Search - Faster Pussycat :: Front Row for the Donkey Show

Excellent Live Band... Perfect Showcase

J. herrin | 08/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Front Row for the Donkey Show marks the first live album for Faster Pussycat, a band that has been around (in one form or another) for almost 25 years now. I've seen various lineups of the band since the mid-90's (17 years to the day in fact; first time was on my 16th birthday), & I have to say that the current lineup is my favorite. This is a band who are not afraid to grow with the times, unlike so many other bands from their peak era. The album was recorded while Faster Pussycat were on a recent tour by their own sound man, who did a very credible job of capturing the band's live feel. The quality of the disc is high, & the versions of the songs are my favorite as well. A few tweaks from the original recorded versions of the 80's & 90's classics, but not straying too far to please the old school die hards, & the newer songs sound like they could kick your teeth in & not apologize for it. It's about time this band finally is making available publicly what most of us who've braved the sweaty clubs with their sticky floors have already known for years.



Side note: The bonus studio track, "It's Only Rock N Roll" by the Rolling Stones is a fitting tribute to the original, but definitely showcases singer Taime Downe's penchant for industrial music flairs. I haven't really ever been a fan of the choices Taime has made in terms of the songs he chooses to cover (I can think of 50 Stones songs I'd rather hear a cover of), but he always gives it a solid effort.



Overall, this disc is well worth the purchase price, especially for those of us who would rather go to a concert than listen to a studio album."

Front Row For The Donkey Show

Aaron Small | Toronto | 08/28/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Easily the best album title of the year - Front Row For The Donkey Show is the first-ever live album from Hollywood sleaze rockers Faster Pussycat. Yes, there was the Live And Rare EP issued in 1990, but that only contained four live tracks. The sound on this new disc is much more rugged, due in large part to the fact that vocalist Taime Downe is the only remaining original member. Surprisingly short at only 11 live cuts, six of those are classic era FP and five are from their most recent studio effort, The Power & The Glory Hole. Stylistically, these are two completely different bands. The initial incarnation (1986 to 1993) epitomized Sunset Strip debauchery, whereas the current lineup (2001 to present) is more inclined to darker, industrial sounds. As such, performing the Top 30 balled `House Of Pain' and the raunchy bump and grind of `Porn Star' back to back just doesn't work. Hearing `Cathouse', `Slip Of The Tongue' and `Bathroom Wall' in all their gritty glory is a true pleasure. However, `Number 1 With A Bullet' can't strike the same chord. The final song is a gussied up studio version of The Rolling Stones' classic, `It's Only Rock And Roll'. Truthfully, it's nothing special.

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