Ball-Hog or Tugboat?


Ball-Hog or Tugboat? is the 1995 debut solo album by American musician Mike Watt, previously known for his work as the bass guitarist and songwriter for the punk rock groups [The The Minutemen (band)|Minutemen (band)|Minutemen] and fIREHOSE.
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?" Watt recorded the album with a rotating cast of alternative rock all-stars.

Background

It was recorded in 1994, and came at a personal and professional career crossroads for Watt. Earlier in 1994, fIREHOSE had broken up after eight years and six releases, and his marriage to Kira Roessler had ended in divorce, though they remained on good terms and worked as a duo in Dos; Kira also contributed some computer graphics to the album's artwork.
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, Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis, and former SST house producer Spot. Other contributors included members of bands who had either toured with and/or been influenced by the Minutemen and Firehose, including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros drummer Stephen Perkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers's Flea, Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner, former Germs and Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear, former Pixies singer Frank Black, former The Screamers and Twisted Roots keyboardist Paul Roessler, The Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando, The Circle Jerks' Zander Schloss, former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan and guitarist Gary Lee Conner, jazz/punk guitarist Nels Cline and his drummer Michael Preussner, that dog's Petra and Rachel Haden and Anna Waronker, and Mike D and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys. Also participating on the album were Parliament/Funkadelic organist Bernie Worrell, Carla Bozulich of the Geraldine Fibbers, 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 Watt's longtime friend, artist Raymond Pettibon, added to the wrestling theme by contributing to the artwork a panel cartoon with the caption "Sex with you is like watching scientific wrestling".

Singles

"Big Train" was the first single from the album and one of only two songs Watt sang lead vocal on The album's other singles, "Against The 70's" and "Piss-Bottle Man", featured Eddie Vedder and Evan Dando on lead vocals respectively. The initial plan was for Vedder to sing on a cover of Captain Beefheart's "Dirty Blue Gene" but at the last minute they decided to record "Against the 70s" instead. 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. Videos were also shot for "Big Train" and "Piss-Bottle Man"; the former video was directed by Spike Jonze, and it originally featured models of Union Pacific locomotives. After the Union Pacific Railroad successfully sued the video's producers for the use of one of the models, details of the model were blurred out in a subsequent version of the "Big Train" video.
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 [San San Pedro, California|Pedro, California|Pedro] slang".

Critical reception

The Indianapolis Star noted the "message-laden anthems, schizophrenic jazz-rock and an unbearable 12-minute version of George Clinton's 'Maggot Brain'."

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 Vedder's band Hovercraft and the Foo Fighters on their first national tour. 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.
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" – 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" – 3:25
  6. "Intense Song for Madonna to Sing" – 3:05
  7. "Tuff Gnarl" – 3:10
  8. "Sexual Military Dynamics" – 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" – 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
1Big TrainDave GrohlDrums
1Big TrainNels ClineSlide Guitar
1Big TrainEddie VedderSinger, guitar
1Big TrainJ. MascisLead Guitar
1Big TrainCris KirkwoodBanjo
1Big TrainCurt KirkwoodLead guitar
2Against the 70sMike WattBass
2Against the 70sEddie VedderSinger, guitar
2Against the 70sDave GrohlDrums
2Against the 70sGary Lee ConnerLead Guitar
2Against the 70sKrist NovoselicFarfisa Organ
2Against the 70sCarla BozulichBacking Singer
3Drove Up from PedroMike WattBass
3Drove Up from PedroCarla BozulichSinger
3Drove Up from PedroMichael PreussnerDrums
3Drove Up from PedroNels ClineGuitar
3Drove Up from PedroJoe BaizaGuitar
3Drove Up from PedroPaul RoesslerPiano
3Drove Up from PedroPetra HadenBacking Singer
3Drove Up from PedroRachel HadenBacking Singer
4Piss-Bottle ManMike WattBass
4Piss-Bottle ManEvan DandoSinger
4Piss-Bottle ManBob LeeDrums
4Piss-Bottle ManZander SchlossGuitar
4Piss-Bottle ManJohn StrohmGuitar
4Piss-Bottle ManAnna WaronkerBacking Singer
4Piss-Bottle ManPetra HadenBacking Singer
4Piss-Bottle ManRachel HadenBacking Singer
5Chinese FiredrillMike WattBass
5Chinese FiredrillFrank BlackSinger
5Chinese FiredrillMichael PreussnerDrums
5Chinese FiredrillNels ClineElectric and nylon guitars
5Chinese FiredrillKeith McCawAcoustic Guitar
5Chinese FiredrillStephen PerkinsPercussion
5Chinese FiredrillJoe CarducciLyrics
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingMike WattBass
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingMichael PreussnerDrums
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingNels ClineLead Guitar
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingJoe BaizaGuitar
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingPaul RoesslerPiano
6Intense Song for Madonna to SingDanny FrankelPercussion
7Tuff GnarlMike WattBass
7Tuff GnarlCarla BozulichSinger
7Tuff GnarlJ. MascisDrums
7Tuff GnarlThurston MooreGuitar, Lyrics
7Tuff GnarlLee RanaldoGuitar
7Tuff GnarlNels ClineGuitar
7Tuff GnarlSteve ShelleyDrums
7Tuff GnarlEpic SoundtracksTambourine
7Tuff GnarlPetra HadenBacking Singer
8Sexual Military DynamicsMike WattBass
8Sexual Military DynamicsHenry RollinsSinger, lyrics
8Sexual Military DynamicsWayne GriffinDrums
8Sexual Military DynamicsButlerGuitar
9Max and WellsMike WattBass
9Max and WellsMark LaneganSinger
9Max and WellsBrock AveryDrums
9Max and WellsJ. MascisGuitar
9Max and WellsTodd RigioneGuitar
10E-Ticket RideMike WattBass
10E-Ticket RideMike DSinger
10E-Ticket RideStephen PerkinsDrums and Percussion
10E-Ticket RideTony AthertonAlto Sax
10E-Ticket RideCoco Hayley Gordon MooreWail
10E-Ticket RideFleaLead Bass
10E-Ticket RideJohn MoloDrums
10E-Ticket RideVince MeghrouniPercussion and backup singer
11Forever - One Reporter's OpinionMike WattBass
11Forever - One Reporter's OpinionPat SmearSinger
11Forever - One Reporter's OpinionMichael PreussnerDrums
11Forever - One Reporter's OpinionNels ClineGuitar
12Song for IgorMike WattBass
12Song for IgorVince MeghrouniSinger, drums, tenor sax
12Song for IgorTony AthertonAlto Sax
13Tell 'em, Boy!Mike WattBass
13Tell 'em, Boy!Dave PirnerSinger
13Tell 'em, Boy!John MoloDrums
13Tell 'em, Boy!Todd RigioneGuitar
14Sidemouse AdviceMike WattBass
14Sidemouse AdviceCarla BozulichSinger
14Sidemouse AdviceStephen PerkinsDrums
14Sidemouse AdvicePaul RoesslerPiano
14Sidemouse AdviceFleaTrumpet
15HeartbeatMike WattBass
15HeartbeatTiffany AndersSinger
15HeartbeatRichie WestDrums
15HeartbeatKathleen HannaSpiel
15HeartbeatSpotViola
16Maggot BrainMike WattBass
16Maggot BrainJ. MascisGuitar
16Maggot BrainBernie WorrellB3 Organ
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissMike WattBass and Singer
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissAdam HorovitzDrums, Guitar, Hollering
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissRonda RindoneBass Clarinet
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissMario CaldatoHollering
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissTony MaxwellCello
17Coincidence Is Either Hit or MissSpotViola