Nick Oliveri (under the moniker Rex Everything) formed Mondo Generator in 1997 and with friends Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, Rob Oswald, and others, recorded the debut album, Cocaine Rodeo. The LP wouldn't be released until 3 years later due to Oliveri and Homme being full-time members of Queens of the Stone Age. The album was released by Southern Lord Records in 2000. There was little support of the album by the way of live shows, and the band gained cult status among the most devoted Queens of the Stone Age fans.
In 2003, the band again emerged with a new LP, A Drug Problem That Never Existed. This time, Oliveri hired on more friends for recording duties including Dave Catching, Troy Van Leeuwen, Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, and Molly McGuire, and Dwarves frontman Blag Dahlia for co-producing duties. It was released jointly by Mike Patton's label, Ipecac Recordings, and Homme's Rekords Rekords. The live band, which included Oliveri, Catching, Bjork, and McGuire, went on a three month tour of North America and Europe to support the disc.
In early 2004, after Oliveri was fired from Queens of the Stone Age by Homme, he announced that Mondo Generator would become his full-time project. He recorded an acoustic record, Demolition Day, and toured Europe with Brant Bjork and Mark Lanegan Band. He then recorded an EP with Catching, McGuire, and Alfredo Hernandez. On the summer 2004 tour to promote the disc, Oliveri physically assaulted a sound crew member of a German night club after complaining about his sound through a few songs during the band's set. The other members of the band were furious and left Oliveri behind and returned to the United States.
In 2005, Oliveri once again toured Europe frequently, opening for such bands as Motörhead, and playing along-side and on stage as a member of Dwarves. Oliveri also recruited UK band Winnebago Deal's Ben Perrier and Ben Thomas to join Mondo Generator on tour. They were frequently dubbed "Winnebago Generator" by fans. The three-piece entered Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Los Angeles in December 2005 to begin work on the next Mondo Generator LP. Oliveri also hired on several friends from his hometown to record parts of the record, which was co-produced by Nick Raskulinecz and Oliveri.
In July 2006, it was reported that Perrier and Thomas had exited the band under unknown circumstances. Oliveri then re-named his band Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator and signed to Mother Tongue Records, who then released the new LP, Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails in the United Kingdom and Europe in September of 2006.
Discography
Cocaine Rodeo (2000, Southern Lord)
A Drug Problem That Never Existed (2003, Ipecac)
III The EP (2004, Tornado)
Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails (2006, Mother Tongue (UK/Europe)
Dead Planet (2007, Suburban Noize)
Former members include: Brant Bjork (drums), Dave Catching (guitar), Marc Diamond (guitar), Alfredo Hernandez (drums), Josh Homme (guitar), Josh Lamar (drums), Molly McGuire (bass), Rob Oswald (drums), Ben Perrier (guitar), Ben Thomas (drums), Spud (guitar)
Four Corners
Mondo Generator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't exactly what it seems
Transparent, hands of time
God damn, you know I robbed myself blind
Stole what was mine
It's all mine
Give it back
I don't mind
Can't believe what they said
Disturbed in my head
Left alone and left tired
Sleep's a dream
And everyone's wired
I stole what was mine
It's all mine
Give it back
I left it behind
I don't mind
I stole what was mine
It's all mine
Give it back
It's mine
It's all mine
Lost days
Where the fuck have I been
No end and nowhere to begin
Where the fuck have I been
I got no time for time
I got no time for time
Lost days
Where the fuck have I been
Mondo Generator's "Four Corners" is a song that speaks to the struggle of living life, as one tries to navigate their way through it. The "Four corners" of the title can be seen as the four corners of a life's journey, with the singer stating that it "ain't exactly what it seems". The transparency and that time passes by are outlined within the lyrics, with the realization that life goes by fast and it's easy to lose oneself within it. The phrase "God damn, you know I robbed myself blind" may represent the fact that life is what you make of it and that every decision has a consequence. The singer then says they stole what was theirs, implying that they've made some bad choices that they regret, and that there are things they want to take back.
The second verse delves into more exhaustion, where the singer says they can't believe what they've heard, which has disturbed their mind, leaving them feeling alone and tired. The line "Sleep's a dream, and everyone's wired" can be interpreted as a double meaning, with sleep being dreamy, but everyone is always plugged in, making it hard to unwind. Once again, they say that they stole what was theirs and left it behind, indicating that they've abandoned their better judgement, which they don’t regret and don’t want back.
Overall, this song is a thought-provoking analysis of life's journey and the challenges you face. It is a reminder to take control of your life, to be present and mindful, to make the most of every opportunity, and not regret the choices that are made.
Line by Line Meaning
Four corners of a dream
The different aspects of a dream that seem perfect at first glance
Ain't exactly what it seems
The dream is not as perfect as it appears
Transparent, hands of time
Time is an unchanging force that we cannot control
God damn, you know I robbed myself blind
I made regrettable choices that negatively affected my life
Stole what was mine
I took what was rightfully mine without considering the consequences
It's all mine
I want to keep what is mine for myself
Give it back
I may regret my choice later and want to undo it
I left it behind
I moved on from what I took and left it in the past
I don't mind
I am fine with the consequences of my actions
Can't believe what they said
Others' words have affected me deeply
Disturbed in my head
My thoughts and emotions are in turmoil
Left alone and left tired
I feel isolated and exhausted
Sleep's a dream
Even restful sleep is not guaranteed
And everyone's wired
People are constantly connected and distracted
It's all mine
I want to keep what is mine for myself
Give it back
I may regret my choice later and want to undo it
I left it behind
I moved on from what I took and left it in the past
I don't mind
I am fine with the consequences of my actions
I stole what was mine
I took what was rightfully mine without considering the consequences
It's all mine
I want to keep what is mine for myself
Give it back
I may regret my choice later and want to undo it
It's mine
I do not want to share what is mine with anyone
It's all mine
I want to keep what is mine for myself
Lost days
Time has passed without me realizing or benefiting from it
Where the fuck have I been
I do not understand where my time or energy has gone
No end and nowhere to begin
I am unsure how to move forward or make meaningful progress
I got no time for time
I feel as though there is not enough time to accomplish what I want
Lost days
Time has passed without me realizing or benefiting from it
Where the fuck have I been
I do not understand where my time or energy has gone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DEBORAH VIERECK, NICK S. OLIVERI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cammo777
THE best male duet, man this Lanegan can sing with or without absolutely anyone.He could just talk and i'd be all ears.Thanks LoVedder.You solid for posting this 5 minutes of audio heaven.
@geoffkerr1078
bro, I love this reply! haha he is so good! I saw him live in new zealand in 2011
@StripeGurger
What's the world supposed to do without Lanegan?
@garyrouyea5582
He was one of our favorites; my
wife and I...BUBBLEGUM and FEILD SONGS...
R.I.P.
What a blow to the stomach...
@jimf2348
Great album Nick👍🏼🤘💀
@6stringshugues
this is a classic!
@anitagrey7356
This is great!!!
@jimf2348
This song is 33% QOTSA🤘💀
@Waiting4NickOliveri
Please tour downunder soon, Nick.
@geoffreyyoung3558
Mark Lanegan's parts remind me of Faith No More's "Evidence", IDK why?