Fishbone is the recording debut of alternative group Fishbone. This six-song EP was released in 1985 and captures the band at the height of their early funk/ska era. The track "Party at Ground Zero" remains one of the band's most popular tracks.

Fishbone
EP by
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1985
Recorded1985
StudioSunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA; Eldorado Recording Studios, Burbank, CA
GenreSka;[1] Rock
Length26:33
LabelColumbia
ProducerDavid Kahne
Fishbone chronology
Fishbone
(1985)
In Your Face
(1986)
Singles from Fishbone
  1. "? (Modern Industry)"
    Released: 1985
  2. "Party at Ground Zero"
    Released: 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert ChristgauB+[3]
Rolling Stone[2]

The track "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." stands for "Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts", as confirmed on the band's website, and imagines a government attempt to convince the public that Hiroshima was actually caused by Godzilla farting.[4][citation needed]

Reception

edit

Spin wrote, "The spirits of Little Richard, Chuck Berry and dozens of anonymous honkers and shouters haunt the grooves. Fishbone charges through the six cuts at breakneck speed. Tunes jump jaggedly from one change to another, flashing a frantic ska-beat, squawking horns, growling guitars, nearly a capella harmonies, yelps, squeaks, guffaws and moans."[5]

Track listing

edit
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ugly"Kendall Jones2:52
2."Another Generation"Jones4:04
3."? (Modern Industry)"David Kahne, Jones4:26
4."Party at Ground Zero"Jones, Angelo Moore, John Norwood Fisher6:31
5."V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F."Fisher4:23
6."Lyin' Ass Bitch"Lisa R. Grant, Jones, Moore4:16
7.   "Skankin' to the Beat" (bonus track, some vinyl editions)[6]

Personnel

edit
Fishbone
Additional personnel
  • Lisa Grant – vocals on "Lyin' Ass Bitch"
Production
  • Nancy Donald – design
  • David Kahne – engineer
  • Tony Lane – design
  • David Leonard – engineer, mixing
  • John Scarpati – photography
  • Jack Skinner – mastering (Sterling Sound, New York City)

Accolades

edit
Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
1985 The Village Voice United States Albums of the Year (EP) 3[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Prato, Greg. "allmusic ((( Fishbone > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  2. ^ Brackett, Nathan. "Fishbone". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 298, cited March 31, 2010
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Fishbone". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 31, 2010.
  4. ^ Prato, Greg (June 12, 2012). "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  5. ^ Randall F. Grass (July 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 3. p. 32.
  6. ^ Fishbone Official Page, Facebook, April 19, 2014
  7. ^ "Pazz & Jop 1985". The Village Voice. New York. February 18, 1986. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Robert Christgau.