[Lori]

And I gotta say, that is a great domain name. Uppity music.com.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, it's Uppity Music, your guide to unsung black departure albums. So underrecognized black music.

[Lori]

Oh, now see, in that context, that makes a lot of sense, right? Yeah. Oh, I want to check out that website. Yeah, that sounds interesting.

[Scott Free]

All right.

[Lori]

Anything else on so Many Millions?

[Scott Free]

No, no, I think that will do it.

[Lori]

Okay then, Scott, it's time for an ass whipping.

[Scott Free]

Okay, I'm gonna say I. I don't feel qualified to talk about this one. It's 37 seconds of a guy getting whipped and screaming out in pain and. Yeah, I'm gonna stay in my lane and feel appropriately bad about American history.

[Lori]

Okay. All right. Yeah, but, you know, despite that, there's also the drums. There's a timpani.

[Scott Free]

Is it a timpani?

[Lori]

I think so.

[Scott Free]

All right.

[Lori]

And the screaming is actually from the end of track five. Yeah, if you. If you go. We'll get to track five. Although we're not going to play the end of the song. But that's actually Angelo from the next track, which is a nice segue from this to the next song.

[Scott Free]

And that's what it's doing, right? Like, yes, it's evoking a very unpleasant, to understate it, time in black history. But it does then introduce what's happening in track five. Housework.

[Unknown Speaker]

Working school and learning I make my my own rules Mama she just wanted me to do my homework Work is good but when I get home Mama let me house.

[Lori]

This was fun, right?

[Scott Free]

This track is just plain fun. And like, this is a perfectly old school fishbone track. It's sca funk fusion and like, with a almost like New Orleans street band feel to it with those horns. It opens with a detuned piano or like it's so out of tune a piano that it would best be described as a piano. And like, there's a tuba. Baseline is a tuba playing. And like, hell yeah. And then there's that call and response vocals, the actual lyrical lines as sung by Angelo. And then all of the guys responding with this. Wow. Like, that song is just fun, man.

[Lori]

Oh, it is, it is. And it's relatable. I mean, even though I think they were kind of coming at it from. From a perspective of black men in Southern California, but it's still relatable to me as a middle aged white woman. I feel like I Go to work every day. But where I work, I don't get paid.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Lyrically, it's a latchkey kid left home alone while his single mom is out working all the time. And she assigns him the housework and he does it and then goes out on the streets with his friends to see what kind of trouble that it can get into.

[Lori]

And, yeah, Pops is gone and mom's working five and six days a week. Yeah, I mean, that was our generation, wasn't it?

[Scott Free]

I mean, let's keep kids, man.

[Lori]

Yeah, we, you know, go out and we'd be home totally unsupervised. And MTV was my babysitter for a long time, you know.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, we had different upbringings, but it's a common story amongst the Gen Xers.

[Lori]

But this is ska punk, especially, you know. You've even got the vocal, you know. I mean, that's like so. That's so two tone, you know.

[Scott Free]

Right on.

[Lori]

Yeah. So I. I actually. I enjoy that one.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. But it's ska punk, but then also has that funk to it. Like. Yeah, These guys, you know, they were contemporaries of early Red Hot Chili Peppers, not the arena rock guys we've come to know, but in their early days, the Red Hots were also a Scott punk band. And, you know, it was just fun music, but with serious musical chops.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

And as I was saying, the latchkey kid gets his housework that his mom assigned him done, goes out and gets in trouble with his friends. And then the track ends with a throwback to the whipping in the interlude. That was track four, Ass whipping. When his mother gives him an ass whopping great line.

[Lori]

What was dirty now is clean. All right, well, we have another interlude coming up.

[Scott Free]

Actually legit. Love this one.

[Lori]

This one isn't too bad. This one's called Death March. Let's give it just a very short listen.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Did I say something in the last track about New Orleans street bands?

[Lori]

Yes.

[Scott Free]

Seven seconds of a needle on a dusty scratch record and then 24 seconds of a New Orleans funeral march.

[Lori]

Yes.

[Scott Free]

Honestly, I would happily take another three minutes of this track.

[Lori]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, old school New Orleans, you know, very mournful, very sad, but it's.

[Scott Free]

But also celebratory in its way.

[Lori]

Yeah, yeah. We're seeing a lot of, like, the juxtaposition here on this album, and that's another example. So. All right, so 34 seconds.

[Scott Free]

And that brings us to track seven. Behavior control technician.

[Unknown Speaker]

Away. Oh, why don't you stick away? Oh.

[Lori]

Whiplash.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. What happens when you put the specials Funkadelic, Earth, Wind and Fire and Living Color in a blender.

[Lori]

I was actually thinking Seattle grunge if they had horns.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, I can see that.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

But it has some sca to it, mostly in that horn section. But it's funky and it's heavy, so, you know, it's a fishbone track.

[Lori]

Yeah. No, I mean, I don't think I would classify this as sca. I mean, it doesn't have any of the.

[Scott Free]

Doesn't have that syncopation. I'm more saying in the specific style of the horn section.

[Lori]

Okay. All right, I'll go with that. Definitely whiplash, though. I mean, it's like we go from the funeral dirge to. I don't even know what to call this.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Heavy. Funky rock with machine gun horns.

[Lori]

And it's a shame because there's so much going on musically that it. I think it's very easy to miss the lyrics in this one.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. There have been a lot of albums we've covered recently on this show where we'll analyze the lyrics and be like, what are they trying to say? Like, we really kind of dig. Gotta dig deep to get the message. This is not one of those songs.

[Lori]

No, definitely not. Train my brain to work the way you want me to. Don't question authority. See, be a little zombie that agrees with you. You are trapped with a double standard clamp in a battle you won't win. And then. I love this last line. And when it's over, we're going to dance your memory away.

[Scott Free]

Right?

[Lori]

I love it. I love it.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. You don't have to dig deep to really tease out the subtext. It's just straight up text right there on the surface. It's the adults and the system trying to force the children to conform and obey. And then the children getting the last laugh. Dancing your memory away.

[Lori]

And that's a theme that's as old as rock music itself. Oh, and then it wasn't in the sound clip, but at the very beginning of the song, there is this loud, blaring cacophony of alarm clocks. It's very jarring after that previous interlude.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, that usually. But mournful yet celebratory horn march. And then bam. Wake up, Wake up.

[Lori]

I mean, that's. Isn't that kind of what they're getting at in the lyrics?

[Scott Free]

Yeah, pretty much. Wake up and go to work and get with the program. Which brings us to another one of the interludes. If I were a. I'd reprise.

[Unknown Speaker]

Buy a bunch of drugs tell a bunch of lies.

[Scott Free]

Hey, it's Oliver north and the Iran Contra scandal in ska form in 28 seconds.

[Lori]

That blew my mind when you told me that.

[Scott Free]

So, again, the form of these interludes is often, if I were a blank, I'd blank. In this case, it's if I were a colonel in the United States Marine Corps, a dead colonel, okay? Be that what it may, he was alive at the time. But if I were a dead colonel in the United States Marine Corps, I'd buy a bunch of drugs, tell a bunch of lies, trade the hostages for missiles flying in the skies like that's the Iran Contra scandal.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Yeah.

[Lori]

Why? No, that just blew my mind. I didn't realize that until you told me. Vietnam, Nicaragua, oh, help us, my Lord People never see what they should really be Spreading their disease on them and you and me.

[Scott Free]

Anyway, it's one of the interludes. We gloss over it and jump right into pressure. Fishbone eases you into track nine, Pressure. With an intro reminiscent of the Special's Gangsters. Great song. And then a lot of Angelo screaming, oh, no. And then all ska punktastic hell breaks. Deuce.

[Lori]

Yes.

[Scott Free]

Like, this one is a barn burner. And I would say that this one comes about as close as you can to capturing on record the frenetic energy of a Fishbone live show. It is wild. Just breakneck pace, everything happening all at once, driving crazy, moving bass line, everybody singing with these big harmonies, funkadelic guitars, and that organ really going. And Angelo just going absolutely nutso bananas.

[Lori]

I could totally envision a mosh pit just going completely nuts for this song.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, and this is right before the era where Fishbone was at Lollapalooza. And yes, that is exactly how that went down.

[Lori]

I had some difficulty making out the lyrics, especially that line. Boy, you better get your ass home quick. It does not sound. It's not what it sounds like he's actually singing. It's. I'm like, better get your asshole clean. What? That's what I heard. And then even the word pressure, it sounds like they're saying something else. So it's like, ah. So thank goodness for lyric sites.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. If they're reliable.

[Lori]

Yeah, that's true. Because there are a lot that are absolutely not reliable.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. It's about the fish boniest Fishbone that ever fishboned. This particular song, it's not the most listenable, mind you. They were not going for pop radio. They were not going for rock radio. And it is no coincidence that this song was not one of the two that they played on their SNL appearance. But it is bonkers. And, you know, it is a hell of a lot of fun live. And then the song ends with a big fuck you and a love laugh. And he's got a great laugh.

[Lori]

Okay, well, so Scott, if you're talking about things that would not be very radio friendly. Oh, that really describes this next song. This one is called Junkies Prayer.

[Unknown Speaker]

My.

[Scott Free]

Pusher who are in the crack house.

[Unknown Speaker]

A lot.

[Lori]

That was actually one of the tamer parts of the song.

[Scott Free]

Right. So so far we've mostly been glossing over the interludes, and this one is one of the interludes, but this one is also special. Coming in at 3.3minutes and 1 second. But I mean, it is exactly what the title says, the Junkie's Prayer. It's the Lord's Prayer, but for crackheads.

[Lori]

So supposedly this was inspired by Q Tip the rapper.

[Scott Free]

This is what I read, and I'm perplexed by that, but, you know, okay, all right.

[Lori]

I get that the album is called the reality of my surroundings, and they are writing songs about just that. Right. What is around them. But this, this song is just gross. I mean, lick your butt and balls for thine have the power to bend over on my knees with my hands against the wall For I'll be a sucker. Suck my dick. That's what you do. What, what, what is the. What is this? What are you making me listen to here, Scott?

[Scott Free]

I mean, it's the Junkie's Prayer, and the junkie is whoring for drug money.

[Lori]

Did that really need to be made into a song, though?

[Scott Free]

I mean, on the one hand, I hear you. On the other hand, you really want to listen to this one on headphones because we've got Norwood on the left channel Angelo on the right, and they kind of start more or less together and then get wildly off from each other. Again from uppitymusic.com over nothing but African drums, Junkie's Prayer recites a different cracked out poem in each ear, while a gritty sample of a cheesy laugh track floats in and out of the mix. It's both humorous and devastating, as is the entire album. Yeah, lyrically, this is. Well, you already did, so I was. I was just gonna say. So this is a spoken word thing and I'm definitely not going to do it justice, so I'm going to go ahead and not try.

[Lori]

Oh, and you let me do it. Thanks.

[Scott Free]

Right. But, you know, it's gritty, it's cracky, it's hard and no. Is it fun? No. But is it the reality of their surroundings? Hey, man.

[Lori]

Yeah. Now, going back to what you said a second ago about Norwood on the left channel and Angelo on the right channel, artistically, just in terms of the rhythm of the spoken word and the way those two voices are interplaying off of each other, that is fantastic. I think maybe if I wasn't getting so hung up on the lyrical content, I think that this would potentially be a very enjoyable track.

[Scott Free]

But yeah, it's not a poem that's intended to be read. It's a poem that's intended to be experienced.

[Lori]

I see. Lick your button balls. My mother's not listening to this episode.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Hello, nephews. Stay in school. Don't do drugs. Now, although it's a long one at three minutes, it is really one of the interludes and as these interludes often do, introduces the theme for the next track, which brings us to track 11. Pray to the junkie maker.

[Unknown Speaker]

Do all types of weather you will be a slave to the junkie maker Forever be by the means while it taxes your mind. You're on the road to the doom don't give a mo. Being like a hype as you suck on the glass pipe your soul is cast into a hellish hole. And as you're on your knees trying to feed your disease the monkeys on your back got you begging please. Wait till the junk.

[Scott Free]

So like, this is a little more easygoing a groove than the last couple full on songs we've heard. Like, it's still sca, but it's not SCA punk at this point. And it's not quite so bonkers. It's more melodic. And this wouldn't feel totally out of place on a two tone sky album. Your specials, your madnesses, those types. Right, I agree. Got a little heavier edge to it in the instrumentation, but it's, you know, more laid back. Sky groove.

[Lori]

Yeah, no, I. I agree with you on that one. This. This is probably out of all the tracks on the album, the one that's closest to Jamaican Sky.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, and like fun and sunny sounding grooves. Like it almost sounds like a beachside boardwalk carnival or something. Right.

[Lori]

Well, yeah, until you get into the lyrics again.

[Scott Free]

Right. Absolutely. Hides the lyrical content, which is heavy and a continuation of that junkie's prayer fiend.

[Lori]

Like a hype as you suck on the glass pipe, your soul is cast into a hellish hole. And as you're on your knees trying to feed your disease the monkeys on your back got you begging please and.

[Scott Free]

Yes it seems like it's talking about the drug addiction from the junkie's prayer. You know, there's a lot of talk of the glass pipes and taking hits and, like, we're talking about crack again. Right. But not so fast. Like, halfway through, it takes a turn. And I'm quoting, I ain't talking about physical addiction, but a mental spell. Yeah. So they're clearly not just talking about. I mean, they come out and explicitly say they're not talking about a physical addiction, but a mental spell. There's a moral to this story. So listen. Well, I relate to life and live in full of shit and sometimes hell. But then the end of the song is a whole long list of people who will pray to the junky maker. And yes, some of them are clearly dealing with drugs, but in the hospital, you will pray to the junkie maker. Pmrc. Pray to the junkie maker. In the business, you will pray to the junkie maker in the limousine, you will pray to the junkie maker in the White House in a. Pray to the junkie maker in the schoolhouse, in the church house, in the police station. They do. So, you know, they're not just talking about drugs. They're talking about 50 Skylab Station, like, and the astronauts got to cop. I'm not even sure what he is talking about anymore.

[Lori]

Yeah. You know, but what I do appreciate is the very last two lines. It's kind of returning back to the ska roots. Mr. Lucifer, himchuckle mankind under his buckle. And I mean, there are so many ska songs that mention the devil or Lucifer, son of the morning. You know, it's because religion was very important to the original ska artists of Jamaica and always fighting the battle against the devil. So it kind of ends it very nicely in that respect.

[Scott Free]

Well, okay then.

[Lori]

All right, shall we move on?

[Scott Free]

I think we shall.

[Lori]

All right. So then the next song is called Everyday Sunshine.

[Unknown Speaker]

I wish every day the sun would shine. Take me to another place in my life where everything is beautiful.

[Scott Free]

Like, this is just a fun, upbeat Sly in the Family Stone feeling funk, old school rhythm and blues track. Like, seriously, if you told me that this was a 1974 Sly in the Family Stone track, I wouldn't even be a little bit surprised. Except for the clean production. Right?

[Lori]

Exactly. This was one of the two songs that they played on that episode of Saturday Night Live. And it was the second single from the album released in June of 1991. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. I'm going to go out on a limb and Say that this is one of the most accessible songs that they've done.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. And, you know, lyrically, we are not at this point talking about junkies doing sexual acts in alleys. And we are not talking about the Iran Contra affair, and we are not talking about gangs and violence or anything like that. This is talking about how I wish every day could be sunshine. Right.

[Lori]

And I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

[Scott Free]

Or if they're laying it on a little thick.

[Lori]

Yeah. It's like it starts off as a Scott influenced track, but then all of a sudden it just becomes a pop song.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. But then, like, it's this pretty straightforward upbeat rhythm and blues funk track with a solid backbeat. Right. Leisurely backbeat. Then at the three minute or second mark, the song basically turns inside out, goes into double time, and it picks up the pace and, like really just starts getting really jammy and going off.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Yeah.

[Lori]

So I'm imagining people who may have heard this single. Maybe they caught the performance on Saturday Night Live or something, and then they go out and buy this album. What kind of reaction did they have? Yeah.

[Scott Free]

I mean, right. This was going to be the one that broke the band wide open. Right. And made them a household name. And, you know, on a very small level, I guess it did. And they did play it on sln, as you said, and the song did chart, but then they just didn't blow up. Right.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Perplexing. Like, I guess America just somehow didn't want a feel good track by a wildly talented and relentlessly energetic group of weirdos.

[Lori]

Well. But, I mean, it's kind of a bit of a bait and switch because all the other tracks on this album are not uplifting. They're all very dark. And I mean, we were just listening to two tracks about junkies.

[Scott Free]

Sure.

[Lori]

I don't know that Middle America was ready for this.

[Scott Free]

I don't know.

[Lori]

Shall we move on to if I Were a I'd. The second reprise there?

[Scott Free]

I believe it's the third reprise, except.

[Lori]

The track is called Second.

[Scott Free]

All right, then Second. Second.

[Lori]

Right. Because the original and then the first reprise and the second reprise. So it's the third version.

[Scott Free]

There you go.

[Lori]

Yeah. Like the second sequel. It's like Return of the Jedi.

[Scott Free]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker]

Take them apart, look at history.

[Lori]

That was a really short one.

[Scott Free]

If I were a society this particular one, I don't have a ton to say about it.

[Lori]

Take it all apart look at history Majority society It just ain't right for me this minority so they label me While you can kiss my black ass.

[Scott Free]

That's the bumper for this one, Laurie saying, you can kiss my black ass. Sorry.

[Lori]

Yeah, this suddenly got awkward. Let's move on to the next song, shall we?

[Scott Free]

It won't get less awkward with the next song.

[Lori]

Okay.

[Scott Free]

It'll be a different kind of awkward.

[Lori]

Yeah. So the next song is called Nasty Man. Very interesting phonetic spelling.

[Scott Free]

Indeed.

[Lori]

Let's listen. I personally saw the pimp who checked.

[Scott Free]

In here last night, and he was nasty.

[Unknown Speaker]

It is a heterosexual celebration. We will celebrate heterosexuality.

[Scott Free]

Today.

[Unknown Speaker]

I got myself a woman Nasty as can be Nasty, nasty. When my woman time comes and when my woman dies.

[Scott Free]

Well, I mean, you did take a great 30 seconds to introduce this one. The lyrics to this one are, well, nasty. And again, I don't know that I, as a mostly white dude, am really the guy to be reciting them. But, I mean, I don't know that I need to discuss this song quite that hard. Anyways, but the one couplet I. I might go with ain't nothing I'd rather be doing. Then Hootie, hootie, hootie gooin.

[Lori]

You know, this song is definitely satire, kind of making fun of the extreme homophobic, masculine, you know, spread your seed kind of thing.

[Scott Free]

The sex nasty rap that was coming out at the time as well, your iced tea, your two Live Crew, Easy E. That we're all doing these. Yeah. As you say, hyper masculine and celebrations of heterosexuality, but that were really just nasty sexploitative stuff. And they're clearly having fun with it.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Is this song gonna bring us any insight into gender politics or bring badly needed sex ed to the youth of 1991? What is it? Fun and dirty, Funny. Oh, yeah, it is.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

And you can dance to it.

[Lori]

Have you tried?

[Scott Free]

I mean, I'm not great at skanking, but okay.

[Lori]

I. You know, I thought that this was actually very timely because I don't know if you've been following the news. Eagle, Idaho has declared June Heterosexual Awesomeness Month with no sense of irony.

[Scott Free]

Oh, dear Lord.

[Lori]

I would like to propose that this should be the theme song for Eagle Idaho's Heterosexual Awesomeness Month.

[Scott Free]

You know, they might just embrace it.

[Lori]

Yeah. Until they realize that it's a bunch of black men singing.

[Scott Free]

Right, right. I mean, if you can get past the lyrical content, and I realize that's a big ask musically, that's a hell of a lot of fun.

[Lori]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. I think their strongest tracks are the ones that are the most ska influenced.

[Scott Free]

Yes. But we're about to get to A couple late in the album that are not particularly SCA tinged, but that are, for my money, among the strongest on the album. But, you know, we'll get to those. There's a meme that's been going around lately that I love that I think does really convey the sense of fun of ska music. I once heard ska described as what plays in a 13 year old kid's head when he gets extra mozzarella sticks. I mean, it's just so happy. I don't have a lot more to say about this one. It's fun, but it's, you know, raunchy and you got to be in the mood for that sort of thing.

[Lori]

Are we not in the mood?

[Scott Free]

I don't know. Are you? Do you have anything more to say about it?

[Lori]

No, I don't, I don't. I, I. This is getting awkward.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, well, it'll, it'll, it'll get just a little more. So when we get to the next track, when you got sexy times, sometimes the result is baby head. Track 15 is called Baby Head.

[Unknown Speaker]

Floating down on the cotton candy cloud Floating by Chocolate baby making brownies Creamy Santa don't bite.

[Scott Free]

All right.

[Unknown Speaker]

Don't bite.

[Scott Free]

All right.

[Unknown Speaker]

The nougat gets a taste.

[Lori]

What the actual. Scott.

[Scott Free]

You're right. I mean, again, this is something out of the Parliament playbook. Tempo wise, it's definitely a departure from the rest of this album. It's a sleazy, slow funk groove. Angelo and Chris Dowd singing some weird, sometimes kind of dissonant harmonies. I'm not even 100 sure you can call them harmonies. And the lyrics are. I'm not even sure they're sexy. They're just weird.

[Lori]

Yeah. I mean, it seems like candy is a metaphor for sex.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lori]

References to nougat and chocolate and. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not gonna lie, this song makes me very uncomfortable.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Well, I mean, at the end, Angelo ends it with, sorry, Mom, I just had to do it. Did he? I don't know.

[Lori]

Towards the beginning of the song, there's a line floating by a chocolate baby thinking about his creamy center.

[Scott Free]

What?

[Lori]

Nougat. It's a nougat baby. What? What? Yeah, I, I, I, I'm done with this song.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. I mean, worth noting in fan discussions out there on the Internet, many Fishbone fans have many very glowing praises to sing for this album. And even they generally do not like this song.

[Lori]

Sorry.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Brings us to one more of the if I Were a Blank Eyed Blank this time, the third reprise. So it starts off serious. So it starts off serious and with, you know, laudable goals. If I had a choice, I'd buy myself a gun, dress up like a nun, kill the KKK and consider it some fun. Get a mob together, overthrow the show. Majority, minority, all the same, as one. No more politicians, no more crooked cops. Unity against them they will have a loss. I think we can mostly get behind that, right?

[Lori]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Then it takes a sudden turn at the end and fuck the meter mates. Fuck em. That's just the way I feel.

[Lori]

Man, somebody must have gotten a parking ticket, huh?

[Scott Free]

Yeah. So relatable. That's the longest we've talked about one of the. If I were a blanks, I'd blank. And I feel like that really will do it.

[Lori]

All right. And that was the last one of those ended. Okay, so then the next track is called those Days are Gone, which I will play for you now.

[Unknown Speaker]

Is this pain? Are we sane? And who has established these claims.

[Lori]

While.

[Unknown Speaker]

We all try to refrain? I had a dream once There was a wall inside my head. You all have put it there. We lived a life once, we felt too together as one. And now those days are gone.

[Scott Free]

I mean, come on. Right. That sampling gives you a really good feel for the song and it's a really good song.

[Lori]

Yeah, there was a Bowie song. I, I, I'm drawing a blank because we don't usually record this late. It's after midnight, so brain is not quite functioning, but I know there's a. What was the Bowie song?

[Scott Free]

Fashion.

[Lori]

Yeah, okay, you're right, you're right, you're right. Sorry. Then you know, we've got this like really hard hitting bass. Oh my God, the bass on this one is extraordinary.

[Scott Free]

All right. Yeah, I can admit that the crazed Angelo scream right at the beginning is a little bit off putting, especially because it doesn't really accurately reflect the tone of the rest of the song. But yeah, those ooh wap wap backup vocals and those harmonies on them, just really great stuff. This is another Dowd on lead vocals track and you know, they seem to go with his smoother tone for some of the cooler songs at least. Also some of the bigger singles. Although this was not itself one of the singles. But it could have been.

[Lori]

Yeah, I think it could have been.

[Scott Free]

Lyrically, this one's a little less on the nose, explicitly hammering you in the face with the message goes a little bit more poetic or at least a little less hyper specific.

[Lori]

When you're alone, can't find your way out of the maze Life is ablaze and you're right there in the flames. Boy, I feel that.

[Scott Free]

Right.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

So for today.

[Lori]

And then there's some places where it almost gets psychedelic with some of the effects on the vocals, the vocal effects.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, they got that sort of underwater. I think it's a flange effect.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

And, yeah, it's. It's a cool track, man.

[Lori]

We toppled many lives we're like a mighty hurricane we bring destruction and we cause dissension Fuck, yeah, man.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. Bring it on.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. It's a solid rock song. They do have these maximalist tendencies that sometimes weigh it down a bit. There's some noodly guitar scale runs that are maybe a little bit distracting. But, yeah, in general, I think this song is one of the strongest on the second half of the album.

[Lori]

Oh, yeah, I agree. I agree.

[Scott Free]

But. But you want to talk about the strongest track on the second half of the album, that gets you to the very last track. Track 18, Sunless Saturday.

[Unknown Speaker]

I see the pestilence outside my window I see the dummies about at least of my eyes I see the shad of savages in my street I face them on and I hear the sound out I stumble in wine My break is finished now. I'm ready outside but all the cloud.

[Scott Free]

So, man. Yeah, this one has a little bait and switch of its own. The very opening of it opens with the fast but still gentle strummed acoustic guitar. Rapid fire. Not hard. It's acoustic. And then it just hits you with, like, a freaking wrecking ball with those huge guitars and that big bass and those keyboards and everything all at once, like, legit rocks hard. But then also has these thick, thick, dense vocal harmonies, like. Oh, man, it's perfect summation, I think, of what Fishbone was going for on this album.

[Lori]

Now, Scott, did you say earlier that Rush was one of their influences? I don't remember.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lori]

This one, I. I really hear the Rush influences. I could envision Getty Lee singing this maybe a little bit slowed down because, I mean, this is a little too up tempo, a little too much of a punk beat, but I can definitely see that. And then the other influence that I put in my notes, back to that acoustic intro that you talked about, reminds me of, like, 1976 Boston, the band.

[Scott Free]

Wow. Yeah, those are some disparate influence for a punk, Scott.

[Lori]

And, yeah, I don't know that that was an influence. I'd never seen it cited, but that's the first thing I'm thinking is like, is this a Boston song? And then it's like, wait, A minute. No, this is a Rush song, dude. Make up your freaking mind. This was the other one that they did on snl. It was the first single on the album, released in April of 1991, and it remains to this day the band's highest charting single. And, you know, I didn't even realize that the music video was directed by Spike Lee.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah. It opens with kids in chain link fence cages that are too short for them to stand in, and then the band itself in a bigger cage of their own. Yeah. So some striking visuals and then, you know, some obligatory 90s video stuff. The guys driving around LA, crowds of workers walking into work, guys singing along and bopping to the music. The video's not gonna change your life, but it is cool. And they looked cool. I don't know why this band didn't get bigger, and this song in particular didn't get bigger. Although this song was particularly big for them, it did peak at number seven on the US Modern rock charts. Like I said, I feel like it sums up what Fishbone was really going for on this album. It is maybe a bit light on the ska influence, although it does end with a rousing trumpet line, just to give you a nod to that orange section. Yeah. Like, maybe Fishbone was too crazy, too funky and too sky and too soul for mainstream rock audiences, but this track wasn't like it should have been a legit hit. What the America.

[Lori]

You know, I do really appreciate when black artists in particular are busting out of the expected genres. You know, I know I mentioned Living Color earlier.

[Scott Free]

Bad Things.

[Lori]

Yes, yes. That kind of stuff where, you know, it's not all R and B and it's not all hip hop. And I really. I appreciate that.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. These guys just wanted to do what they wanted to do, Take their many influences and make music that was just purely their own. Just a couple quotes from the documentary that I do think sum up both their disparate influences and the way that they synthesize them into something uniquely their own. One of those quotes from Of All People, Ice T. And if you want to talk about black artists breaking out of the expected genres.

[Lori]

Body count.

[Scott Free]

He was doing body count, right?

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Metal band. Feisty said of Fishbone and this album. And it wasn't rock, it wasn't metal, it wasn't hip hop, it wasn't funk. It was just some different shit. And another one, Branford Marsalis said. Branford Marsalis, of all people?

[Lori]

Yeah. Jazz musician.

[Scott Free]

The jazz sax, great. The musicians get it, the other people don't. And that may go to some of why the band didn't break quite as big as they could have. And then one other of all people, Eugenio Hutz of Gogol Bardello. The white imagination of America is just so much more bland and doesn't have the roots, doesn't have the longevity of the history. They Fishbone drew on sources that were too vast for the common mind.

[Lori]

That might be overstating it a bit.

[Scott Free]

I'm willing to though, you know, they did overstuff it, I will admit that. And they were so all over the board that it could give you whiplash. But, man, when they were on, when they tightened it up and focused it, picked a genre, stuck with it, but then also twisted it a little bit. That's where I think this album is incredibly strong. Is the album as a whole uneven? Totally. But when it's good, it's so good. And I do feel like Sunless Saturday is one of those times.

[Lori]

You know, I could see one of the reasons that perhaps this didn't really catch on. The way it could have is if you are responsible for programming at a radio station, where are you going to put this? You know, I mean, it's not pop, it's not really rock. It's, you know, at least in 91, the stations were still kind of distinct in terms of their. Their sounds and stuff like that. So.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, and I mean, there is something there. If you lead with a single like Sunless Saturday that just really rocks and is heavy and then the rock fans get it. But then they're hearing all of this funk and ska that could be off putting for the Scott and Funk fans to then get punched in the face with, you know, say, Sunless Saturday or Fight the Youth. That's gonna be a disconnect for them. And for the fans of the sex Nasty Funk, there was really just only the one or two tracks for them. So. Yeah, no, they're still often overlooked.

[Lori]

Yeah. So this was Scott, my first exposure to this album. I never heard it before and I'm glad that I did. But it's also, to me, it's like the film Requiem for a Dream in that if you've seen it once, you never need to see it again. And that's how I feel about this album. I've heard it once. I don't feel I ever need to listen to it again.

[Scott Free]

But certainly there's a song or two that will stick with you and you might revisit.

[Lori]

That's true, that's true. And that actually I was just about to Ask you, what's your favorite song on the album?

[Scott Free]

You know, it's really up between a couple of them.

[Lori]

Okay.

[Scott Free]

One of the strong candidates for Favorite Track, Track 7, Behavior Control Technician, the one that I said, you know, kind of feels like ska and funk and Living Color style rock kind of all mashed up together. That said, Sunless Saturday really is so strong, and I do love that track. Yeah, I'm gonna go with the big single this time, as I so often do. It was a big single for a reason. It's a great song. It rocks, and it does what Fishbone is trying to do, and it does it tightly in a way that some of the other songs might not be able to focus themselves on.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Okay. And yours?

[Lori]

Well, I'm between two songs. Yeah, I did really like those Days Are Gone.

[Scott Free]

Great song.

[Lori]

But I think if I had to pick my favorite track on the album, I would go with Housework.

[Scott Free]

Really. It's a strong pick.

[Lori]

You know, again, I'm not a huge SCA fan. I know that people assume that because I had a podcast about madness. Yeah, a lot of SCA I don't care for, but this one I find fun, I find relatable. So I'm going with housework.

[Scott Free]

All right. Excellent pill.

[Lori]

Thank you. So, Scott, where are they now?

[Scott Free]

Boy, the story of Fishbone gets tumultuous from here on out.

[Lori]

Ooh, good word.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. A couple years after the reality of my surroundings, they release another album. Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe. You can see with titles like that, they're not necessarily going for massive mainstream acceptance on the basis of cool and accessible, but they have a personality and they got things to say. So, yeah, that was in 1993. The album peaked at 99 and did not hit and Columbia, their label, dropped them, at which point, about half the members of the band quit and started going their own separate direction. Members would leave and come back, and at this point, the band still exists, although really, Angelo Moore, I believe, is the only original member of the band still in the band. Worth watching the documentary Everyday Sunshine, and it's jarring to see. It was made in 2010. And you see Angelo Moore, in particular, fallen on hard times financially. He actually had to move back in with his mother. And you see. You see Norwood talking about his frustration in continuing to work with Angelo on Fishbone as he's trying to hustle, he's trying to make things happen for the band, and he's motivated to try to get this band to make some money for them. And that Angelo is less motivated because he's living with his mom. So he has his day to day needs met and he's just not motivated.

[Lori]

My goodness.

[Scott Free]

That said, Angelo continues to work under the Fishbone moniker and has released some new music recently that I know you found in your research and got a kick out of. They have released a couple songs recently, again with a political bent and some anger to them. I know you found one of those and we're amused by the subject matter, at least.

[Lori]

Yes. Racist piece of which is apparently about the occupant of the White House.

[Scott Free]

Yeah.

[Lori]

And then I guess there's another one that just came out a few months ago called Last Call in America featuring George Clinton, and I am going to seek that one out just because I love me some George Clinton, as did Voicebone. Yeah.

[Scott Free]

So, you know, they are one of those bands that is still a blast to see live. Like, if you get a chance to see Fishbone live, even if it is not all of the original members, although they do rotate back in sometimes. Just that energy, even at their more advanced age. Yeah. Riotously fun.

[Lori]

All right, cool. Well, Scott, thank you for selecting the album this week.

[Scott Free]

Sorry it wasn't your favorite, but it's all right.

[Lori]

They can't all be, you know, I.

[Scott Free]

Mean, it's an important piece of musical.

[Lori]

History and I appreciate it for that. And I, again, I also appreciate, you know, the fact that we really haven't talked about a lot of black artists. And so I think that that's good that we're expanding our repertoire a little bit. So. So for our next episode, Scott, I. I think that we're going to finally wrap up 91. We have been spending a lot of time in this year, but I think that we're probably going to bring 91 to an end, and I think we're going to finally do Cerulean by the Ocean Blue. Now, hopefully Peter from the Ocean Blue will. Will get back to me and we can schedule the interview, but if not, or if we schedule it at a later date, we can always, you know, throw that into our rotation or whatever. Thank you again for listening. Oh, by the way, Scott, the next time we record, I will have just gotten back from Cruel World.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, India's on that one.

[Lori]

Yeah. So I'm sure I'll have some stories. All right, well, everybody, thank you again for listening. Please come back in two weeks. We're going to talk about the Ocean Blue. It's a goodbye from me, Lori.

[Scott Free]

From me. Scot. Free. We'll see you back here in two weeks.