Paranoid Time

Infobox Album
Name = Paranoid Time
Type = EP
Longtype = (7")
Artist = The Minutemen


Released = 1980
Recorded = 1980
Genre = Punk
Length = 6:31
Label = SST
Producer = Greg Ginn
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:mlz8b5t4tsqk link]
Last album =
This album = "Paranoid Time"
(1980)
Next album = "Joy"
(1981)

"Paranoid Time" is the first EP, and first ever recording, by punk/alternative rock band The Minutemen. It is also the second ever release by the SST record label, founded by Black Flag's Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski.

History of the record

The Minutemen's first record occurred almost immediately after they opened for Black Flag in the Minutemen's hometown of San Pedro, California. Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn offered the group a chance to record and release a record, and a late night session at Media Art Studio in Hermosa Beach, California was booked.

The group recorded all seven songs in the order in which they appear on the record, with no overdubbing except for backing vocals by the group and drummer George Hurley's brother Greg. At the beginning of "Joe McCarthy's Ghost", bassist Mike Watt can be heard telling guitarist D. Boon and the Hurley brothers, "You just sing 'Joe McCarthy', want to do that?". A discussion between the four participants can be heard underneath George Hurley's previously recorded drum introduction.

Ginn later told the Minutemen how to put out a record, which spurred Watt and Boon to form New Alliance Records later that year.

The EP also appears as part of the "My First Bells" cassette (1985) and the "Post-Mersh Vol. 3" CD. Two tracks from the EP, "Paranoid Chant" and "The Maze" appeared on the SST compilation "The Blasting Concept, Vol. 1".

A sample of the intro to "Joe McCarthy's Ghost" can be heard on one of the radio ads compiled on the "Crass Commercialism" track on Black Flag's "Everything Went Black" album.

Early released copies of the EP were printed with black artwork. All other editions are green.

Track listing

#"Validation" (Tamburovich, Watt)
#"The Maze" (Boon)
#"Definitions" (Watt)
#"Sickles And Hammers" (instrumental) (Boon, Watt)
#"Fascist" (Boon)
#"Joe McCarthy's Ghost" (Watt)
#"Paranoid Chant" (Watt)

Musical personnel

*D. Boon - guitar, vocals
*Mike Watt - bass, vocals
*George Hurley - drums, backing vocals
*Greg Hurley - backing vocals on "Joe McCarthy's Ghost" and "Paranoid Chant"

Recording personnel

*Greg Ginn - record producer
*Spot - engineer

Miscellanea

*The credit "A big thanks to Martin for passing out" is a line poking fun at longtime band friend Martin Tamburovich, who was the lead singer of a short-lived punk/new wave quartet called The Reactionaries with Boon, Watt, and Hurley, and who wrote the lyrics to "Validation".
*Although D. Boon was the defacto lead singer of the band, the first song on the first Minutemen record was sung by Mike Watt.