Customer Reviews

Americans Abroad Against Me Live in London

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're a fan of Against Me! you understand that vocalist/guitarist Tom Gabel has a penchant for surprise. No one ever knows what to expect from Gabel and his ever-changing lineup--not even Gabel himself. Nothing is ever planned. Each of the albums Gabel has recorded for Fat Wreck Chords evolved out of collaborations with myriad sidemen, friends, and producers.

The full impact of this free-spirited approach towards punk is found on Americans Abroad, which documents a show the band played at London's Mean Fiddler earlier this year. It's a tremendous show. The current lineup, which includes Warren on drums, James on guitar, and Andrew on bass, delivers an eminent performance filled with extreme political material backed by subtle social observations that exposes the onslaught of madness gripping the world.

Every song on Americans Abroad is a gem, but a few reach orgasmic ecstasies. "Unprotected Sex with Multiple Partners", the classic "Reinventing Axl Rose", "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong", "Cliché Guevara" and "Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Balled Fists" are frenzied blows to your conscience with Gabel, James and Andrew pounding the audience out of complacency. Gabel swings wildly between imploring the audience to pay attention to demanding response. It's a show reminiscent of late 70's L.A. punk as practiced by The Germs, Flesh Eaters and Randoms, and Gabel appropriately steals the intense energy of those bands and explodes it on Londoners with the iconoclastic flair of Guy Fawkes.

Americans Abroad also features the previously unreleased title track, and a bonus video that features parts of the Mean Fiddler gig. More importantly, it's an album that excites, motivates, and showcases Gabel's wry wit and the band's monster chops. It may take you a couple of seconds to recognize some of the songs because they've all been re-worked for this tour. However, it's worth the wait on these tracks to discover the new paths Gabel leads you down.

That Against Me! made a reputation for itself by constantly moving the boundaries of punk music is a feat in itself. The performances on Americans Abroad display not only a penchant for surprise, but a willingness to continue experimenting with a style that went dormant too quickly. When punk was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world, no one figured it would last. Thanks to groups like Against Me! punk will continue to lead its fans into rich musical terrains.

I've been listening to this band for about 6 years or so, but that's beside the point. They are phenomenal live. This record captures that splendidly. Pick it up as soon as you can.

52 minutes of humor and politically driven punk rock mayhem. The untouched production makes the listener believe they are truly part of the show. As an added bonus, the group performs a band new song ("Americans Abroad" - how appropriate) and includes a video of their performance of "Problems"

I've been a fan of the band for less than a year. I friend told me to check them out, and I bought As the Eternal Cowboy followed by Searching for a Former Clarity and Crime, As Forgiven By...
I love these records and Against Me! have earned a spot among my favorite artists. So, I picked up their live release as soon as I coould. Its well worth it. The only thing I wish would be different is the lack of acoustics. This also becomes a strong point for "Sink, Florida, Sink" which sounds awesome electric.
This is a must own for fans of the band, if you're unfamiliar with them it does offer a good cross section of their music, though much of their earlier work is left out in favor of newer songs.

Ive been an Against Me! fan for a long time. i have all there cds and seen them twice. they are the greatest this cd is good piece of what they sound like live. i cant wait for there next cd! BUY THIS ALBUM YOU WONT REGRET!

I haven't seen them live but anyone who has seen the DVD, "We're Never Going Home", would agree that this sounds far different. Tom never sang the whole way through a song on the DVD, often taking breaks and passing the mic around for fans to sing. I would rather get what their live show is really like because I don't think this is it. Although I am a fan of Americans Abroad, the song.

i love against me but this live record isnt very good. crowd is almost inexistant, songs are slower than the originals and the band seem bored. ive seen them and they are defintly better than this live