Monsters and Robots

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Monsters and Robots
File:MonstersAndRobotscover.jpg
Studio album by Buckethead
Released April 20, 1999
Recorded 1998–1999
Genre Experimental rock, funk rock, electronic rock, alternative metal
Length 50:54 (standard release)
55:12 (Japanese release)
Label CyberOctave, Higher Octave Music, Virgin, EMI
Producer Pete Scaturro, Les Claypool, Extrakd, Bill Laswell
Buckethead chronology
Colma
(1998)Colma1998		 Monsters and Robots
(1999)		 KFC Skin Piles
(2001)KFC Skin Piles2001
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars[1]

Monsters and Robots is Buckethead's fifth studio album, released April 20, 1999, by Higher Octave records. A large part of the album was co-written with Les Claypool, who also plays bass on several tracks and lends his vocals to the track «The Ballad of Buckethead».

Buckethead promoted the album by opening for Primus in October and November 1999.[2] Monsters and Robots is listed in the German National Library's catalog[3] and is Buckethead's best selling solo album to date.[4]

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Jump Man"   Buckethead, Pete Scaturro 4:21
2. "Stick Pit"   Buckethead, Les Claypool, Bryan Mantia 3:40
3. "The Ballad of Buckethead"   Buckethead, Claypool, Mantia 3:59
4. "Sow Thistle"   Buckethead, Steve Freeman, Bootsy Collins 4:30
5. "Revenge of the Double-Man"   Buckethead, Claypool, Mantia, DJ Disk 3:34
6. "Night of the Slunk"   Buckethead 5:43
7. "Who Me?"   Buckethead 2:08
8. "Jowls"   Buckethead, Scaturro, Mantia 4:26
9. "The Shape vs Buckethead"   Buckethead, Freeman, Collins 5:40
10. "Stun Operator"   Buckethead, Claypool, Mantia 4:17
11. "Scapula"   Buckethead, Scaturro, Mantia 4:04
12. "Nun Chuka Kata"   Buckethead, Claypool, Mantia, DJ Disk 4:30
13. "Remote Viewer #13" (Japanese edition bonus track) Buckethead, Claypool, Mantia, DJ Disk 4:18
Total length:
 55:12

Notes

  • The songs "Jowls" and "Scapula" are both re-recorded versions of songs of the same names on Giant Robot (NTT).
  • The song "Night of the Slunk" has a similar riff as "Jump Man", but longer with less distortion.
  • Version of the song "Revenge of the Double-Man", named "Silent Scream" also appeared on the album The 13th Scroll released in 1999 by Buckethead's side project Cobra Strike.
  • Content of the track "Revenge of the Double-Man" is a reference to an arcade game Sinistar.
  • "Scapula" uses several samples taken from the movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Personnel

Production

  • Tracks 1, 8, 11 recorded at Horn of Zeus.
    • Produced & mixed by Pete Scaturro & Rob Beaton.
    • [Jowls originally recorded by Howard Johnson @ Different Fur Recording]
    • Recording assistance on 8 by Mark Weber, on 11 by Mark Weber & Eric Ware.
  • Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13 recorded at Rancho Relaxo studios.
  • Tracks 4 & 9 recorded at the Embalming Plant.
    • Produced by Extrakd.
  • Track 6 recorded at Orange Music.
  • Additional production on tracks 1, 4 & 9 by Bootsy Collins at Bootzilla Re-hab P-form School.
  • Mastered by Don E. Tyler at Precision Mastering.
  • A&R direction: Warren Schummer.
  • Design, illustration & photography: Dave McKean @ Hourglass.
  • Cover illustration for Buckethead No. 2: Bryan Frankenseuss Theiss.
  • Photographs on pgs. 3, 6, 7 & back inlay: Warren Schummer.
  • 3-d programming: Max MacMuffin.
  • Production manager: Gina Grimes.
  • Product marketing manager: Kenny Nemes.

The Ballad of Buckethead

"Monsters and Robots"
Song

"The Ballad of Buckethead" was chosen to promote Monsters and Robots. It is one of the few Buckethead songs to prominently feature vocals, which are performed by Primus' Les Claypool. Drums were performed by long-time Buckethead friend (and then Primus drummer) Bryan "Brain" Mantia.

The song is split into three verses, with the chorus following the first and third verse. The song, as its title suggests, tells the (fictional) story of Buckethead's life,[5] particularly his upbringing. According to Buckethead's official biography,[6] he was raised in a chicken coop by chickens, and the lyrics to the high-octane narrative[7] continue this theme:

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Buckethead found his freedom at the age of 17

When he burned the chicken house down with a quart of gasoline
He did puppet shows on corners and bought a real guitar

And with the help of Colonel Sanders he's bound to be a star

A video clip using 3D models and reassembling themes from the lyrics was made by English artist Dave McKean,[8] and gained airplay on several music related television stations.

The song was included to Primus' live set in October and November 1999, when Buckethead made stage cameos.[9]

"The Ballad of Buckethead" features samples from the 1996 movie Sling Blade.

Also, the music video has been nominated for the "Best New Artist - Modern Rock" on Billboard's Music Video Awards.[10]

Credits

References

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  9. ↑ Hi kids, do you like Primus?, Kyle Kipp, November 1999[dead link]
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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