Buzz Or Howl Under The Influence Of Heat

The Minutemen: D. Boon (vocals, guitar), Mike Watt (bass, vocals), George Hurley (drums). This high-energy EP showcases the band's early sound when their primitive bravura was at its zenith. Most of these eight songs are under two minutes in length, and BUZZ OR HOWL certainly shows the influence of heat. This is revved-up, high-energy stuff that demonstrates the growing proficiency and swagger of a hard-touring band. On powerful cuts like the opening one-two punch of "Self-Referenced," "Cut," and "The Product," a hate note to capitalism, Boon sings like the primal id unchained. In "Dream Told By Moto" they manage to incorporate a casual jam feeling, intricate, Zappa-esque excursions, experimental guitar sounds and a wholly desperate-sounding screech by d. Boon, all within the song's modest 1:45 confines. Elsewhere, "The Toe-Jam," a 30-second goof, and "Dreams Are Free, Motherfucker," seem to foreshadow some of the later, more experimental directions that band would take. High points are "Little Man With a Gun in His Hand" (which clocks in at a whopping 3:52) and "I Felt Like a Gringo," both Minutemen classics.