​Buckethead – His Most Infamous Album – The Making of ‘Pieces’.

Good evening everybody, in our previous video we took an in-depth look at Buckethead’s most significant album, Monsters and Robots.
Today we’ll take a look at what is arguably his most infamous album…I Need 5 Minutes Alone.

Released in 1997, the album was a collaboration between Buckethead and longtime friend and fellow Praxis & Guns N Roses member, Bryan Brain Mantia, calling themselves ‘Pieces’.

(Clips-Oh my god, pieces) (Pieces, it is what you think it is)

(Brain Voice Recording-circa 1994)
“If you’re still into ‘Pieces’ and you know, doing duets. Let’s finish the Pieces thing and let’s do some gigs, Im ready to play, I wanna do a couple things with you. You know, we’ve never played on stage and I’d like to do that before I die.

Buckethead and Brain began working on the project in early 1994. First shooting a promo video, which included the now famous scene of Buckethead being met at the airport by Brain and his wife.
(Brain clip)
“We’re starting this band called ‘Pieces’ and Buckethead is one of the members.

They would later shoot scenes at a cemetery, one of which would up becoming the front cover of the album.
Incidentally the footage for the promo video was filmed on May 13th 1994, Buckethead’s 25th birthday, and the day his Death Cube K album ‘ Dreamatorium’ was released.

(Buckethead unmasked clip)- I can’t help him.

Despite the promo being filmed in May of 1994, the album wouldn’t be recorded until March of 96 and then later released, only in Japan in early 1997. Now making the original CD with the Japanese Obi strip, pretty rare.

(Brain Interview)
We went into the studio. I had this ghetto study in Berkley. And then we’d watch movies for 12 hours and then we’d record for a few hours. And then we’d watch more movies, eat some pizza and record. And wake up the next day, watch more movies and record. And then in the end we called it Pieces.

The album is by far Buckethead’s most infamous due to the fact that it features Buckethead out of character singing and talking throughout the album.
(Buckethead singing audio)

And is if listening to Buckethead singing Silent Night wasn’t enough. He also sings about a certain girl named Danyel Cheeks.
(Danyel Audio)
(Brain Interview)
I kept talking about some porn chick, I think her name was Danyel Cheeks. It was one of those things where, whatever was happening at that moment we would write it down or it became that. All that stuff was coming from me because Buckethead is clean, he just like’s horror and that stuff.

Yep, Buckethead sang a ballad about a porn star called Danyel Cheeks.
Incidentally the song Danyel would later appear on Buckethead’s classic album ‘Colma’ under the name ‘Wishing Well’ but, thankfully, without the lyrics.

‘I need 5 minutes alone’ also features a rap song called ‘Bobafy Crucify’ which, unless I’m hearing things, briefly seems to mention Bucketheads dad, Tom Carroll.
(Bobafy Crucify audio)
 
As for the origins of the name ‘Pieces’

(Brain Interview)
Bucket began singing this ‘Pieces’ thing, you know. I think there was this movie called ‘Pieces’ or something. I don’t know.
(Buckethead Peesez monologue)
(Pieces Movie clip)

Many years later on the Bucketheadland 2 album during the song ‘Carpal Tunnel Tom Torker’, Buckethead’s sister can also be heard using the ‘Pieces’ tagline.
(Bucketheadland 2 Excerpt)

As for the name of the album.
(Brain Interview)
I think we were just wearing each other out. And we were like ‘Dude, we just need 5 minutes alone’. We were with each other for so long that we just couldn’t take it.

While ‘I Need 5 minutes alone’ might not be a go to album for most Buckethead fans. It certainly has its moments. The songs ‘Twice with the Sledge’ and ‘Hazelnut Cream Pie’ are by far the stand out songs and are definitely worth a listen.
And hearing Buckethead sing is a cool treat for the hardcore fan (pun intended), and something we’re not likely to ever hear again.
Overall, the album is not Buckethead’s best and the casual fan might not get much out of it. But when it comes to Buckethead history, ‘I need 5 minutes alone’ is by far his most infamous album. So if you haven’t heard it yet, what are you waiting for?