Fishbone (EP)

Fishbone
Fishbone
EP by Fishbone
Released	September 21, 1985
Recorded	1985
Studio	Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA; Eldorado Recording Studios, Burbank, CA
Genre	Ska; Rock
Length	26:33
Label	Columbia
Producer	David Kahne
Fishbone chronology
Singles from Fishbone
	"? (Modern Industry)"; Released: 1985; "Party at Ground Zero"; Released: 1985;

Fishbone is the recording debut of alternative group Fishbone. This six-song EP was released in 1985 and captures the band at the height of their early funk/ska era. The track "Party at Ground Zero" remains one of the band's most popular tracks.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	B+^[3]
Rolling Stone	^[2]

The track "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." stands for "Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts", as confirmed on the band's website, and imagines a government attempt to convince the public that Hiroshima was actually caused by Godzilla farting.^[4]^{[citation needed]}

Reception

Spin wrote, "The spirits of Little Richard, Chuck Berry and dozens of anonymous honkers and shouters haunt the grooves. Fishbone charges through the six cuts at breakneck speed. Tunes jump jaggedly from one change to another, flashing a frantic ska-beat, squawking horns, growling guitars, nearly a capella harmonies, yelps, squeaks, guffaws and moans."^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ugly"	Kendall Jones	2:52
2.	"Another Generation"	Jones	4:04
3.	"? (Modern Industry)"	David Kahne, Jones	4:26
4.	"Party at Ground Zero"	Jones, Angelo Moore, John Norwood Fisher	6:31
5.	"V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F."	Fisher	4:23
6.	"Lyin' Ass Bitch"	Lisa R. Grant, Jones, Moore	4:16

7. "Skankin' to the Beat" (bonus track, some vinyl editions)^[6]

Personnel

Fishbone

Angelo Moore – saxophone, vocals
Walter A. Kibby II – trumpet, vocals
Kendall Jones – guitars, vocals
Chris Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals
John Norwood Fisher – bass, vocals
Philip "Fish" Fisher – drums

Additional personnel

Lisa Grant – vocals on "Lyin' Ass Bitch"

Production

Nancy Donald – design
David Kahne – engineer
Tony Lane – design
David Leonard – engineer, mixing
John Scarpati – photography
Jack Skinner – mastering (Sterling Sound, New York City)

Accolades

Year	Publication	Country	Accolade	Rank
1985	The Village Voice	United States	Albums of the Year (EP)	3^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b Prato, Greg. "allmusic ((( Fishbone > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
^ Brackett, Nathan. "Fishbone". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 298, cited March 31, 2010
^ Christgau, Robert. "Fishbone". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 31, 2010.
^ Prato, Greg (June 12, 2012). "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
^ Randall F. Grass (July 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 3. p. 32.
^ Fishbone Official Page, Facebook, April 19, 2014
^ "Pazz & Jop 1985". The Village Voice. New York. February 18, 1986. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Robert Christgau.

[allmusic-1] Prato, Greg. "allmusic ((( Fishbone > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2010.

[2] Brackett, Nathan. "Fishbone". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 298, cited March 31, 2010

[3] Christgau, Robert. "Fishbone". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 31, 2010.

[4] Prato, Greg (June 12, 2012). "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2024.

[5] Randall F. Grass (July 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 3. p. 32.

[6] Fishbone Official Page, Facebook, April 19, 2014

[7] "Pazz & Jop 1985". The Village Voice. New York. February 18, 1986. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Robert Christgau.

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