I first heard the song
Witness, from fIREHOSE's failed major label debut when I worked at
Georgetown's non-transmitting radio station
WGTB. In
a dirty windowless room that smelled faintly of
stale beer and
cigarette smoke I sat mesmerized for almost eight minutes. When it finally came to an end, I breathed deeply to keep from crying.
Granted, I was a little emotional at the time--failing out of school, dumped by the then love of my life--but the song is amazing, with or without emotional baggage. It should be required listening for all wannabe songwriters.
"This how to build emotional tension, and this is a climax. Now go home, and emulate."
And as to it being the last good thing that Mike Watt did musically, well, I liked his punk rock opera about his dad's time in the Navy, but I didn't go out and buy it or anything. Just do yourself a favor and go buy Double Nickels on the Dime by The Minutemen, Mike Watt's first group.