Ball-Hog or Tugboat?

Ball-Hog or Tugboat? is the debut solo album by former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist, songwriter and vocalist Mike Watt. It was recorded in 1994, and came at a personal and professional career crossroads for Watt. fIREHOSE had broken up after eight years and six releases earlier in 1994, and his marriage to former Black Flag bassist Kira Roessler had ended in divorce (although both their friendship and their dual-bass project Dos continued; Kira also contributed some computer graphics to the album's artwork).

Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
Studio album by
Mike Watt
ReleasedFebruary 28, 1995
RecordedMay 29 – September 11, 1994
StudioCherokee Studios, Robert Lang Studios, Baby Monster Studios, Alpha Studios, The Clubhouse, Aire L.A. Studios
GenreAlternative rock
Length68:35
LabelColumbia
ProducerMike Watt
Mike Watt chronology
Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
(1995)		 Contemplating The Engine Room
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
Q[3]
NME3/10[4]

The title references the difference between being a team player or being a glory hog. Watt explained it as "Are you going to be the tugboat which helps boats dock in rough surf safely? Or are you going to be like some glory hound who shoots the fucking ball every time you get it?"[5]

Background

Without a full-time band, Watt recruited a wide variety of friends and fellow travelers to participate in the recording of the album. These included fellow SST Records alumni like former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins, members of Sonic Youth, Curt and Cris Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets, former Saccharine Trust guitarist Joe Baiza,[5] Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis,[5] and former SST house producer Spot, as well as members of bands who had either toured with and/or been influenced by the Minutemen and Firehose, including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder,[5] Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl (making their first recorded appearance on a record since Kurt Cobain's death), Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros drummer Stephen Perkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers's Flea, Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna,[5] Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner,[5] former Germs and Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear, former Pixies singer Frank Black, former Screamers and Twisted Roots keyboardist Paul Roessler (who was also Watt's brother-in-law),[5] The Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando,[5] The Circle Jerks' Zander Schloss, former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan and guitarist Gary Lee Conner, jazz/punk guitarist Nels Cline[5] and his drummer Michael Preussner,[5] that dog's Petra and Rachel Haden and Anna Waronker and Mike D and Ad-Rock[5] of the Beastie Boys. Also participating on the album were Parliament/Funkadelic organist Bernie Worrell, Carla Bozulich of the Geraldine Fibbers,[5] Vince Meghrouni and Tony Atherton from the jazz band Bazooka and Bruce Hornsby drummer John Molo.

In interviews and on his online tour journals, Watt has nicknamed Ball-Hog... "The Wrestling Album", as he considered the various lineups we worked with on the album as "people getting into the ring" with him. Watt has also mentioned in interviews that professional wrestling is one of the few things he regularly watches on television (He once named The Magnificent Muraco as a favorite wrestler of his.)[6] Watt's longtime friend, artist Raymond Pettibon (another wrestling fan), added to the wrestling theme by contributing to the artwork a panel cartoon with the caption "Sex with you is like watching scientific wrestling".

"Big Train" was the first single from the album and one of only two songs Watt sang lead vocal on (the other being the closing track, "Coincidence Is Either Hit Or Miss".) The album's other singles, "Against The 70's" and "Piss-Bottle Man", featured Eddie Vedder and Evan Dando on lead vocals respectively. All three of the singles were airplay hits on both modern rock and college radio, with "Against The 70's" peaking at #21 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[7] Videos were also shot for "Big Train" and "Piss-Bottle Man"; the former video originally featured models of Union Pacific trains in the footage, which was blurred out in a subsequent version of the clip after the company raised a copyright objection.

As part of the label's push behind the album, Columbia released the album as a limited-run double-vinyl LP, pressed on deep blue vinyl, and in a limited edition cardboard 12-inch by 6-inch sleeve that included both the standard CD insert as well as a second CD booklet that contained a "glossary of Pedro slang".[8]

To date, Ball-Hog... is the greatest selling album of Mike Watt's career other than the Minutemen's Double Nickels On The Dime.

Tour

Watt assembled an all-star grouping for his initial tour for the album in early 1995, attracting a great deal of attention from the alternative music press. Watt was backed by Vedder on guitar and vocals, Smear on guitar, William Goldsmith on drums, and Dave Grohl alternating on guitar and drums. The tour also featured Hovercraft (also featuring Vedder, performing semi-anonymously beside his then-wife Beth Liebling),[5] and the Foo Fighters on their first national tour.[5] Watt's ensemble performed on The Jon Stewart Show during this tour. Special guests such as Carla Bozulich and Perry Farrell appeared at select shows.

A May 1995 tour date in Chicago was recorded and later released as "Ring Spiel" Tour ’95.[9]

Later in the year Watt toured with a four-piece nicknamed The Crew Of The Flying Saucer with guitarist Nels Cline and two drummers, Michael Preussner and Vince Meghrouni, who served as an opening act for Primus on their 1995 US tour.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Mike Watt; except where indicated

  1. "Big Train" (Tony Kinman, Chip Kinman) – 3:21
  2. "Against the 70's" – 3:28
  3. "Drove Up from Pedro" – 4:32
  4. "Piss-Bottle Man" – 3:16
  5. "Chinese Firedrill" (Watt, Joe Carducci) – 3:25
  6. "Intense Song for Madonna to Sing" – 3:05
  7. "Tuff Gnarl" (Sonic Youth) – 3:10
  8. "Sexual Military Dynamics" (Watt, Henry Rollins) – 2:39
  9. "Max and Wells" – 3:11
  10. "E-Ticket Ride" – 4:27
  11. "Forever... One Reporter's Opinion" – 3:41
  12. "Song for Igor" – 2:46
  13. "Tell 'em Boy!" – 3:29
  14. "Sidemouse Advice" – 3:31
  15. "Heartbeat" – 5:34
  16. "Maggot Brain" (George Clinton, Eddie Hazel) – 12:05
  17. "Coincidence Is Either Hit or Miss" – 2:20

Personnel

Track credits

The album liner notes list the following performers by track:

#Track NamePersonnelInstrument
1Big TrainMike WattBass, Singer
Dave GrohlDrums
Nels ClineSlide Guitar
Eddie VedderSinger, guitar
J. MascisLead Guitar
Cris KirkwoodBanjo
Curt KirkwoodLead guitar
2Against the 70sMike WattBass
Eddie VedderSinger, guitar
Dave GrohlDrums
Gary Lee ConnerLead Guitar
Krist NovoselicFarfisa Organ
Carla BozulichBacking Singer
3Drove Up from PedroMike WattBass
Carla BozulichSinger
Michael PreussnerDrums
Nels ClineGuitar
Joe BaizaGuitar
Paul RoesslerPiano
Petra HadenBacking Singer
Rachel HadenBacking Singer
4Piss-Bottle ManMike WattBass
Evan DandoSinger
Bob LeeDrums
Zander SchlossGuitar
John StrohmGuitar
Anna WaronkerBacking Singer
Petra HadenBacking Singer
Rachel HadenBacking Singer
5Chinese FiredrillMike WattBass
Frank BlackSinger
Michael PreussnerDrums
Nels ClineElectric and nylon guitars
Keith McCawAcoustic Guitar
Stephen PerkinsPercussion
Joe CarducciLyrics
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingMike WattBass
Michael PreussnerDrums
Nels ClineLead Guitar
Joe BaizaGuitar
Paul RoesslerPiano
Danny FrankelPercussion
7Tuff GnarlMike WattBass
Carla BozulichSinger
J. MascisDrums (first part)
Thurston MooreGuitar, Lyrics
Lee RanaldoGuitar
Nels ClineGuitar
Steve ShelleyDrums (second part)
Epic SoundtracksTambourine
Petra HadenBacking Singer
8Sexual Military DynamicsMike WattBass
Henry RollinsSinger, lyrics
Wayne GriffinDrums
ButlerGuitar
9Max and WellsMike WattBass
Mark LaneganSinger
Brock AveryDrums
J. MascisGuitar
Todd RigioneGuitar
10E-Ticket RideMike WattBass
Mike DSinger
Stephen PerkinsDrums and Percussion (first part)
Tony AthertonAlto Sax
Coco Hayley Gordon MooreWail
FleaLead Bass
John MoloDrums (second part)
Vince MeghrouniPercussion (2nd part) and backup singer
11Forever - One Reporter's OpinionMike WattBass
Pat SmearGuitar
Michael PreussnerDrums
Nels ClineGuitar
12Song for IgorMike WattBass
Vince MeghrouniSinger, drums, tenor sax
Tony AthertonAlto Sax
13Tell 'em, Boy!Mike WattBass
Dave PirnerSinger
John MoloDrums
Todd RigioneGuitar
14Sidemouse AdviceMike WattBass
Carla BozulichSinger
Stephen PerkinsDrums
Paul RoesslerPiano
FleaTrumpet
15HeartbeatMike WattBass
Tiffany AndersSinger
Richie WestDrums
Kathleen HannaSpiel
SpotViola
16Maggot BrainMike WattBass
J. MascisGuitar
Bernie WorrellB3 Organ
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissMike WattBass and Singer
Adam HorovitzDrums, Guitar, Hollering
Ronda RindoneBass Clarinet
Mario CaldatoHollering
Tony MaxwellCello
SpotViola

References and footnotes
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Ball-Hog or Tugboat?". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  2. Rolling Stone review
  3. "Mike Watt: Ball-Hog Or Tugboat". Q (102): 106. March 1995.
  4. "Mike Watt: Ball-Hog Or Tugboat?". NME. 18 March 1995. p. 47.
  5. Bullock, John Paul (March 4, 2020). "Mike Watt's Ball-Hog or Tugboat Turns 25: How a Bass Hero's Eclectic LP Defined the '90s". Spin. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  6. Watt, Mike (April 9, 2012). ""smokin' on the ol' pink pole" tour 2012". Mike Watt's Hoot Page. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  7. "Mike Watt: Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  8. "Pedro Speak". sonymusic.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  9. "Audio of Mike Watt's "ring spiel" tour '95 to be Released for the First Time Commercially on November 11". Columbia/Legacy. September 30, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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