| Unwilling to Explain | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Unknown Instructors |
| Cover: | UnknownInst_Unwilling.jpg |
| Released: | February 22, 2019[1] |
| Recorded: | December, 2011 |
| Venue: |
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| Genre: | Experimental rock, improvised music |
| Length: | 43:35 |
| Label: | ORG Music[2] |
| Producer: | Mike Watt, Dan McGuire |
| Prev Title: | Funland |
| Prev Year: | 2009 |
Unwilling to Explain is the fourth album by American improvisational band Unknown Instructors,[3] featuring Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE),[3] George Hurley (Minutemen, fIREHOSE),[3] J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.),[3] and Dan McGuire.[3]
It was the first Unknown Instructors album that wasn't improvised[4] and the first to feature Mascis on guitar instead of Baiza.[5] [6] The recording took quite some time with Watt recording bass tracks in 2011 and Hurley laying down the drums the following year.[7] Mascis' guitar work was recorded three years after that with Dan McGuire's vocals following.[7]
David Arnson of Music Connection called it "truly interesting" but warned "Your mileage may vary on the Tom Waits- and Bukowski-influenced bop narration. The real take- away is Mascis’ fluid and expressive guitar work."[8] Razorcake's Michael T. Fournier praised it saying it "hangs together better than any of the group’s other records I’ve heard."[7] Mark Hughson of Jersey Beat said "If you’re into on-the-fly jazz rock you’ll be hard pressed to find better indie star power."[9]