Live at the Temple Bar & More [Live]

Fishbone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Nuttsactor 5
• ASIN: B000066JEW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,573 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fishbone - Still Showing Us Where It's At!, August 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Live at the Temple Bar & More (Audio CD)

Over the last decade or so, it has been often said by reviewers, fans and live punters alike that the most energetic and mind-blowing live experience is that performed by the band known as Fishbone.

Unfortunately, the last 8 years have not been kind to Fishbone, (losing 4 members, parting company with a major record label, bad publicity and zero airplay) they have all but disappeared from the public eye, leaving most people thinking the band is defunct. Well, their demise is a myth and over the last few years they have produced 2 studio albums, 1 EP and now their awesome and uncensored latest release, 'Live At The Temple Bar & More - Fishbone'.

This latest live album displays a level of musicianship, energy and originality that is unrivaled by any of the band's fellow contemporaries and contains "THAT" sound which is specifically unique to Fishbone. Fishbone are still the the masters of mixing musical styles and successfully marry funk with metal, punk with soul, rock with ska and everything in between as if each style is their selected forte. If you love killer horn sections, soulful yet frantic vocals, fat intricate bass lines, tight grooves, complex rhythms and momentary thrash crunching guitar that jumps to clean slinky wah, you will love 'Live At The Temple Bar & More'. It is undoubtably their best release since their pinnacle years between 1991's "The Reality Of My Surroundings" and 1993's 'Give A Monkey A Brain.....' which in my opinion are bands finest moments. My summary is that it is a mix of these two gems combined with the often criticised 1996 independent release 'Chim Chim's Bad Ass Revenge'.

'Live At The Temple Bar & More' is 'Nutt-meg' music at it's best and truest, with a broad selection of funk, metal, ska, contemporary jazz and rock presented in 8 brand new, unreleased original tracks all performed live.
The album's strength lies in two areas:
1. It's exceptional production as all instruments and vocals are perfectly balanced in the mix. For a live album, it would have to have one of the most clear recordings I have ever heard which contains an impressively powerful and dominating bass presence. Every note played by bassist John Norwood Fisher is audible and cuts through unlike most live recordings which lose the bass. He is indeed a fundamental backbone of the bands sound so it is only right to have him in the forefront of the mix. Being a live album, concessions have to be made as some of the guitar tones are a little thin at times and the occasional flat note on vocals but for the most part, the precise tightness of the band would often deceive the listener in to thinking they were hearing a studio album.
2. The intensity of the new material is so strong and potent which is rare for a band that has operated with such longevity. Most artist slow down and commercialise their sound as they "mature" but not Fishbone. This heaviness and intensity may deter the ska and funk diehards who may want an album of 'Party At Ground Zero's' or 'Everyday Sunshine's' but this album is perfect for the listener with an appetite for a broad spectrum of music, which includes some bite. It skanks but also cranks. 'Live At The Temple Bar & More' is not for the faint hearted or those who require soothing or conservative music. The low end guitar crunch is defiantly at home here on stage with Fishbone. The band has certainly avoided the trap of mellowing with age with songs such as 'Last Dayz, Critical Times' and 'Demon In Here' either dropping the tuning down to low B or displaying the brutally fast down picking technique with such speed that would leave most hard-core trash fans drooling. This is all thanks to guitarist Spacey.T who can move from extremes of heaviness to beautifully gentle and melodic clean playing with faultless transition.

All songs are refreshingly different making this an album you can play from start to finish without your attention drifting. Being around 56 minutes of music and comical banter between songs, 'Live At The Temple Bar & More' is a decent length yet it seems to be over far too quickly, leaving you wanting more.

The most surprising element of the Fishbone's (seemingly stable) current line-up is the drummer John Steward who joined the band after the legendary Fish (a founding member and brother of bassist Norwood) left their ranks in 1998. Steward's speed, feel and rhythmic colouring is so impressive. Filling Fish's boots would be an immensely daunting task considering he is one of the world's great drummers yet John Steward masters all rolls, fills and tightly executes intricate time changes and complex arrangements with such precision that no Fishbone fan mourning the loss of Fish could complain about his percussive abilities.

Anyone who knows Fishbone is a aware that the band maintains a comical approach to their music which often does not sit well with some people. 'Live At The Temple Bar & More' is full of eccentric extremes which make's you smile. This separates the band from the mainstream as most artist seem to take themselves and their music far too seriously, Fishbone just have fun while still presenting politically and socially aware statements.

For the Fishbone fan who has been disappointed with the more recent releases over the last few such as 'Chim Chim's Bad Ass Revenge' (which suffered a hiding for it's woeful production, aggressive sound and absence of radio friendly song writting) and the censored, watered down restraint of the 2000 release 'The Friends Psychotic Nuttwerx', 'Live At The Temple Bar & More' is Fishbone in it's true and natural form.
Fishbone Is Still Red Hot!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fishbone - The Best "NUTT" in years!, August 3, 2002

By 

Gordon Kyd "G-Bone" (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Temple Bar & More (Audio CD)

It has been said by reviewers and Fishbone fans for years that the only 'REAL' way to experience Fishbone is LIVE!

Since their split with SONY - (Columbia) some time between 1993-94, (a short time after the brilliant yet mixed reviewed album 'Give A Monkey A Brain...', Fishbone has been a recluse in the eyes of the music industry and the mainstream music scene. Most people who had heard of Fishbone back in the early 90's (the closest time they came to breaking into commercial market with songs such as 'Everyday Sunshine', 'Sunless Saturday and 'Fight The Youth' off the acclaimed 1991 record 'The Reality Of My Surroundings') have long thought the band had disappeared and disbanded.

ANYONE WHO HAS THOUGHT THIS, YOU HAVE BEEN MISLEAD! YOU HAVEN'T HAD YOUR EAR ON THE UNDERGROUND!

After one listern to this lastest release, 'Live at The Temple Bar & More - Fishbone', it is apparent that they are still musical pioneers breaking new ground, continuing to break the type casts associated with "Race" and the alotted music that a certain "Race" is "expected" to play. Fishbone ain't "R & B" and ain't "Hip Hop" but the only all African American band to mix and marry metal with funk, punk with ska, rock with soul and do like they are masters of all musical styles.

Fishbone - Live at The Temple Bar & More is a display of awesome musicianship, character and energy. A set of 8 brand new unreleased tracks all performed live rather than in a studio format. It is a bold move to say the least but this band that has shat in the face of advercity too many times to care whether the commercial implications maybe not too favourable.
Unlike the bands that kicked around with Fishbone in the early 80's such as 'The Red Hot Chili Peppers' who have moved in an alusive 'mature' direction and mellowed, Fishbone have continued to grow heavier and harder yet still stay true to their roots of ska and funk.

'Last Dayz, Critical Times' Track 6, is an example of this with it's opening being a blisteringly chunky dropped B tuned guitar chug (Nu-Metal - KORN like) layered with horns of biblical proportions which breaks into a double time ska groove verse. For the old skool funk feel and probably the most "user friendly" tune, 'Are You Wit It' lays a groove and bassline that would get a corpse dancin'. Another stroke of musical genius is 'Demon In Here' with guitarist Spacey T displaying trash rhythm using a down picking technic that Kirk Hammet from Metallica would have died for during the recording of 'Master of Puppets'. 'Demon In Here' moves to a pre verse which takes the listerner back to the best musical moments of 'Reality of My Surrounding' and 'Give a Monkey a Brain...' with saxophne and pocket trumpet bowing out an intricate and catchy melody backed with meldic yet heavy guitar chords, slicky slap bass and John Steward working the kit to perfection. Talking of drummer John Steward, he is incredably impressive on this album, executing rolls and fills perfectly and using lightningly quick double kick which would make ex -Fishbone drummer 'Fish' proud.
The production of this album is exceptional for a live recording, all instruments and vocals are clear in the mix; bass in your face is my Utopia.

Enough of of this rant! If you like energy, soul, funk, ska, metal, groove, punk and comedy mixed with great lyrics, awesome horn arrangements, killer vocals and African American flavour, just do yourself a favour and purchase this album. Something for everyone!

As the crowd chants at the end of the album "FISHBONE IS RED HOT!"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Step Into A Whole Nutter World !!!, July 24, 2002

By 

jeffrey secrest (Kettering,OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Temple Bar & More (Audio CD)

Uhh...we're no longer in Kansas Dorothy!

Fishbone shakes up heaven and earth with thier newest release!Fishbone's brand of metal/funk/ska/punk or also known as
'Nuttmeg Music' is certainly not your parent's music and it may not be your older brother's music either but it should be your's.This could well be the golden nugget,the holy grail of music you've been looking for!

FISHBONE~Live At The Temple Bar And More
is a dense package of potent rhythms,sick horn play and crunching guitar.Considering America's fascination with explosives and firearms you'd think that Fishbone would be a household name.Fortunately with Fishbone's pyrotechnics no one gets hurt.Unless of course you're in the pit at one of thier famous live shows and that is usually limited to scrapes and bruises.Much like the live Fishbone experience 'Live At The Temple Bar' is in your face but also maintains an impossible balance of forklift heavy guitar and bass with articulate vocals and jazz-like horn play.The tunes themselves are catchy and unforgetable with clever lyrics that speak volumes.

'Are U Wit It' is a song about recognizing the many forms of slavery and proclaims,

"It's just too bad that you need money to survive,
because lust,love and peace keep you alive."

'Git Out Of The City' a song best described as Cab Calloway meets
Bob Marley warns of the dangers of big city living,

"So escape the gritty city's shackle blood clot,
and if you stand there you will get caught
in the metropolis cement snot."

A heavy and dark grittyness pervades the mood of this Fishbone effort not unlike thier 'Chim Chim' release in '96.The density
however never seems to wiegh the listener down.Many of the eight tracks will have you tapping your fingers and shakin' your rump.
Much of this is due to the expert musicianship found on the recordings.The brass of Walter Kibby and Angelo Moore bring an uplifting element that drives the music forward like the demon heralds of an angry god.Angelo's sax solo on the song
'Premadawnutt' is blistering and raises gooseflesh!Drummer,
John Steward like a heavy wieght champion is relentless laying down a rock solid foundation of jab,stick and move.The Fishbone mix of violence and subtlety is clearly heard in the guitar work of Spacey T.It's hard to believe that these are live recordings
Spacey achieves himself what it would take two or three axemen.
He jumps effortlessly from style to style playing lead and rhythm
like a magician.It's hard to choose but possibly Spacey's best work can be found on 'Are U Wit It'.Funk guitar that would make
his late mentor and guitar great Eddie Hazel proud.
Also on 'Are U Wit It' the talents of Norwood Fisher Fishbone bassist are showcased.Since it's founding in the early 80's Wood's bass has always been the foundation for Fishbone's music.
Like a jungle cat the bass line stalks languidly through the underpinnings of the funk and ska architecture.Until it sights it's prey and then the pursuit begins.With agile leaps and bounds finally pouncing with the violence of a thundering rock thump!A few limitations of recording live appear on this release.
I wouldn't have it any other way.I was very fortunately there that night in L.A. for the Temple Bar show and all the magic of that night is contained within.So let this disc lead you across the threshold of a whole new musical experience.Don't worry,if
you try you will catch on.The only thing I know of that is as good as 'Live At The Temple Bar And More' is actually being there
in the flesh at a Fishbone show!