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)
Shake It Loose
Fu Manchu Lyrics
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The lyrics to Fu Manchu's song Shake It Loose describe the idea that there is always someone waiting to take advantage of you, which is a common theme in rock and roll that dates back to the early days of the genre. The opening line "a sucker is born every minute or two" refers to the idea that there are always people who are willing to part with their money or fall for a con, and that these people often become easy targets for those who are looking to take advantage of them.
The lyrics also refer to the idea that no matter how much time you have, it is never quite enough to accomplish what you want to do. The line "all the time in the world is never enough for you" suggests that despite our best intentions, we often find ourselves running out of time or feeling like we haven't accomplished all that we set out to do.
Ultimately, the message of the song seems to be one of perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity. The repeated refrain of "shake it loose" encourages the listener to keep moving forward and to not give up, even when things seem to be going against them.
Line by Line Meaning
a sucker is born every minute or two all the fingers in the womb will be pointed right at you (at you)
People are easily fooled and will blame you for their problems
another number runner takes a place and the other side frowns you hit the deck as its goin down
Someone takes your spot and the competition gets tougher, causing you to be defensive
so... shake it loose i try tellin you shake it loose you'll be back real soon shake it loose i try tellin you shake it loose
You need to let go and move on, as you will find success again soon
a new day dawning means another chance to hurry thru all the time in the world is never enough for you (for you)
A new beginning gives you another opportunity to hustle and work hard, but there will never be enough time for you
it all adds up to another blank face in the crowd you hit the deck as its goin down
Despite your hard work, you can still feel unimportant and invisible in a crowded world
shake it loose shake it loose shake it loose
Repeatedly encouraging you to let go and move on from your past failures and disappointments
shake it loose (shake it loose shake it loose) shake it loose (shake it loose shake it loose)
Continued encouragement to shake off your past and start anew
shake it loose shake it loose
Final bit of encouragement to let go of your past and move forward
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Bradley Davis, Robert Balch, Scott Hill, Scott Reeder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind