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is structured in several musical groups of threes to reflect the story's trio of protagonists. Each of the 15 tracks represents part of a day in the lives of the three men in the engine room of a large naval vessel. According to Watt, the boilerman is D. Boon. The fireman is George Hurley and Watt is
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Watt experimented with sounds that could not normally be achieved with a live three-piece band, at one point "rollin' marbles around on a bass drumhead and beatin' on it with our hands to get the sound of thunder." The songs are separated with nautical noises such as crashing waves, foghorns, and
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The opening track, "In the Engine Room," starts just before dawn and it ends 24 hours later with "Shore Duty". It is essentially the story of a guy who has run away from a farm town, joined the Navy, and found a crew that has built a routine together. When their ship pulls into a port for shore
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Watt's father joined the navy when he was 17 and retired when he was 37. He served aboard nuclear vessels, and died from cancer when he was 51. Watt was originally from
Virginia, but his parents divorced during the Viet Nam War, and Watt and his mother remained in California.
244:
as well as stories that Watt's dad would tell when he came back from being at sea. “The
Bluejacket’s Manual” compares punk rock to boot camp. Watt has compared his father's experience of leaving a farm town to the Minutemen bursting open and getting away from arena rock.
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I just had to get it out. I owed it to D. Boon, the
Minutemen, Georgie, all the SST cats. Because it's sad what happened to the Minutemen. Fucking fucked up. But the work we did is why I get to make these records. I wanted to make a big valentine to that, to say, 'Thank
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praised it as "a meditation on the meaning of work, friendship and the quest for adventure" while admitting that it can be a challenging work, "tough sailing" at times. Mark
Athitakis of
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was less complimentary saying that what Watt isn't "is a compelling artist. He can't sing at all, can't write much, and still pretends the bass solo is a viable musical form."
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Watt formed the
Minutemen with his best friend, guitarist D. Boon, and drummer George Hurley, and they toured until Boon's death in a car wreck in Arizona in 1985.
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The collection is a bass-driven opera which begins and ends with the same bass figure. The lyrics and music contain countless nautical references, and elements of
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ship's bells. Watt also played the whole album with the top bass string detuned from E to D to push himself out of his comfort zone.
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174:. The album was greeted with a positive response. The cover art features a picture of Watt's father in his Navy uniform.
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529:"Q&A: Mike Watt; Former Minutemen bassist discusses new solo album, 'Contemplating the Engine Room'"
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said of Watt's punk rock opera "Against all logic, it succeeds, more or less brilliantly" Matt Diehl of
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Watt was a bit intimidated to make such an overtly personal album but he felt that he had to.
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leave, they get drunk, and the boilerman sleepwalks, falls in the water, and drowns.
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In July 1997, Watt posted on his personal website, "I'm gonna call the band
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is boat talk for engine room crew." The album features Watt as the singer,
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Contemplating the Engine Room: Live in Long Beach ‘98 – Five Man Opera
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705:"MIKE WATT PONDERS MINUTEMEN WHILE 'CONTEMPLATING THE ENGINE ROOM'"
939:"BLACK FRIDAY 2017 > Mike Watt - Contemplating The Engine Room"
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198:. It was produced by Watt and engineered by Bobby Seifert.
913:"Picks and Pans Review: Contemplating the Engine Room"
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called it Watt's "most personal, affecting work yet."
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581:"Mike Watt Contemplating the Engine Room..."
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756:Athitakis, Mark (October 31, 1997).
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186:in honor of engine room folk - the
16:1997 studio album by Mike Watt
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527:Chonin, Neva (27 November 1997).
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257:All tracks composed by Mike Watt
184:mike watt and the black gang crew
817:Diehl, Matt (October 21, 1997).
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213:Considered a "punk rock opera",
852:"Contemplating the Engine Room"
819:"Contemplating The Engine Room"
703:Fortunato, John (3 June 2009).
551:Krewson, John (29 March 2002).
886:"Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot"
1:
1115:The Crew of the Flying Saucer
1015:Contemplating the Engine Room
579:Kot, Greg (17 October 1997).
470:Contemplating the Engine Room
215:Contemplating The Engine Room
155:Contemplating the Engine Room
130:Contemplating the Engine Room
22:Contemplating the Engine Room
1022:The Secondman's Middle Stand
787:McMahan, Tim (29 Oct 1998).
295:"In The Bunk Room/Navy Wife"
139:The Secondman's Middle Stand
1074:Mike Watt and the Secondmen
1306:
1079:Mike Watt + The Missingmen
795:. www.lazy-i.com "lazyeye"
672:""Mike Watt & Masina""
315:
304:"Wrapped Around The Screw"
789:"Contemplating Mike Watt"
586:. Chicago. Archived from
357:
354:
301:"Breaking The Choke Hold"
114:
26:
323:Mike Watt - vocals, bass
1290:Columbia Records albums
670:Drvo, Izniknami Badem.
269:The Bluejackets' Manual
1130:The Jom and Terry Show
464:For the November 2017
298:"Crossing The Equator"
228:
194:on guitar and drummer
1232:Minutemen discography
1160:Jumpstarted Plowhards
1099:Il Sogno del Marinaio
1047:"Ring Spiel" Tour '95
641:Mike Watt's Hoot Page
286:"No One Says Old Man"
1242:New Alliance Records
1145:The Hand to Man Band
1008:Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
857:Entertainment Weekly
610:"Q&A: Mike Watt"
403:Entertainment Weekly
345:Professional ratings
261:"In The Engine Room"
121:Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
1094:Unknown Instructors
919:. November 24, 1997
884:(1 December 1998).
346:
280:"Black Gang Coffee"
1196:J Mascis + The Fog
1155:Big Walnuts Yonder
1125:The Pair of Pliers
590:on October 9, 2015
344:
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1237:The Reactionaries
1186:The Reactionaries
891:The Village Voice
882:Christgau, Robert
498:"AllMusic Review"
496:McLeod, Kembrew.
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415:The Village Voice
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1280:Mike Watt albums
1225:Related articles
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831:on July 26, 2008
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635:(22 July 1997).
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292:"Liberty Calls!"
289:"Fireman Hurley"
241:The Sand Pebbles
238:'s naval novel,
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277:"The Boilerman"
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52:October 6, 1997
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253:Track listing
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1253:We Jam Econo
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948:. Retrieved
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921:. Retrieved
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895:. Retrieved
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861:. Retrieved
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833:. Retrieved
829:the original
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588:the original
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502:AllMusic.com
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307:"Shore Duty"
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37:Studio album
1285:Rock operas
1275:1997 albums
1216:The Stooges
1179:Other bands
1039:Live albums
897:24 February
758:"Mike Watt"
283:"Topsiders"
264:"Red Bluff"
1269:Categories
1057:Main bands
950:October 4,
923:October 4,
793:The Reader
769:October 4,
633:Watt, Mike
480:References
460:Live album
327:Nels Cline
316:See also:
192:Nels Cline
188:black gang
178:Background
110:chronology
1064:Minutemen
993:Mike Watt
340:Reception
312:Personnel
172:Minutemen
168:Mike Watt
164:Minutemen
162:opera by
160:punk rock
108:Mike Watt
102:Mike Watt
42:Mike Watt
1206:Hellride
1069:Firehose
835:March 8,
329:- guitar
166:veteran
98:Producer
91:Columbia
49:Released
39: by
799:12 June
736:12 June
710:12 June
681:12 June
646:12 June
594:12 June
564:12 June
507:12 June
448:Ulysses
335:- drums
143:(2004)
134:(1997)
125:(1995)
1165:Fitted
1089:Banyan
917:People
863:May 3,
439:People
358:Rating
355:Source
69:Length
763:Salon
444:Salon
226:you.'
209:Album
158:is a
86:Label
58:Genre
1170:mssv
952:2019
925:2019
899:2019
865:2019
837:2019
801:2017
771:2019
738:2017
712:2017
683:2017
648:2017
596:2017
566:2017
509:2017
450:.""
63:Punk
1150:CUZ
1084:Dos
1271::
941:.
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420:C+
408:B+
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