| Funland | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Unknown Instructors |
| Cover: | UnknownInst_Funland.jpg |
| Released: | May 12, 2009[1] [2] |
| Recorded: | 2006 |
| Genre: | Experimental rock, improvised music |
| Label: | Smog Veil |
| Producer: | Joe Baiza, Joe Carducci, Dan McGuire |
| Prev Title: | The Master's Voice |
| Prev Year: | 2006 |
| Next Title: | Unwilling to Explain |
| Next Year: | 2019 |
Funland is the third album by American improvisational band Unknown Instructors,[3] featuring Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Dos, Banyan),[4] George Hurley (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Red Krayola),[4] Joe Baiza (Saccharine Trust, Universal Congress Of),[4] poet/saxophonist Dan McGuire.[5] The album features guest vocals by David Thomas (Pere Ubu)[3] [6] and artist Raymond Pettibon.[5] [7]
The album was recorded at the same time as the previous album, The Master's Voice.[8]
Mark Kemp of Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars.[10] Mike Villano of Metro Times praised the "experimental and eclectic sounds" as well as the vocals and said "If you didn't know better, in fact, you might think this is a lost Captain Beefheart album."[11] Punknews.org gave it three and a half stars calling it "a fantastic musical trip."[9] James Yates of Staten Island Advance said "the groove-heavy sinew and heady humor heard on "Funland" provides a singular trip that touches the deep recesses of mind and body, opening all kinds of guarded emotions and new possibilities" but found the 10-minute-long "No Chirping" indulgent.[5]
Brian Loeper of Spectrum Culture was less enamored with the album saying "Under no circumstances should anyone ever listen to this album" and giving it a single star.[12] Graham Sanford of Gapers Block also criticized the album sarcastically calling the band "the '80s punk/alt-rock set...equivalent of the Traveling Wilburys" and compared them to "The Magic Band as fronted by four Ken Nordines in search of a roadmap."[13]