Fu Manchu Albums (8)
'Start the Machine'
Release Date 9/14/2004
Tracks 12
Label RT. / Utr Music
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What The Critics Say
Almost uniquely in the world of stoner rock (and in rock & roll, period, for that matter) Fu Manchu have actually improved with age. While hardly altering their original, fuzzed-out, retro-minded formula, the So-Cal natives have gradually evolved -- Fu Manchu first stood out simply as one of the first groups to do what it does, and now deservingly stands out as one of the best at what it does. The reason for this unusual development is also a simple one: songs. Fu Manchu always rocked hard, but they didn't really start writing consistently good songs until 1997's breakout The Action Is Go, and after achieving a possible career-best effort via 2001's California Crossing, the band is once again in nearly top form with 2005's long-awaited Start the Machine. Invariably tight, immediate, and groovy, pulsing sonic hot rods like "Written in Stone," "Open Your Eyes," and "I Wanna Be" dominate an LP that was clearly meant to be heard on vinyl, not CD, and where no single track ever breaches the four-minute mark. As well as proving main man Scott Hill's innate facility at matching catchy riffs and hooks, these offerings suggest that the band's mid-career flirtations with space rock were probably instigated by then-drummer Brant Bjork (he of Kyuss fame). But that's not to say that Start the Machine is a one-dimensional album, as, breaking out of the basic flow, "I Can't Hear You" is a brash, one-minute punk rocker, "Make Them Believe" and "It's All the Same" splice AC/DC's bluesy boogie with Sabbath's grinding power chords, and "Out to Sea" goes mellow and instrumental to act as an intermission. Bottom line, Fu Manchu know their strengths and, having found their songwriting legs for good in the 2000s, have no intentions of veering into realms that would let down their fans -- or themselves. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'Go for It...Live!'
Release Date 7/22/2003
Tracks 22
Label Steamhammer/SPV
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What The Critics Say
After 13 years of lighting up audiences with a cryptic mix of good-time '70s rock and heavy surfer punk, California sons Fu Manchu finally delivered a coveted live album, Go for It...Live! (named after the obscure 1979 skateboard/adventure flick). These purveyors of delightful pop culture trash recorded the tasty 22-song, two-disc set during the 2002 California Crossing tour. The lineup of Scott Hill (vocals/guitar), Brad Davis (bass), Bob Balch (guitar), and Scott Reeder (drums) has produced the ultimate soundtrack for skating pools, catching waves, and hanging out in cherry cars. The album also marks the debut of Reeder, who replaced the nomadic Brant Bjork just before the CC tour began. Bjork's Neanderthal drumming was quite a spectacle, but at times he could overpower the band, and Reeder is more intricate and doesn't run out of bounds. Disc one is punctuated by searing renditions of "Hell on Wheels," "Mongoose," "Anodizer," and the signature epic "King of the Road," but it's songs from early albums that shine like a sparkly GTO paint job. "Tilt" is a slippery pinball ride over funky cowbell breaks, "Asphalt Risin" rumbles through shifting gears of fuzz, and "Strato-Streak" vaunts some juicy bass work under a crush of tonal guitars. Perhaps not the most gifted vocalist (and he doesn't pretend to be), Hill's all-knowing SoCal drawl nevertheless cultures each song nicely. Disc two features a stellar version of "Regal Begal" in which a juicy bass break bounces between thundering riffs, and the scorching album closer, "Saturn III," is euphoric space boogie not heard since Lemmy hung with Hawkwind. Also highlighting the second disc are universal crowd favorites "Godzilla," "Over the Edge," "Evil Eye," and the slithery "Weird Beard." All the songs are spliced seamlessly, the production is very crisp, and the CD booklet is loaded with band photos and rare concert posters -- so who could complain, right? The only bummer is a somewhat disjointed flow trying to pack an entire career's worth of songs into just one release. Usually the best live albums capture a specific time period (think of live classics by Cheap Trick, Motörhead, or Iron Maiden), and as a result, longtime fans may want to rearrange track orders while lamenting omissions like "Pigeon Toe," "Trapeze Freak," "Blue Tile Fever," "Urethane," "Eatin' Dust," and "Separate Kingdome." But bitching about too much is like complaining it's too sunny at the beach, or that summer vacation lasts too long. Go for It...Live! is an absolute must for those enamored by Fu Manchu's buzzy sound, and a great introduction for those curious about a band woefully ignored by radio stations and video channels. ~ Craig Curtice, All Music Guide
'California Crossing'
Release Date 10/23/2001
Tracks 11
Label Mammoth
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What The Critics Say
Anytime a band tinkers with its core sound, inevitably fans will be won and lost. California Crossing has a strong up side; Fu Manchu's distinctive fuzzy guitar sound has been refined into polished nuggets served fresh from the land of palm trees and endless summers. Its still hard rock, but this is a smoother machine that eases off the gas to feature breezing So-Cal hooks on "Thinkin' Out Loud," "Wiz Kid," "Mongoose," "Squash That Fly," and "Hang On." Wisely conjuring '70s pop sensibilities more closely resembling Cheap Trick than oft-compared Sabbath might realistically break Fu Manchu into radio markets and attract larger audiences without mosh-pits. However, there is a down side that may lose the interest of diehards still hell-bent on 1996's sludgy classic In Search Of or expecting King of the Road II. Scott Hill's reluctant vocals are usually nestled in amplified feedback and heavy drumming, but on this outing they are lifted to the surface exposing moments of range limitations with occasionally vague lyrics. Also, Brant Bjork's drums sound muted in the overall mix; only on "Ampn" and the juicy ending instrumental "The Wastoid" does he really gallop. Amicably leaving the Chu after this recording to pursue solo endeavors, Bjork was replaced by Scott Reeder (of Orange County's Smile) who's technical drumming suits CC's sound better. Lastly, Mammoth's delays and promotional copy proliferation several months prior to the official release hardly fueled precious momentum. Despite waves of bad timing for this album, these songs nevertheless strengthen Fu Manchu's status as a premier live band while showing future promise as musicians. ~ Craig Curtice, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a bit of a break from albums, not counting the Return to Earth singles compilation, Fu Manchu fully fired up and took off again with King of the Road, an album that doesn't so much follow on from The Action Is Go as flat out continue it. Hill has a touch more bite to his vocals this time around, but otherwise there's little to differentiate the two records -- and that's very much meant as a compliment. With plenty of touring and other things under their belts, the lineup has fully jelled and sounds it, Bjork's bad-ass drumming (and occasional cowbells, of course) and Balch's insane lead guitar crunch possibly even better than ever. Together it's all one megariff and nasty, slamming rhythm after another, and face it, anyone expecting anything else from Fu Manchu really needs to find another band. Joe Barresi co-produces with the band, and while there's no extra keyboard/organ weirdness this time around, it hardly matters. In as much as there's a theme to King of the Road beyond the basics of driving, drugs, and that demon rock & roll, it's driving -- there's a reason why the cover and internal art features a slew of great '70s-era photos from a massive van rally. The one shot of the fully leather-covered interior of one mobile love nest, complete with black curtains, about says it all. Then there's the megachugging title track ("King of the road says you move too slow!"), "Hell on Wheels," "Boogie Van," and so forth -- call it a concept album that doesn't waste time with elves and yogis. As with the last album, a punk/new wave nugget gets the cover treatment here -- none other than Devo's "Freedom of Choice." Needless to say, now it sounds just like a Fu Manchu original. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Not that it's unique, yet even with half the band changed from the last time around, the twin-riff action that kicks off "Evil Eye," and The Action Is Go! as a whole, sounds like nobody else but Fu Manchu, somehow. Punk energy, classic rock drive, psychedelic crunch, and heavy-ass grind all at once -- really, is anything more needed? From there the new lineup proceeds to kick ass and take names in its own way -- music to shake one's very long hair to while cranking it up and driving around. Hill's strength as a vocalist has long been that he doesn't sound like a deep, bellowing yahoo, but that nutty kid down the block who knows how to party anyway. The Action Is Go! lets him demonstrate that in spades, not to mention his guitar abilities as well as Balch's lead soloing. He and Bjork make perfect recruits for Fu Manchu -- the one pours out the heavy, never dull riffing, the other knows how to lay down some grooves and slam it out when needed in equal measure. Check out the extended zone-outs on "Burning Road" and "Trackside Hoax" to see how both can play it calm when needed for totally cranking up. Another smart touch was getting J. Yuenger, ex-White Zombie guitarist, as producer -- he balances a touch more clarity in the mix with full-bodied charge, not to mention playing a variety of additional keyboards and goodies. Unsubtle hints and homages to the '70s puree of influences crop up throughout -- Bjork's funky breaks on "Urethane" will have many humming War's "Lowrider" to themselves, and for good reason. All this, a cover of SSD's hardcore classic "Nothing Done," and a great Glen E. Friedman skateboard photo from 1977 on the front -- sounds like Southern California from here. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Fu Manchu was one of the most enduring and influential bands of the '90s stoner metal movement (along with Kyuss, Monster Magnet, and Sleep), but it wasn't until their third full-length release, In Search Of..., that the Southern California stoners finally obtained "major" label support by signing with Mammoth Records -- not that this had any effect on singer Scott Hill's indistinctive vocals, or the band's fuzzy dirge of post-Sabbath riffery with psychedelic overtones. And like most Fu Manchu albums, In Search Of... is a very inconsistent affair, with only a few cuts such as "Asphalt Risin'," "Strato-Freak," and "Seahag" really standing out of the pack. Simply put, one gets the impression that Fu Manchu doesn't try that hard, but then, not every band wants to rule the world. Thankfully, the departure of guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano to form Nebula soon after this recording would provide the band with the impetus and inspiration to really start moving forward on the following year's much improved The Action Is Go. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Borrowing a phrase from This Is Spinal Tap, the sonic evolution of Southern California stoners Fu Manchu throughout the '90s can't even be charted. In fact, in dinosaur terms, 1995's Daredevil finds them sun-bathing on the beach of a primordial ocean, still wondering whether leaving the water was such a good idea in the first place. Before this review gets too weird, let it be said that this album was certainly their most focused effort to date, thanks to the infectious classic-rock riffs of tracks like "Travel Agent" (excellent groove) and "Coyote Duster" (great guitar solo). Unfortunately, the remaining songs tend to be indistinctive and repetitive -- no thanks to their inexplicable titles and nonexistent choruses. But, not all albums are about hit singles, and as a whole Daredevil provides a great background noise for, well, getting stoned. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'No One Rides for Free'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 8
Label Bong Load
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What The Critics Say
After a number of 45 inch singles and EPs, SoCal stone rockers Fu Manchu inaugurated their career properly with 1994's No One Rides for Free, a solid collection of groove-laden tunes that would establish a formula the band would hardly touch for years to come. Produced by then-Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork (who would officially join the band three years later), this is a confident debut from the get go. After racing through opener "Time to Fly," they unleash their first classic in "Ojo Rojo," whose lyrics about hot rods and drag racing would become a band trademark. This recurring theme pervades many of the album's other highlights, including "Superbird" and "Mega-Bumpers." By comparison, the soft acoustic guitar strumming of "Free and Easy (Summer Girls)" remains a career anomaly -- though an interesting one at that. Ironically, No One Rides for Free would remain the only worthwhile Fu Manchu album for many years to come, as subsequent efforts failed to yield any truly memorable tracks, no thanks to their often non-existent choruses and nonsensical lyrics. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
