Fear Live
Dustin Tyler Morris | Higley, AZ | 07/12/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I just saw Fear last night- Jan. 23, 2004, for the first time, and despite being afraid at first... I must say it was a blast, and as shows tend to go, I was reminded what it was I like so much about all these songs. The songs on this album were played with the same fist-pumping greatness as they were last night, and that's excellent for both the album and the fact that it was Fear still kicking out what the BYOW drummer would put in terms, a "tight sound." The only problem with the show last night is Fear didn't play long enough of a set since shows in Tempe have to end at 12:00 I think, while the set on this record goes a ways past 12:00. The slight problem with this album is that is was intended for an L.A. radio show, and so the band held back from swearing and censored themselves a little, while if you really did go out and see them, theres gonna be some swearing, and that's part of the songs. You've got "I don't care about you..." and you know what is said next, but they leave it for you to fill in the blank. There it is. Now I'll be "lee ving" this for you to decide if you really need this or to just go with the studio versions, which, in my opinion, are highly inferior to these great, tighter-packed, faster, and overall better versions of the great songs in the Fear catalog."
Fear at their best
C. Chambers | Greensboro, NC USA | 08/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The first time I ever heard Fear was seeing them on a re-run of Saturday Night Live when I was quite young and I was immediately drawn in by the speed, sloppyness, humor and energy (hell, they brought their own punks with them).
Needless to say, this was the obvious choice for my first Fear record and it is hands down the best. It is a bit of a bummer that they had to clean it up for the radio broadcast, but the songs have so much more of the raw energy that lacks on their over-pollished studio albums (first two are still really good though). And if you've never seen the Decline of Western Civilization, their set is amazing and their audience abuse is side splitting."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1