How to Make Enemies and Irritate People
Encyclopedia
How to Make Enemies and Irritate People is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock
band Screeching Weasel
. It was released in 1994 through Lookout! Records
. It was meant to be the band's last album. Shortly after the release of 1993's Anthem for a New Tomorrow
, bassist/backing vocalist/songwriting collaborator Danny Vapid
left the band. The rest of the band felt that they had run out of steam, but wanted to record the last batch of songs they had written. Since Vapid had left, they recruited Mike Dirnt
from Green Day
to fill in on bass and backing vocals. This was around the time when Green Day was experiencing an explosion in popularity, and Dirnt had to leave the sessions at one point to play on the The Late Show with David Letterman
. The band split up with the release of the album and shut down their post office box. Ben Weasel, Danny Vapid, and drummer Dan Panic formed the more Ramones
-influenced Riverdales and guitarist Jughead took time off from music to write and direct plays. The band would return just a few years later with Vapid back on bass for the Bark Like a Dog
album on Fat Wreck Chords
. The album was out of print for a short while but was remastered and re-released in 2005 on Asian Man Records
.
was recorded and the band decided to disband.
The album starts with one of Weasel's trademark attacks on the punk rock scene, the not-very-subtle "Planet of the Apes". The song lacks the eloquence Weasel employed on the last album, but makes up for it with humor. Weasel seems to be expressing his distaste for the "tough guy" element that was becoming more and more prevalent in punk at the time.
"99" is a break-up song about a character (Maxwell Smart's female partner) from the television series Get Smart
. It's possible that Weasel was writing an autobiographical song with the names changed (he has admitted to doing this quite often). The majority of the song is spent discussing how difficult it is to forget the girl in question, but by the end Weasel has moved on. He admits he will get over it and find another girl, as the one he lost is not entirely unique, but he'll always remember her.
"I Hate Your Guts On Sunday" is one of Weasel's sillier songs, tackling his own fickle nature. He hates the person in question only on Sunday, but "every other day I think you're totally cool."
"Johnny Are You Queer?" is a cover of a 1982 song by Josie Cotton
which was featured in the movie Valley Girl
.
"Time Bomb" is a song about relationship problems seen from a third person perspective. One person treats the other as an "accessory" and a trophy, and the narrator knows that once they're alone, "all the numbers hit zero". Like many Weasel songs, it touches on a real human issue with a sense of fun and humor. Also, it follows in Weasel's tradition of writing relationship songs from a point of view not usually taken in songwriting.
"Burnout Girl" is a song about an idealized girl, much like "Thrift Store Girl" on the last album. The song is from the point of view of someone waiting outside the object of their affection's window late at night, hoping to "rescue" them and making various statements of devotion. The narrator sees nothing but hopelessness in both of their lives and wants the girl to "come on out and do something else."
Weasel takes on the idea of the grass being greener on the other side in "If I Was You". He addresses those who think he may "have it made," while he sees himself as just killing time. He seems to be wishing for a way out of his current situation, which may be an explanation for why the band broke up when it did.
"Nobody Likes You" is a blatant insult track, not unlike "Fathead" from My Brain Hurts
. It is the only song on the album co-written with Dan Vapid.
"Degenerate" is another hint of things to come with Weasel's writing, as it showcases his self-proclaimed "curmudgeonly" mindset. It's a slightly self-effacing jab at the punk scene and its "teenage soap opera" mentality. Weasel, once again, clearly wishes to distance himself from this.
Like "Like a Parasite" from Wiggle, "Surf Goddess" was co-written with Joe King from The Queers
, and a version of the song was also recorded by his band. The song is a pretty straightforward ode to California girls from a boy stuck in Illinois. He fawns over her life of hanging out in clubs while he's "gotta shovel the snow".
The next two songs are both about a girl named Kathy who seems to have some mental illness. Both songs mention suicide attempts (one successful). Both also make mention of her being institutionalized without the problem being solved. Neither has much hope for its subject, and they subtly criticize the way mental illness is "cured" in modern times. As usual, they are delivered with Weasel's standard sardonic delivery. The songs are reminiscent of "Jeannie's Got A Problem With Her Uterus" on Wiggle, touching on real human problems filtered through humor to make them a bit more bearable.
Ending the album and the band's second life is "I Wrote Holden Caulfield," seemingly a response (if only in the title) to Green Day
's "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" from their second album Kerplunk (1992). It addresses an anonymous subject going through trying times, attempting to console and calm them with sentiments like "don't tell me that things don't get better 'cause sometimes they do". The tone shifts from sympathy to one of seeming annoyance by the end, repeating "why don't you stop crying" and advising the person to put their problems in perspective. This song appeared on the few live shows the band played in 2004 and fit in perfectly with the more introspective songs the band was recording and performing at that time. This song is a bit of a precursor to the mood Weasel would set on the Emo album in 1999. The song ends abruptly with the word "done", and after approximately seven seconds of silence, Weasel's voice chimes in saying "[...] I said: I think that's it, and I don't even want to try it again."
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
. It was released in 1994 through Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
. It was meant to be the band's last album. Shortly after the release of 1993's Anthem for a New Tomorrow
Anthem for a New Tomorrow
- Personnel :* Ben Weasel - lead vocals, guitar* Jughead - guitar* Danny Vapid - bass, backing vocals* Danny Panic - drums* Fat Mike - backing vocals on "Peter Brady"* Blake Schwarzenbach - backing vocals on "A New Tomorrow"...
, bassist/backing vocalist/songwriting collaborator Danny Vapid
Dan Vapid
Dan Schafer is a punk rock musician from Chicago, Illinois best known for his participation in Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales, The Methadones, and various other pop punk bands.-Generation Waste:...
left the band. The rest of the band felt that they had run out of steam, but wanted to record the last batch of songs they had written. Since Vapid had left, they recruited Mike Dirnt
Mike Dirnt
Michael Ryan Pritchard is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American Rock band Green Day. While at school, he would play "air-bass." While pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt"...
from Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
to fill in on bass and backing vocals. This was around the time when Green Day was experiencing an explosion in popularity, and Dirnt had to leave the sessions at one point to play on the The Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. The band split up with the release of the album and shut down their post office box. Ben Weasel, Danny Vapid, and drummer Dan Panic formed the more Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
-influenced Riverdales and guitarist Jughead took time off from music to write and direct plays. The band would return just a few years later with Vapid back on bass for the Bark Like a Dog
Bark Like A Dog
Bark Like a Dog is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Screeching Weasel. It was released in 1996 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was the band's first album released through Fat Wreck Chords. It was also the band's first album since they disbanded for the second time...
album on Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
. The album was out of print for a short while but was remastered and re-released in 2005 on Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Ben Weasel except where noted.- "Planet of the Apes" – 1:50
- "99" – 2:17
- "I Hate Your Guts on Sunday" – 1:39
- "Johnny Are You Queer?" (B. Paine, L. Paine) – 2:07
- "Time Bomb" – 1:15
- "Burnout Girl" – 2:20
- "If I Was You" – 2:04
- "Nobody Likes You" (Ben Weasel, Danny Vapid) – 2:05
- "Degenerate" – 2:03
- "Surf Goddess" (Ben Weasel, Joe KingThe QueersThe Queers are a punk band formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joe King . The band originally broke up in 1984, but reformed with Joe Queer and a new line-up in 1986. In 1990, the band signed with Shakin' Street Records and released their first album Grow Up...
) – 3:25 - "Kathy Isn't Right" – 1:25
- "Kathy's on the Roof" – 2:39
- "I Wrote Holden CaulfieldHolden CaulfieldHolden Caulfield is the 16-to-17 years old protagonist of author J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. He is universally recognized for his resistance to growing older and desire to protect childhood innocence...
" – 2:47
Personnel
- Ben WeaselBen WeaselBen Weasel is a punk rock musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales...
- lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Mike DirntMike DirntMichael Ryan Pritchard is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American Rock band Green Day. While at school, he would play "air-bass." While pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt"...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - JugheadJohn Pierson (musician)John Pierson, commonly known by the stage name "John Jughead" or simply "Jughead", founded the pop-punk band Screeching Weasel in Chicago, Illinois with Ben Weasel in 1986. He played guitar for the band until its disbanding in 2001...
- guitar - Dan PanicDan PanicDan Sullivan, also known as Dan Panic or Danny Panic, is a punk rock drummer from Chicago.-Career:Dan Sullivan began his musical career with Ivy League, a quartet from Chicago's western suburbs who released one 7" EP in 1990. He then joined Screeching Weasel in 1991 and remained with the band until...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Gretchen Smear - backing vocals on "Johnny Are You Queer?"
Songs
How to Make Enemies and Irritate People is a collection of the songs written between the time Anthem for a New TomorrowAnthem for a New Tomorrow
- Personnel :* Ben Weasel - lead vocals, guitar* Jughead - guitar* Danny Vapid - bass, backing vocals* Danny Panic - drums* Fat Mike - backing vocals on "Peter Brady"* Blake Schwarzenbach - backing vocals on "A New Tomorrow"...
was recorded and the band decided to disband.
The album starts with one of Weasel's trademark attacks on the punk rock scene, the not-very-subtle "Planet of the Apes". The song lacks the eloquence Weasel employed on the last album, but makes up for it with humor. Weasel seems to be expressing his distaste for the "tough guy" element that was becoming more and more prevalent in punk at the time.
"99" is a break-up song about a character (Maxwell Smart's female partner) from the television series Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
. It's possible that Weasel was writing an autobiographical song with the names changed (he has admitted to doing this quite often). The majority of the song is spent discussing how difficult it is to forget the girl in question, but by the end Weasel has moved on. He admits he will get over it and find another girl, as the one he lost is not entirely unique, but he'll always remember her.
"I Hate Your Guts On Sunday" is one of Weasel's sillier songs, tackling his own fickle nature. He hates the person in question only on Sunday, but "every other day I think you're totally cool."
"Johnny Are You Queer?" is a cover of a 1982 song by Josie Cotton
Josie Cotton
Josie Cotton is an American singer/songwriter, best known for her minor hits "Johnny Are You Queer" and "He Could Be the One" from 1982...
which was featured in the movie Valley Girl
Valley Girl (film)
Valley Girl is a 1983 romantic comedy film, starring Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye, and Joyce Heiser. The film was the directorial debut of Martha Coolidge, and was the first film in which Nicolas Coppola was billed as Nicolas Cage.The American release of Valley Girl...
.
"Time Bomb" is a song about relationship problems seen from a third person perspective. One person treats the other as an "accessory" and a trophy, and the narrator knows that once they're alone, "all the numbers hit zero". Like many Weasel songs, it touches on a real human issue with a sense of fun and humor. Also, it follows in Weasel's tradition of writing relationship songs from a point of view not usually taken in songwriting.
"Burnout Girl" is a song about an idealized girl, much like "Thrift Store Girl" on the last album. The song is from the point of view of someone waiting outside the object of their affection's window late at night, hoping to "rescue" them and making various statements of devotion. The narrator sees nothing but hopelessness in both of their lives and wants the girl to "come on out and do something else."
Weasel takes on the idea of the grass being greener on the other side in "If I Was You". He addresses those who think he may "have it made," while he sees himself as just killing time. He seems to be wishing for a way out of his current situation, which may be an explanation for why the band broke up when it did.
"Nobody Likes You" is a blatant insult track, not unlike "Fathead" from My Brain Hurts
My Brain Hurts
My Brain Hurts is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Screeching Weasel. It was released in 1991 through Lookout! Records. It was the band's first album released through Lookout! Records. The album marked a very distinct stylistic shift...
. It is the only song on the album co-written with Dan Vapid.
"Degenerate" is another hint of things to come with Weasel's writing, as it showcases his self-proclaimed "curmudgeonly" mindset. It's a slightly self-effacing jab at the punk scene and its "teenage soap opera" mentality. Weasel, once again, clearly wishes to distance himself from this.
Like "Like a Parasite" from Wiggle, "Surf Goddess" was co-written with Joe King from The Queers
The Queers
The Queers are a punk band formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joe King . The band originally broke up in 1984, but reformed with Joe Queer and a new line-up in 1986. In 1990, the band signed with Shakin' Street Records and released their first album Grow Up...
, and a version of the song was also recorded by his band. The song is a pretty straightforward ode to California girls from a boy stuck in Illinois. He fawns over her life of hanging out in clubs while he's "gotta shovel the snow".
The next two songs are both about a girl named Kathy who seems to have some mental illness. Both songs mention suicide attempts (one successful). Both also make mention of her being institutionalized without the problem being solved. Neither has much hope for its subject, and they subtly criticize the way mental illness is "cured" in modern times. As usual, they are delivered with Weasel's standard sardonic delivery. The songs are reminiscent of "Jeannie's Got A Problem With Her Uterus" on Wiggle, touching on real human problems filtered through humor to make them a bit more bearable.
Ending the album and the band's second life is "I Wrote Holden Caulfield," seemingly a response (if only in the title) to Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" from their second album Kerplunk (1992). It addresses an anonymous subject going through trying times, attempting to console and calm them with sentiments like "don't tell me that things don't get better 'cause sometimes they do". The tone shifts from sympathy to one of seeming annoyance by the end, repeating "why don't you stop crying" and advising the person to put their problems in perspective. This song appeared on the few live shows the band played in 2004 and fit in perfectly with the more introspective songs the band was recording and performing at that time. This song is a bit of a precursor to the mood Weasel would set on the Emo album in 1999. The song ends abruptly with the word "done", and after approximately seven seconds of silence, Weasel's voice chimes in saying "[...] I said: I think that's it, and I don't even want to try it again."
Trivia
- When originally released on Lookout! RecordsLookout! Records-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
, the insert contained a detail discography of almost every release Screeching Weasel appeared on up to that point. This was omitted from the reissue on Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
.
- The original Lookout! CD release in 1994 featured slightly different song titles on the back of the album. They were: "Planet of the Dupes", "86", "I Love Yer Nuts on Monday", "Johnny Is That Beer?", "Slime Pond", "Burnt Out Squirrel", "If I Was Hugh", "Nobody Bites You", "Da Genitals", "Smurf Goddess", "Kathy's Not Too Light", "Kathy's on the Moon", and "I Wrote Ignatius J. Reilly".
- The CD reissue on Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
was to contain liner notes by Mass Giorgini. However, he finished them too late to be included so they appeared in the Kill the MusiciansKill the MusiciansReleased in 1995, Kill the Musicians was meant to serve as a "cleaning up" of loose ends after Screeching Weasel's breakup in 1994. The compilation collects demos, b-sides, vinyl-only EPs, and other various odds and ends the band had accumulated in their career from 1989 to 1994...
reissue instead.
- The album's title is a parody of the best-selling Dale CarnegieDale CarnegieDale Breckenridge Carnegie was an American writer, lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills...
book, How to Win Friends and Influence PeopleHow to Win Friends and Influence PeopleHow to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the first bestselling self-help books ever published. Written by Dale Carnegie and first published in 1936, it has sold 15 million copies world-wide....
.