Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
| Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Fishbone | ||||
| Released | May 23, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | One on One Studios | |||
| Genre | Alternative metal, funk metal, ska punk | |||
| Length | 64:44 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Terry Date, Fishbone | |||
| Fishbone chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Give a Monkey a Brain... | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe is the fourth full-length album from alternative rock band Fishbone. It is the last album to feature all six original members, as guitarist Kendall Jones left the band a few months after the album's release, and keyboardist/trombonist Chris Dowd would leave the next year.
It is Fishbone's heaviest album, with the band focusing on heavy metal without any trace of their trademark horn section until the fourth song, the ska-infused "Unyielding Conditioning". Saxophonist Branford Marsalis makes an appearance on the manic "Drunk Skitzo", and the ending of "Swim" includes excerpts of a Damon Wayans stand-up routine about his experience at a Fishbone concert.
Shortly after the release of the album, the band toured as part of the third annual Lollapalooza festival, but was dropped by Sony Records the following year.
A poster of the album can briefly be seen on the wall in a garage after 5.44 minute during the sixth episode of the first season of the TV series Six Feet Under.
The title is a quotation from the discordian religious text Principia Discordia.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swim" | John Bigham | 4:42 |
| 2. | "Servitude" | Kendall Jones | 5:20 |
| 3. | "Black Flowers" | Chris Dowd | 5:46 |
| 4. | "Unyielding Conditioning" | Kendall Jones | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Properties of Propaganda (Fuk This Shit On Up)" | John Norwood Fisher | 5:22 |
| 6. | "The Warmth of Your Breath" | John Norwood Fisher, Angelo Moore | 4:55 |
| 7. | "Lemon Meringue" | John Norwood Fisher | 6:10 |
| 8. | "They All Have Abandoned Their Hopes" | John Norwood Fisher, Angelo Moore, Chris Dowd | 4:58 |
| 9. | "End the Reign" | Kendall Jones | 5:23 |
| 10. | "Drunk Skitzo" | Angelo Moore, John Norwood Fisher | 5:17 |
| 11. | "No Fear" | John Bigham | 6:01 |
| 12. | "Nutt Megalomaniac" | John Norwood Fisher | 5:43 |
Accolades
| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Visions | Germany | "The Best Albums 1991-96" | * | [5] |
| "*" denotes an unordered list. | |||||
Personnel
- Angelo Moore – saxophone, vocals
- Walter A. Kibby II – trumpet, vocals
- Kendall Jones – lead guitar, vocals
- Chris Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals
- John Bigham – guitar, keyboard
- John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals
- Philip "Fish" Fisher – drums
- Kristen Vigard - background vocals
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Billboard 200 | 99 |
References
- ↑ Prato, Greg. "Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan. "Fishbone". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 298, cited March 31, 2010
- ↑ Bernard, James (May 1993). "Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe". Entertainment Weekly. p. 66. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Fishbone Review". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ↑ "Visions - The Best Albums 1991-96". Visions. Retrieved 2010-01-18.