''A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die'' is the second album from American

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band

the Flesh Eaters The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins ...

. Released in 1981, it is perhaps their most acclaimed work. The band's roster on this album comprises

Dave Alvin David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s ...

(guitar),

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

(bass), Chris D. (vocals, maracas),

Steve Berlin Steven M. Berlin (born September 14, 1955, in Philadelphia) is an American saxophonist, keyboardist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock group Los Lobos and, before that, Top Jimmy & the Rhythm Pigs, the Blasters, and the Fl ...

(saxophone, rhythm sticks), D. J. Bonebrake (maracas, snare, marimbas) and Bill Bateman (drums).

Critical reception

Reviewing the album in 1981 for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'',

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

wrote, "this eschews the no-speed-limit egoism of El Lay punk convention for a more matoor view of the world, based on the idea that horror movies are worth taking seriously. Not bad for a laff."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Patrick Kennedy later called it "a classic album of trashy-noir darkness, seamy Hollywood dreck, campy blues horror, and Stax-influenced, stripped-down guitar punk". In the 1995 ''

Spin Alternative Record Guide The ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was editing, edited by the rock music, rock critic Eric Weisbard and Crai ...

'',

Byron Coley Byron Coley is an American music critic who wrote prominently for '' Forced Exposure'' magazine in the 1980s, from the fifth issue until the magazine ceased publication in 1993. Prior to ''Forced Exposure'', he wrote for '' New York Rocker'', '' ...

gave the album a perfect score and named it "in my opinion, the finest album ever recorded", writing lineup... was absolutely incredible, sliding between roars of punk bombast, American swamp-roots underpinnings, and explosive jazzy improvs like no one before or since."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Chris D. except where noted. # "Digging My Grave" – 4:21 # "Pray Til You Sweat" – 2:36 # "River of Fever" – 3:55 # "Satan's Stomp" – 5:49 # "See You in the Boneyard" – 3:30 # "So Long" – 3:30 # "Cyrano de Berger's Back" (

) – 3:22 # "Divine Horseman" – 7:08 "Cyrano de Berger's Back" was composed by John Doe, and was later covered by his band X on their albums ''

See How We Are ''See How We Are'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band X, released in 1987 by Elektra Records. It was their first album without founding guitarist Billy Zoom, who was replaced by ex- Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin for the album's rec ...

'' and '' Alphabetland''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Minute to Pray The Flesh Eaters albums 1981 albums Ruby Records albums