Fu Manchu's first album, No One Rides for Free (1994), was released by Bong Load Custom Records, an independent label. No One Rides for Free marked the beginning of the band's heavy focus on muscle cars and drag racing, common themes in the stoner rock genre.
Abshire left Fu Manchu before they recorded their second album, Daredevil, in 1995. He was replaced by Brad Davis. The band promoted Daredevil with extensive touring throughout the US and Canada, and reached a wider audience thanks to an opening slot with Monster Magnet, who at the time were the commercial darlings of the stoner rock genre.
Romano and Glass left shortly after the release of Fu Manchu's third album, In Search Of... (1996), citing personal and musical differences with Hill. They were replaced by Brant Bjork and Bob Balch, respectively. Glass, Romano and Abshire soon regrouped to form Nebula, a power trio that took the jam-influenced side of Fu Manchu and expanded on it. Members of Nebula have commented that "we're all family" to fans wearing Fu Manchu shirts at their concerts.
Fu Manchu went on to release several successful albums and reinforce their reputation as a powerful live act. The band had gained this reputation over the years due to their performance when touring with notable bands such as Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Marilyn Manson, Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, White Zombie, Sevendust, and P.O.D., among others.
In 2001, the band released an album, California Crossing. Brant Bjork left the band soon after to pursue a solo career and was replaced by former Sunshine and Smile drummer Scott Reeder (often confused with bassist Scott Reeder, of Kyuss, Unida, and Goatsnake fame). In 2004, Fu Manchu released their eighth album, Start the Machine.
Fu Manchu's ninth album is called We Must Obey which was released on February 19, 2007. The band spent most of 2007 and 2008 on tour, playing several shows in North America and Europe.
In February 2008, the track "Mongoose" (from the California Crossing album) was featured in a Super Bowl ad for the Toyota Sequoia.
Their tenth album Signs of Infinite Power was released on October 19, 2009, in Europe and October 20 in North America.
On March 10, 2010, it was announced that Scott Reeder would play drums for Social Distortion for the South American tour dates in April. In June 2012, the band stated they had begun writing for a new record. In 2014, the band released its eleventh album, Gigantoid.
In December 2017, they announced their twelfth album, Clone of the Universe, which released on February 9, 2018.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Manchu_(band)
Studio albums
No One Rides for Free (1994)
Daredevil (1995)
In Search Of... (1996)
The Action Is Go (1997)
Godzilla's/Eatin' Dust (1999)
King of the Road (2000)
California Crossing (2001)
Start the Machine (2004)
We Must Obey (2007)
Signs of Infinite Power (2009)
Gigantoid (2014)
Clone of the Universe (2018)
Hotdoggin'
Fu Manchu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe a good deal - hard to find
Location unknown - again this time
[Chorus]
Keepin' the road clear
Hang at the back
Old miss river
Invisible
Has seen it fall
And 10 times over
That ain't all
Eliminate - and move on through
Learn from the master - like we knew
Early morning hour - time drew close
Over the top - that much we know
[Chorus]
Again they roll on and on
Hotdoggin' [Repeat: x4]
The song Hotdoggin' by Fu Manchu talks about a place that was constructed on a massive fort. Although the location is unknown, it is deemed unique, and it’s hard to come by in the world. Every time they try to pinpoint the area, it eludes them. They keep striving to keep the road clear and keep at the back while watching the old Mississippi River. Someone invisible is watching, and they have seen things fall ten times over.
The lyrics go further to mention that they keep eliminating things in their path and moving forward. They also learned from a master, and it drew close to the early morning hours. They went over the top though they had limited information about what was ahead. In the end, they kept rolling on and on, Hotdoggin'.
Overall, the lyrics of Hotdoggin' have an air of mystery and adventure, with vivid descriptions of a place that is difficult to find, a master to learn from, and a journey filled with uncertainty, dangers, and surprises.
Line by Line Meaning
Built on a huge fort - that much i know
I know that the location where we were built is quite massive and impressive, but not much else.
Maybe a good deal - hard to find
Perhaps our location is a good one, but it was difficult to come across and secure.
Location unknown - again this time
Once again, we intentionally keep our location hidden and unknown for our own purposes.
Keepin' the road clear
We make sure to clear the path ahead to ensure swift travel without obstacles.
Hang at the back
We strategically stay behind and out of sight to assess situations before proceeding.
Old miss river
We finally reach the Mississippi River which has been a landmark on our journey.
We see at last
We finally witness the sight of the river, indicating progress and possibly the end of one phase of our travels.
Invisible
We are undetected and unseen, moving in secrecy.
Has seen it fall
As experienced and knowledgeable individuals, we have witnessed and learned from past failures and mistakes.
And 10 times over
We have encountered and overcome numerous obstacles and challenges in the past, making us experienced and prepared for future ones.
Eliminate - and move on through
We effectively eliminate any threats or obstacles in our path so we can continue to move forward unrestricted.
Learn from the master - like we knew
We take advice and wisdom from experienced individuals and apply it to our own journeys.
Early morning hour - time drew close
As morning approaches, we sense that our journey is nearing its next phase, and time is of the essence.
Over the top - that much we know
We know that we will need to push ourselves to our limits and go above and beyond to overcome upcoming challenges.
Again they roll on and on
We continue to travel onward and face new challenges and obstacles at every turn.
Hotdoggin'
We persist through our journey with confidence and skill, like a skilled hotdog surfer navigating the waves.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB BALCH, BRAD DAVIS, BRANT BJORK, SCOTT HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind