- Monsters and Robots
-
Monsters and Robots 
Studio album by Buckethead Released April 20, 1999 Recorded 1998–1999 Genre Experimental rock, funk 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)Monsters and Robots
(1999)KFC Skin Piles
(2001)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
[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 said to be Buckethead's best selling solo album up to date.[4]
Contents
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 "Torture Tunnel" also appeared on the album "13th Scroll", released in 1999 by Buckethead's side project Cobra Strike.
Personnel
- Buckethead — guitar (all tracks), bass (tracks 1, 8 and 11)
- Les Claypool — bass (tracks 2, 3, 5, 10, 12 and 13), vocals (track 3)
- Bryan "Brain" Mantia — drums (tracks 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13)
- Phonopsychograph Disk — turntables (tracks 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 13)
- Bootsy Collins — vocals (tracks 1, 4 and 9)
- Ovi-Wey — rap vocals (track 9)
- DJ Eddie Def — turntables (tracks 4 and 9)
- Max Robertson — vocals (track 11)
- The Chicken Scratch Choir — background vocals (track 3)
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.
- Produced by Les Claypool.
- Engineered by Oz Fritz.
- Tracks 4 & 9 recorded at the Embalming Plant.
- Produced by Extrakd.
- Track 6 recorded at Orange Music.
- Produced by Bill Laswell.
- Engineered by Robert Musso.
- 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
"The Ballad of Buckethead" Song by Buckethead from the album Monsters and Robots Released April 20, 1999 Recorded Rancho Relaxo studios Genre Experimental rock, funk metal Length 3:59 Label Higher Octave Writer Buckethead, Les Claypool, Bryan Mantia Producer Les Claypool Monsters and Robots track listing "Stick Pit"
(2)"The Ballad of Buckethead"
(3)"Sow Thistle"
(4)"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 (fake) 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:
“ 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
- Buckethead — guitar
- Les Claypool — vocals, bass
- Bryan "Brain" Mantia — drums
- Phonopsychograph Disk — turntables
- The Chicken Scratch Chior — background vocals
References
- ^ Huey, Steve (1999-04-20). "Allmusic review". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r413169. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ Ives, Brian (1999-09-29). "MTV News, September 1999". Mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1430283/19990929/incubus.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "Katalog des Deutschen Musikarchivs". Dispatch.opac.d-nb.de. http://dispatch.opac.d-nb.de/DB=2.1/SET=2/TTL=1/SHW?FRST=8. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ Robert White. "FAQ 2.0". Bucketheadland.com. http://www.bucketheadland.com/faq/faq2/FAQ_2_0.html#18. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "Buckethead Album Reviews". Guypetersreviews.com. http://www.guypetersreviews.com/buckethead.php. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "The Buckethead Story". Bucketheadland.com. http://bucketheadland.com/story/index.html. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "United Mutations, a Buckethead interview by Jason Pettigrew, Alternative Press #139, February 2000". Bingeandgrab.com. 2000-02-28. http://www.bingeandgrab.com/unitedmutations.html. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ McKean, Dave; Neil Gaiman, Lisa Henson (2005). The Alchemy of MirrorMask. Collins Design. ISBN 0060823798.
- ^ Hi kids, do you like Primus?, Kyle Kipp, November 1999[dead link]
- ^ "Buckethead Videography". Bingeandgrab.com. http://www.bingeandgrab.com/videography.html. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
Buckethead Travis Dickerson · Bill Laswell · Bootsy Collins · Les Claypool · Bryan Mantia · Bernie Worrell · Serj Tankian · John Zorn · Pinchface · Extrakd · DJ Disk · Maximum Bob · Efrem Schulz · Saul Williams · Gigi · Maura Davis · Azam Ali · Jas Obrecht · Bill Moseley · Dan Monti · Melissa Reese · AlbertStudio albums Bucketheadland (1992) · Giant Robot (1994) · The Day of the Robot (1996) · Colma (1998) · Monsters and Robots (1999) · Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse (2001) · Funnel Weaver (2002) · Bermuda Triangle (2002) · Electric Tears (2002) · Bucketheadland 2 (2003) · Island of Lost Minds (2004) · Population Override (2004) · The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell (2004) · Enter the Chicken (2005) · Kaleidoscalp (2005) · Inbred Mountain (2005) · The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock (2006) · Crime Slunk Scene (2006) · Pepper's Ghost (2007) · Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot (2007) · Cyborg Slunks (2007) · Albino Slug (2008) · Slaughterhouse on the Prairie (2009) · A Real Diamond in the Rough (2009) · Forensic Follies (2009) · Needle in a Slunk Stack (2009) · Shadows Between the Sky (2010) · Spinal Clock (2010) · Captain EO's Voyage (2010) · 3 Foot Clearance (2010) · It's Alive (2011) · Empty Space (2011) · Underground Chamber (2011) · Look Up There (2011)Extended plays KFC Skin Piles (2001)Special releases In Search of The (2007) · Acoustic Shards (2007) · Bucketheadland Blueprints (re-release) (2007) · From the Coop (2008)Videos Demos Giant Robot (1991) · Bucketheadland Blueprints (1991)Unreleased albums Buckethead Plays Disney · Super Diorama TheaterAs Death Cube K Dreamatorium (1994) · Disembodied (1997) · Tunnel (1999) · DCK (2007) · Monolith (2007) · Torn from Black Space (2009)Notable songs "Welcome to Bucketheadland" (1994) · "Binge and Grab (instrumental version)" (1994) · "Big Sur Moon" (1998) · "The Ballad of Buckethead" (1999) · "Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse" (2001) · "Spokes for the Wheel of Torment" (2004) · "We Are One" (2005) "Botnus" (2005) · "Three Fingers" (2005) · Nottingham Lace" (2005) "Jordan" (2006) · "The Landing Beacon" (2009)with Artists Alix Lambert & Travis Dickerson Bryan "Brain" Mantia Kevin's Noodle House · Brain as HamenoodleBrain and Melissa Reese Best Regards · Kind RegardsJonas Hellborg & Michael Shrieve Travis Dickerson Travis Dickerson and Brain Shin Terai Unison · Heaven & Hell · LightyearsViggo Mortensen One Less Thing to Worry About · Recent Forgeries · The Other Parade · One Man's Meat · Pandemoniumfromamerica · Please Tomorrow · This, That, and The Other · Intelligence Failure · At All · Reunionwith Bands Deli Creeps Deli Creeps Demo Tape 1991 · Deli Creeps Demo Tape 1996 · Dawn of the Deli CreepsPraxis Cornbugs Spot the Psycho · Cemetery Pinch · How Now Brown Cow · Brain Circus · Donkey Town · Rest Home for Robots · Skeleton Farm · Celebrity Psychos · Quackers! · HeadcheeseThanatopsis Guns N' Roses Cobra Strike 13th Scroll · Cobra Strike II: Y, Y+B, X+Y <hold> ←Bands: Pieces | Giant Robot | Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains | Gorgone | Science Faxtion | Frankenstein Brothers
Others: Buckethead Discography
Labels: Serjical Strike Records | TDRS Music | Axiom | Sony Japan | Higher OctaveCategories:- 1999 albums
- Buckethead albums
- Les Claypool albums
- Albums produced by Bill Laswell
- Albums with cover art by Dave McKean
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
