Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered

Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered
EP by The Desert Sessions
Released	February 10, 1998 (1998-02-10)
Recorded	August 5–12, 1997
Studio	Rancho De La Luna, Joshua Tree, California
Genre	Desert rock, stoner rock, alternative rock, experimental rock
Length	17:14
Label	Man's Ruin
The Desert Sessions chronology
Volume 1: Instrumental Driving Music for Felons (1997) Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered (1998) Volume 3: Set Coordinates for the White Dwarf!!! (1998)

Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered is the second extended play (EP) by American desert rock collective The Desert Sessions. Recorded in August 1997 at Rancho De La Luna, it was released by Man's Ruin Records on February 10, 1998.^[1] The album features eight credited musicians, including Josh Homme, John McBain and Ben Shepherd.^[2][3][4][5] It was later re-released with Volume 1: Instrumental Driving Music for Felons in 1998 as Volumes 1 & 2.^[6]

Recording and release

The first two Desert Sessions EPs were recorded in sessions between August 5 and 12, 1997 at Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California, a studio founded by Fred Drake and Dave Catching.^[2][3][4][5] The tracks on Volume 2 were engineered by Drake, with Catching assisting, and feature a total of eight credited musicians: Josh Homme (guitar, vocals, bass and keyboards), John McBain (guitar and keyboards), Ben Shepherd (bass and guitar), Brant Bjork (drums, percussion and bass), Peter Stahl (vocals), Alfredo Hernández (drums and percussion), Drake and Catching (both percussion).^[2][3][4][5] Homme mixed the album, and it was mastered by Tom Baker at Future Disc in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.^[2][3][4][5]

Volume 2 was initially released alone on vinyl by Man's Ruin Records on February 10, 1998.^[1] It later received a re-release with its predecessor, Volume 1: Instrumental Driving Music for Felons, on CD on February 24, 1998 as Volumes 1 & 2.^[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Music website AllMusic awarded Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered three out of five stars.^[1] In a four-star review of Volumes 1 & 2 for the website, Tom Schulte said the following about the albums: "Propelled by a steady rhythm section, guitars or keyboards creep in to contribute mostly spectral wails decaying with tremolo or reverb. The picture you get is very much that of a desert, a wasteland divided by a stark streak of asphalt."^[6] He summarised the album as a "soundtrack for a running reckless in a land where the only visible things are the dash panel, the headlights, and the stars".^[6]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by "Acquitted Felons".^[2][3][4][5]

Side A

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Johnny the Boy"	4:31
2.	"Screamin Eagle"	3:38
Total length:		8:10

Side B

No.	Title	Length
3.	"Cake (Who Shit on The?)"	9:06
Total length:		9:06

Personnel

Personnel credits adapted from album liner notes.^[2][3][4][5]

Musicians

• Josh Homme – guitars (tracks 1, 2 and 3), vocals (track 1), bass and keyboards (track 2), percussion (track 3), mixing
• John McBain – guitars (tracks 1 and 2), keyboards (track 3)
• Ben Shepherd – bass (tracks 1 and 2), guitar (track 3)
• Brant Bjork – drums (tracks 1 and 2), bass and percussion (track 3)
• Peter Stahl – vocals (tracks 2 and 3)
• Alfredo Hernández – drums (tracks 1 and 3), percussion (track 3)
• Fred Drake – percussion (track 3), engineering
• Dave Catching – percussion (track 3), engineering assistance

Additional personnel

• Tom Baker – mastering

References

1. "Desert Sessions, Vol. 2: Status, Ship's Commander Butchered". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
2. Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered (Media notes). The Desert Sessions. Man's Ruin Records. 1998.
3. Volumes 1 & 2 (Media notes). The Desert Sessions. Man's Ruin Records. 1998.
4. "Desert Sessions, The - Vol II. Status: Ships Commander Butchered (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
5. "Desert Sessions, The - Volume I.Volume II (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
6. Schulte, Tom. "Desert Sessions, Vols. 1 & 2". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2014.