While still in high school, Bjork got together with friends Josh Homme and John Garcia in 1987 to form a band called Katzenjammer. At Bjork's prompting, the band would soon be renamed Sons of Kyuss for a single EP, named after "The Sons of Kyuss" monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, and then later shortened to Kyuss. The band relocated to Los Angeles in 1990 and signed to Chameleon Records, releasing their debut album, Wretch in September 1991. They were then picked up by the major label Elektra Records, becoming the first desert rock band to achieve international success. Bjork was a major creative force in Kyuss, contributing a substantial portion of the band's songwriting. In 1994, Bjork left the band following the release of Welcome to Sky Valley, frustrated at guitarist Homme's growing reluctance to play the songs he was contributing to the band.
After leaving Kyuss, Bjork would go on to play with several different bands, as well as founding the independent label El Camino Records (later Duna Records). Through his label, Bjork would release albums that he was musically involved in, such as hardcore punk band De-Con's 1995 album Balls for Days, on which he played drums. Bjork would also release and produce stoner rock band Solarfeast's 1995 debut Gossamer. Bjork would later go on to join former Kyuss bandmate, Josh Homme, in his Palm Desert musical collective series, The Desert Sessions. He would play a mixture of guitar, bass, drums, and percussion on various tracks on the 1997 releases Volume 1: Instrumental Driving Music For Felons and Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered, as well as 1999's Volume 5: Poetry for the Masses (SeaShedShitheadByTheSheSore) and Volume 6: Black Anvil Ego.
Bjork briefly moved to Santa Cruz to play guitar for hardcore punk band LAB in 1997 (made up of the remaining members of 80's punk band BL'AST!), playing on their 1997 release, the 7" EP "Burning Leaf/Chihuahua". He would also play guitar for Fatso Jetson during 1997–1998, including on their 1998 "Jailbreak" 7" split EP with stoner rock band Fu Manchu.
Bjork was playing with another former member of Kyuss, Nick Oliveri, in Oliveri's metal band Mondo Generator. Joining in 1997, Bjork's drumming would feature on the 2000 LP Cocaine Rodeo, and the 2003 LP A Drug Problem That Never Existed. He would tour with the band until leaving in 2004. Bjork also appeared on the live DVD, 2004's Use Once and Destroy Me, as well as later releases featuring the Bjork-era line-up, in including the 2006 7" single "I Never Sleep" and the 2008 Australian Tour EP.
Having produced their debut album No One Rides for Free in 1994, Bjork would officially join Fu Manchu with the release of their critically acclaimed 1997 album The Action Is Go. Bjork would continue to play on every Fu Manchu recording until his departure following the release of 2001's California Crossing, including the LPs Eatin' Dust and King of the Road.
Bjork began recording his first solo album, 1999's Jalamanta, in February of that year. Bjork performed all instruments, including guitar and vocals. He would also perform guitar and vocals in the short-lived stoner rock band Ché – a side-project collaboration with former Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age drummer Alfredo Hernández. Ché released their only album, Sounds of Liberation, in October 2000. Bjork's next album, 2002's Brant Bjork & the Operators, named for Bjork's fictional backing band, 'the Operators', was recorded in November 2000 with Bjork again performing vocals and most instruments. He would continue to be the sole performer, except for a few guest spots, on 2003's Keep Your Cool and 2004's Local Angel.
Bjork would form the band Brant Bjork and the Bros in 2003, featuring guitarist Mike Pygmie, bassist Dylan Roche, and drummer Michael Peffer, with Bjork performing vocals and additional guitar. They toured Europe in October 2003, performing a mixture of Bjork's solo material and Ché's Sounds of Liberation. Pygmie was replaced by Scott Cortez Silverman for further touring in Europe and North America in 2004.[5] This line-up went on to record the 2005 double album Saved by Magic. The album featured a return to the sound of Bjork's earlier sound from his Jalamanta/Sounds of Liberation era.
2006 saw the release of Sabbia, a feature film "visual soundtrack" by filmmaker Kate McCabe, featuring Bjork's music. Brant Bjork and the Bros would go on to record another album, 2007's Somera Sól, with Alfredo Hernández replacing Michael Peffer on drums. In the same year, Bjork released his fifth solo album, Tres Dias, an acoustic album featuring reinterpretations of older songs, as well as some new material. The title of the album (Three Days) comes from the purported amount of time that Bjork claimed it took to record it at producer Tony Mason's house in Joshua Tree, California.
Bjork reported in 2007 that he had ended his label, Duna Records, citing that it took too much time and energy to run. Bjork soon created a new label, Low Desert Punk Recordings, and the Duna Records website now functions as a Brant Bjork community fansite and forum.[8] The first release on the new label was Bjork's 2008 album, Punk Rock Guilt, made up of recordings from December 2005 referred to as the "New Jersey Sessions". This release was followed up with the 2010 album Gods & Goddesses. Recorded in LA in 2009, Gods & Goddesses was the first Brant Bjork solo album not to be primarily recorded by Bjork himself. Instead, Bjork recorded with a new line-up of musicians including guitarist Brandon Henderson, former Yawning Man bassist Billy Cordell, and former Mondo Generator drummer Giampaolo Farnedi.
In November 2010, it was announced that Bjork was forming Kyuss Lives! with Bruno Fevery on guitar, Nick Oliveri on bass and John Garcia on vocals. The band undertook a European, Australian and New Zealand tour from March to May 2011. On November 2012, Kyuss Lives! announced that they had changed their name to Vista Chino.
Vista Chino released their debut album Peace on September 3, 2013 through Napalm Records.
In March 2014, Bjork announced that he would tour Australia in May with his backing band, the 'Low Desert Punks', consisting of bassist Dave Dinsmore, guitarist Bubba Dupree, and Tony Tornay on drums.[10] He would later announce a New Zealand tour with dates in June.
Tao of The Devil was released in 2016.
Europe '16, a live album was released in 2017.
Mankind Woman was released in 2018.
A new solo record entitled Jacuzzi has been recorded and mixed. Jacuzzi will be an instrumental album, featuring jazz and funk influences with break beats. Originally planned for release in 2013, it has been delayed for undisclosed reasons. It was released in 2019.
Born To Rock
Brant Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At least that's what the marsian say
Did you get your ticket to the show
And all the rocks are red but at least they roar
Spaceman finds himself a cold bib
You know it's been a strange trip
Excuse me brother if it's not too much to ask
Clear across town, I heard about a place
Where you can take all you want, could fit it on your plate
And that must been a small price to pay
But I can't imagine your life, another way
You didn't ask for this but it is all you've got
Let the good times roll babe
Ready or not
And I don't think there for I, I am man
And why is this the hardest thing in the world for you to understand
Girls and boys back home they made us up
And when we raise in the morning is cause we hear the call
Piccadillys Circus and popping mothers pills
And all those cheep blues 45s giving all the brick Americanos thrills
What do you call when all is brining you down
We stare at the record covers and dreaming about getting our asses out of town
The more you ignore the feeling the more it pulls you in
The harder you try to do right, the easier it is to understand sin
I didn't ask for this but it is all you got
Let the good times roll babe, ready or not
And I don't think there for I, I am a man
Why is this the hardest thing in the world for you to understand
You didn't ask for this, but it is all you've got
Let the good times roll babe, ready or not
And I don't think there for I,I am a man
Why is this the hardest thing in the world for you to understand
Why is this the hardest thing in the world for you to understand
For you to understand
For you to understand
For you to understand
In Brant Bjork's song Born To Rock, the lyrics describe a feeling of being stuck in a certain way of life, whether by choice or circumstance, and struggling to break free of it. The opening lines mention a man being sent to Mars, perhaps highlighting a desire to escape Earthly confines and explore new frontiers. The reference to "all the rocks are red but at least they roar" could also symbolize the desire for something more exciting and meaningful in life.
The next verse has a more lighthearted tone, with the singer asking for help finding "some tit" (meaning marijuana) and describing a place where one can take as much as they want. This could represent a desire to escape from reality and indulge in pleasures. The line "But I can't imagine your life, another way" suggests that the singer feels trapped in their current lifestyle but can't envision a different path.
The following verses touch on the struggles of daily life, such as taking pills to get through the day and dreaming of leaving town. The lyrics imply that these struggles are universal and that people cope with them by turning to music and other forms of art. The final line "Why is this the hardest thing in the world for you to understand" suggests that the singer feels misunderstood or unable to communicate their desire for change to others.
Overall, the lyrics of Born To Rock convey a sense of restlessness and a longing for something more. Despite the challenges of everyday life, the singer is determined to "let the good times roll" and break free from their constraints.
Line by Line Meaning
Sent a man to mars today
Today, human beings are making scientific progress with space travel by launching a person to Mars, as stated by the Martian announcements.
At least that's what the marsian say
The line is in reference to the announcement from Mars about the successful launch of a man to Mars, which might seem unbelievable but is true as noted by the singer.
Did you get your ticket to the show
The singer asks whether his listener has gathered the necessary provisions required to see the space show referred to in the previous lines.
And all the rocks are red but at least they roar
Even though rocks might be red, they are still capable of making a sound, which represents the artist's feeling that even though things might not seem fine, there is still effort being made.
Spaceman finds himself a cold bib
The artist suggests that while the spaceman is in space, he discovers the coldness of space, which is an unhappy situation.
You know it's been a strange trip
The spaceman's venture has been described as abnormal by the author, who reflects on the oddity of the experience.
Excuse me brother if it's not too much to ask
The singer tries to solicit help from his listener, but with polite phrasing.
Could you show, Show me where he could find some tit
The author asks his listener whether he can guide him through the town to find a place with plenty of female acquaintanceship.
Clear across town, I heard about a place
There is a place on the opposite side of town with ample amounts of female company as suggested by the artist
Where you can take all you want, could fit it on your plate
The place in question has as much female accompaniment as one could ever want or require to fill their desires.
And that must been a small price to pay
The implication is that there is a cost associated with accruing numerous relationships but one that might be small enough to overlook.
But I can't imagine your life, another way
The artist is unable to imagine living in any other way than with many companions by their side.
You didn't ask for this but it is all you've got
The singer is informing his listener that although he did not ask for a life surrounded by friends, it is the only option available to him.
Let the good times roll babe
The singer is inviting his companions to have a great time.
Ready or not
The singer indicates that whether or not the individual is ready to have fun, it's happening regardless.
And I don't think there for I, I am man
The artist observes that since he has a good time, he feels like a real man capable of enjoying life.
And why is this the hardest thing in the world for you to understand
The artist asks why it is so difficult for his listener to appreciate the joys of life and their purpose in having a good time.
Girls and boys back home they made us up
At home, individuals were imposed with artificial societal expectations governed by gender roles.
And when we raise in the morning is cause we hear the call
Individuals have ingrained cultural expectations that align with their place in society, causing them to follow the prevalent norms in their daily routine.
Piccadillys Circus and popping mothers pills
The artist mentions a location in London and medication, possibly suggesting a hedonistic, reckless lifestyle that seeks to escape reality.
And all those cheep blues 45s giving all the brick Americanos thrills
Cheap blues records bring joy and excitement to those who can afford them, regardless of the quality of the music, indicating that individuals take pleasure in things that aren't necessarily of high quality.
What do you call when all is brining you down
The artist queries the listener as to what they call a situation in which they feel disheartened and discouraged.
We stare at the record covers and dreaming about getting our asses out of town
Individuals engage in escapism, using things like record covers to imagine leaving their current surroundings and venturing out toward something better.
The more you ignore the feeling the more it pulls you in
If individuals choose to ignore their desire for something more, it only becomes harder to quiet that yearning.
The harder you try to do right, the easier it is to understand sin
Individuals must indeed try to do what is right but the more they do so, the more they become aware of the possibility of doing wrong such that it becomes easier to do so.
Contributed by Mason N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Petey Wheatstraw
who would downvote this song? this song is phenomenal. its the song i play for people when i try to turn them onto brant.
Alexander Flores
I feel that solo in my chest
Tony Moreno
One of my favorite Brant Bjork songs to play along on my guitar. LOVE IT!
Joacko F. Blasco
A true story