Fastbacks Albums (9)
'Truth, Corrosion and Sour Bisquits'
Release Date 8/3/2004
Tracks 15
Label Book
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It was a sad day for fans of punk rock in the classic hooky-poppy-snotty manner when the Fastbacks finally called it a career in 2002, after a bit more than 22 years together, and two years after the fact guitarist, songwriter, and general idea man Kurt Bloch finally released the band's final musical statement, a selection of unreleased tracks, single cuts, and compilation contributions which were wound into an album called Truth, Corrosion and Sour Bisquits. It would be wonderful to be able to report that this represents a last-inning triumph from a band whose glories rarely received the attention they deserved, but this isn't the case. And it's unlikely that's what anyone involved had in mind, anyway -- this is the Fastbacks' version of Odds and Sods, a set of songs that got away (at least in terms of the album-making process), top-heavy with covers and relatively short on Kurt Bloch originals, but fun and spunky from front to back. If you were any kind of a fan of this band, it's hard to imagine that you wouldn't want to hear the Fastbacks cover the Raspberries, the Soft Boys, or U.K. Subs, and "AAA," "I'll Return," and "We Tried" (the last Fastbacks recording ever) are originals too damn good to be lost to the ravages of time. Ultimately, Truth, Corrosion and Sour Bisquits stands as a fond farewell from a band that rarely (if ever) let down their small but mighty core of followers, and while this isn't the album most fans would pull off the shelf to remember the Fastbacks, no one who dug 'em will fail to get a smile from it -- it's every bit as joyous, sincere, and wondrously goofy as they were, which is no small thing. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'The Day That Didn't Exist'
Release Date 10/5/1999
Tracks 14
Label spinART
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Two decades in, and not a smile lost. Seattle's oldest and happiest band doesn't sound bedraggled, pooped, and in need of Geritol, Propetia, or a double dose of Viagra. Instead, they still sound like a bunch of teenagers who've just climbed over the fence of a private swim club at midnight, dive bombing into the deep end with a big splash. New formula? Are you kidding? Who needs a stinking new formula when you have enthusiasm to match chops up the wazoo? This is melodic, sunny punk to be sure. But it's also still as heavy as paperweights and bowling balls, based on the slam-bang of Kim Warnick's rumbling bass and Mike Musberger's punishing power drumming, setting up Kurt Bloch and Lulu Gargiulo's gleefully crunchy, clear guitars. And why not continue to mine the contrast between this polished thunder and the girls' ever sweetened vocal tones, singing simple tunes of romantic confusion, empowerment, lament, and cheerfulness? It still works. These are late 30-somethings who grew up covering almost the whole catalogs of the Ramones and Buzzcocks when those were new bands, and have never forgotten that slight middle space in between the two. The zeal all four show would come to little if they didn't have these tunes, but having them to spare, they just can't wait to get up there and pound 'em out with aplomb and abandon. Witness the typically Who destruction-like ending of "I Was Stolen." They are also capable of dynamics and older pop touches, such as the most involving track, "Like Today," the '60s girl group opening of "Dreams I.H.S," and the blatant, amusing "Eve of Destruction" hook theft on "Have You Had Enough?" Years gone and they're more lovable than ever. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
'Here They Are: Fastbacks Live at Crocodile Cafe'
Release Date 8/15/1996
Tracks 14
Label Lance Rock
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
On this hot Fastbacks live LP from their home Seattle, the fun begins right from the opening notes of Kurt Bloch's overdriven guitar on "Out of the Charts," right through to the encore cover of U.K. Subs' 1980 Brand New Age side-one ending bopper "Rat Race" (which the Fastbacks' sleeve notes incorrectly list the release year as 1981. Oh, pshaw.) Everything you like about them come to life! Don't miss. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
'New Mansions in Sound'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 15
Label Sub Pop
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Fastbacks managed to pare themselves down to a mere three drummers while recording New Mansions in Sound (Mike Musburger played on 13 of the album's 15 cuts, while Jason Finn and Nate Johnson each sat in for one song), and the resulting album is a good bit stronger than their previous set, Answer the Phone Dummy. Fastbacks' punk quotient isn't especially high on this set (though "555 (Part One)" and "The Bitter Drink" will satisfy those looking for a fast-loud fix), but their pop side is in unusually solid form; Kim Warnick and Lulu Gargiulo have rarely sang so harmoniously, and songs like "Fortune's Misery" and "No Information" are so catchy it's hard to imagine anyone being able to resist them. The band's choice of covers on this set also makes for a lovely balance of sublime vs. ridiculous, facing "Space Station #5" by Montrose against "Girl's Eyes" by the Who. Solid, joyous, occasionally poignant, and lots of fun -- in short, another slice of brilliance from Fastbacks. (By the way, the "e.v." credited with singing backup on "Girl's Eyes" is noted Fastbacks fan Eddie Vedder, who can be heard offering the engineer 100 dollars if he'll please erase his vocal and let him try it again.) ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Answer the Phone Dummy'
Release Date 10/25/1994
Tracks 15
Label Sub Pop
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After 14 years of dealing with the "drummer problem," Answer the Phone Dummy was the album where Fastbacks cheerfully decided to give up the fight, at least for a while; the disc's 15 songs are divided between six different percussionists borrowed from other bands, including Jason Finn (from the Presidents of the United States of America), Dan Peters (from Mudhoney), Mike Musburger (of the Posies), and Rusty Willoughby (from Flop, who also played on Fastbacks' previous long-player, Zucker). Perhaps due to the lack of a consistent rhythm section, Answer the Phone Dummy doesn't sound as solid and consistent as Zucker, the band's high-water mark at that time; while Kurt Bloch wrote a batch of great tunes (as usual), this set lacks a certain aural cohesion the pacing is inconsistent, with the album sometimes struggling to maintain a steady momentum. Answer the Phone Dummy is a good album from a great band, but beginners are advised to check out Zucker or The Question Is No instead. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Very, Very Powerful Motor'
Release Date 9/17/1993
Tracks 12
Label Pop Llama
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
1990 was a difficult time for Fastbacks; after nearly a decade together, the band had failed to gain a significant audience outside the Pacific Northwest, and Lulu Gargiulo opted to take a sabbatical from the group. Very, Very Powerful Motor, the band's second album, seems to reflect the problems facing the group; while it's tighter, snappier, and rocks a good bit harder than their debut, ... And His Orchestra, it's also one of the group's edgiest, most angst-filled recordings. Alongside such pop-punk gems as "In the Summer" and "Says Who?" are a number of longer tunes where Kurt Bloch leaves himself plenty of space to work out on guitar (like "What to Expect/Dirk's Car Jam" and "Last Night I Had a Dream That I Could Fly"), and lyrically the overall tone of the album is one of anxiety and doubt. But while Fastbacks sounded gifted but tentative on their debut, here the band sounds like they were finally living up to their potential; Very, Very Powerful Motor is the first Fastbacks album to capture the group's qualities at full power. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the compilation The Question Is No catapulted them from their lowly status as a local cult item to their new role as a national cult item, Fastbacks sounded a good bit more cheerful and a lot more confident on their third proper album, Zucker. Roaring right out of the box with three hooky classics in a row ("Believe Me Never," "Gone to the Moon," and "Hung on a Bad Peg," Zucker manages to be one of Fastbacks' most rocking and most pop-influenced albums at once; "When I'm Old" is a lovely bit of mid-tempo contemplation replete with acoustic guitars, and Fastbacks even cover a Bee Gees tune (don't fret, "Please Read Me" dates from the Gibbs' Brit-pop period rather than the disco era). And if Kurt Bloch still sounds a bit uncertain about the world around him, he and his partners Kim Warnick, Lulu Gargiulo, and drummer of the moment Rusty Willoughby sound energetic enough to roar right over the bad times. Witty, muscular, and packed with great songs, Zucker ranks with Fastbacks' very best work. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'...And His Orchestra'
Release Date 1/1/1987
Tracks 20
Label Pop Llama
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Fastbacks' first album was slapped together from three sessions tracked out over 11 months (one in an actual recording studio, two on TEAC four-tracks in rehearsal studios), and as a result it lacks some of the punch and cohesion of their best work. But Kurt Bloch's songs were well worth hearing from the start, and ... And His Orchestra features several winners, including "K Street," "Seven Days," and the horn-enhanced "Wrong, Wrong, Wrong." And the band sounds tight and enthusiastic throughout, even if the audio sometimes lets them down; Fastbacks also come clean on their fondness for '70s hard rock with a ragged-but-right take on Sweet's "Set Me Free." A more than promising start for a band destined for better (if not always bigger) things. The CD reissue tacks on nine songs from the group's first two self-released EPs as a bonus. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Originally released only on cassette by No Threes, a subsidiary of PopLlama Records, in 1989 and subsequently reissued on LP and CD, Bike-Toy-Clock-Gift chronicles a particularly shambolic period in the Fastbacks' muddled chronology, when guitarist Lulu Gargiulo had temporarily left the band, reducing them to a core duo of singer/bassist Kim Warnick and guitarist/songwriter Kurt Bloch, along with drummer-of-the-moment Nate Johnson. Mixing tracks from two 1988 performances, Bike-Toy-Clock-Gift sounds surprisingly good for a live album from a next-to-unknown punk-pop band of the late '80s; almost all other live albums from this time and place are muddy, lo-fi audience tapes, but this is a well-engineered multi-track document. The sound is terrific, but the performances are more hit and miss. The energy level is way up there and Warnick screams and trills her way through a fine selection of some of Bloch's best early songs, but Gargiulo's rhythm guitar is sorely missed. Forced to play both rhythm and lead, Bloch mostly settles into Ramones-style thrash, which suits the songs well enough (particularly the cover of da bruddahs' "Swallow My Pride," which Warnick coyly turns into a sly bit of feminist empowerment) but lacks the sonic variety of the two-guitar attack. Still, this is a fine snapshot of one of the most endearing and underrated American indie groups of their time. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
