Episode 26 – It’s Weird Being a Bob: NoMeansNo FTW

Radical Research Podcast

Angular, adventurous, and apocalyptic in nearly equal shares, few bands scratch the collective itches of Radical Research like Victoria, British Columbia’s Nomeansno. From their punky beginnings to the nuanced terror of their mature work, Nomeansno trafficked some of the most dangerous and dexterous rock music of the '80s and '90s. Accompanied by venomous libretti - Rob Wright May be responsible for rock music’s most articulate extrapolation of Hannah Arendt’s theory of the Banality of Evil - Nomeansno summoned a heady din of seething, twisting, mongrel-music. Peerless in a peer-friendly world, Nomeansno takes the road never traveled.

Note I: Caveat! We talk for 7 or 8 minutes at the beginning of this episode about drummer Vinnie Colaiuta before we get into Nomeansno. Note II: Due respect to Mama, Sex Mad, The Worldhood of the World (As Such) and Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie. All Nomeansno albums are recommended by Radical Research! Note III: Rob Wright is the man. For a long time, he looked like Phil Donohue…and when he was raging on stage, singing with sardonic malice and playing bass like a god, it was a fantastic visual, both hilarious and terrifying. Music cited, in order of appearance: “The End of All Things” (Wrong, 1989) “Victory” (Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, 1988) “It’s Catching Up” (Wrong, 1989) “Ghosts” (0+2=1, 1991) “I See a Mansion in the Sky” (All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt, 2006) “Forget Your Life” (The Day Everything Became Nothing, 1988) “Real Love” (Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, 1989) “0+2=1” (0+2=1, 1991) “The Day Everything Became Nothing” (The Day Everything Became Nothing, 1988) “Teresa, Give Me That Knife” (Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, 1988) “The Tower” (Wrong, 1989) “Under the Sea” (One, 2000) “Everyday I Start to Ooze” (0+2=1, 1991) “Mary” (0+2=1, 1991) “Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed” (Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, 1989) “The River” (Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy?, 1993) “Bitch’s Brew” (One, 2000) Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it. This is Radical Research Podcast episode 26