Fugazi Albums (8)
'Fugazi Live Series, Vol. 3: 10-8-90 Beilefeld, Gemany, PC69'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 20
Label Fugazi Live Series
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It was always widely known that, since their inception, Fugazi had been keeping a running library of their live shows. While it had always been rumored that at some point the band would oversee the release of said material, no one was really quite sure when or how these tapes would see the light of day. Thankfully, with the band on temporary hiatus, Fugazi were able to release 20 of the shows through an Internet site devoted to the venture, www.fugaziliveseries.com. Each of the 20 volumes contains an entire show, including all the interruptions and introductions, allowing each to stand as a pure document of the band in the moment. The sound quality varies from disc to disc based on the recording technology of the time, and the cover art maintains continuity by using one image repeated on each disc. Vol. 3 of the series, recorded in Germany in 1990, is a pretty searing show. The band fires on all cylinders, tearing through a set list that makes the recorded versions appearing on 13 Songs, Margin Walker, Repeater, and (at the time unreleased) Steady Diet of Nothing sound relatively tame by comparison. Unlike many of their shows, which are usually interrupted by unruly fans, the Beilefeld show is pretty straightforward. Outside of Guy Picciotto's friendly poke at those who couldn't make it (this show was recorded for radio), the flow of the show is uninterrupted and dynamic. But what it displays best is a band that had shown amazing growth in three short years. And, frankly, that's one of the purposes of this series. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide
'Fugazi Live Series, Vol. 1: 9-3-87 Washington DC, Wilson Center'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 9
Label Fugazi Live Series
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It was always widely known that, since their inception, Fugazi had been keeping a running library of their live shows. While it had always been rumored that at some point the band would oversee the release of said material, no one was really quite sure when or how these tapes would see the light of day. Thankfully, with the band on temporary hiatus, Fugazi were able to release 20 of the shows through an Internet site devoted to the venture, www.fugaziliveseries.com. Each of the 20 volumes contains an entire show, including all the interruptions and introductions, allowing each to stand as a pure document of the band in the moment. The sound quality varies from disc to disc based on the recording technology of the time, and the cover art maintains continuity by using one image repeated on each disc. Vol. 1 of Fugazi Live Series, recorded in 1987 at the Wilson Center, is Fugazi's first show. The show, a benefit for Positive Force (a Washington, D.C., activist collective), while a bit rough around the edges (Ian MacKaye had never done the guitar and vocals thing in his earlier bands), with broken strings and a fudged ending to "Furniture," was no doubt an important moment at an important time in the D.C. scene. Granted, it is hard not to notice the lack of eventual second guitarist/vocalist Guy Picciotto, but this absence makes those familiar with Fugazi understand how important his role in the band was. Having said that, Fugazi still has power, even as a three-piece. While "Turn Off Your Guns" and "Word" may not have gotten much exposure over the years, they're still solid tunes, and it's obvious (even this early on, although it may be hindsight talking) that "Waiting Room" would become a song to be reckoned with. It may not be glossy, but it is an interesting (and to Fugazi fans, necessary) document, which allows the listener to witness at least aurally the birth, warts and all, of one hell of a live band. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's unfortunate that a band so forward looking as Fugazi has been criticized over and over for not remaking "Waiting Room" or "Repeater." Some have called them sellouts, regardless of the band's integrity and class, while others consider them elitists, "guiding" the Washington, D.C., scene. This could not be further from the truth. As the film and soundtrack to Instrument proved, this is a band that is only concerned with musical growth, with each album improving on its predecessor. But no album they have put together has the jump ahead that The Argument has. Being both ear-shattering and spine-tingling at once, this is Fugazi at their "musical" best. Incorporating melody with texture and their signature angular approach, the band has raised the bar for themselves and others once again. The first "full" track, "Cashout" (an anti-gentrification anthem), is classic stuff, with a subtle guitar line exploding into a screaming chorus, but this time there is less of an emphasis on the screaming and more on the gentle melody of the verse. Slower tracks like "The Kill" and "Life and Limb" touch on strange new territory. Gentle with sense of swagger, these songs lack none of the power that the band is known for, while the two-drum assault of "Ex-Spectator" (courtesy of Brendan Canty and second drummer Jerry Busher) has just as much potency on disc as it does live. And the final song, "Argument," with its rolling guitar lines, dreamy breakdown, and vocals that build from gentle to screaming, may be the best closer on a Fugazi record since "Promises." Listeners may be surprised to hear strings open up the record, or piano guiding the brilliant "Strangelight," but this is the album that proves once and for all that Fugazi has become a purely musical force. Fifteen years in and Fugazi is still progressing. It makes one wonder what they're capable of in the future. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
End Hits is a minor blebby for Fugazi -- there are some great moments, however, so it's nothing to disown the band for. The epileptic "Lust for Life"-style "Five Corporations" has the riffs and rage, with Ian MacKaye taking the music industry to task for being the slow, incestuously festering beast that it is. Though the band seems to lack the stamina for instrumental wowing it once had, the songwriting is still there. On point as always, MacKaye remains lyrically immolated: "Check the math here/Check in ten years/Clusterf*ck theory/Buy them up and shut them down/Then repeat in every town/Every town will be the same." Nigh on two decades of punk army service, MacKaye is still far away from running out of relevant things to say. Other highlights include "Break" and "Place Position." MacKaye and Picciotto's mantra-like barking of "yawn yawn yawn" during the latter could stop you to think, "Wait, that was kind of funny," amidst all the fist-pumping. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Retreating from the skinned-knee production values of In on the Kill Taker, Red Medicine packs more rhythmic punch and shows more range. With more drive and playful goings-on, the arrangements sound much looser than on Kill Taker, while remaining just as gut-kicking and brainy. The experimentation, which adds liveliness, doesn't sound measured. Even Joe Lally is allowed to sing, and it just happens to be one of the best songs on the record. Running against the theory that Fugazi is a pack of killjoys, numerous instances pop up where the band's twisted sense of humor is apparent. The sinister ha-has that open "Birthday Pony," the android sample in the pleasant (!) instrumental "Combination Lock," and random piano plinks all manage to find a welcome place. But the most uncharacteristic track is the "Blade Runner in Kingston" slo-mo instrumental "Version," featuring clarinet skronks, dubwise rhythm, incidental zaps, and -- get this -- no guitars. Picciotto declares in the immediately following "Target" that he hates the sound of guitars. What gives? It's clearly a rumination against corporate America's capitalization/bastardization of "punk" aesthetics. If anyone had the right to comment, it was Fugazi. "Back to Base" and "Downed City" (another dubby intro here) return to more standard issue, hardcore roots Fugazi, full of the soaring guitars that the band is most known for. Closing out the nearly flawless second side is yet another contemplative exit track, "Long Distance Runner." Acting as a daily affirmation of sorts to combat lethargy, MacKaye opines, "If I stop to catch my breath/I might catch a piece of death." ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'In on the Kill Taker'
Release Date 6/30/1993
Tracks 12
Label Dischord
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In on the Kill Taker is like scrubbing your face with steel wool. It finds the band relying on rusty guitar shards that scrape, seethe, and hiss, further removing itself from the sound of 13 Songs and Repeater. Harsh and grating, Fugazi surprisingly produces sheer noise at times, best witnessed in the lengthy closing of "23 Beats Off" and the unintentional Gremlins homage that opens "Walken's Syndrome." Joe Lally's bass and Brendan Canty's drums are relegated to acting as a guide; they're pushed -- but not squashed -- down in the mix, allowing for Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto's guitars to take control, corrosively so. It's probably Fugazi's least digestible record from front to back, but each track has its own attractive qualities, even if not immediately perceptible. "Facet Squared" and "Public Witness Program" open the record furiously, but the majority of the following "Return the Screw" is hardly audible, aside from occasional vocal tantrums. A good amount of time is spent alternating between low-key guitar noodling and intrusive bursts of aggression. They're smart with their sequencing, placing the gentle instrumental "Sweet and Low" (the only track where Lally plays a prominent role) after the exhaustive cacophony of "23 Beats Off," and generally piecing together a set of rather diverse tracks that flows well. Picciotto's anti-Hollywood rant on the properly titled "Cassavetes" is a classic Fugazi moment, as is his similarly name-dropping "Walken's Syndrome." Buried at the end of the record are two excellent lurchers, MacKaye's "Instrument" and Picciotto's "Last Chance for a Slow Dance." Not Fugazi's finest hour, but one of its most daring and rewarding. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'Steady Diet of Nothing'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 11
Label Dischord
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
From the opening swarms of "Exit Only," you can tell Steady Diet of Nothing will differ from Fugazi's earlier records. Repeater's excellence can't be denied, but the band stood in danger of stagnating its sound. To its benefit, Fugazi made some changes, employing more herk-a-jerk rhythms and dub influences, and changing up the lyrical focus. Actually, the lyrics get a bit vague -- bordering on equivocality at times -- which has its advantages and disadvantages. With Steady Diet, Fugazi get more economical and less forceful. Though not nearly as neck-gnawing as Repeater, Steady Diet still packs a sizable wallop, but with slower tempos and less deliberate instrumentation. As always, a poison-tipped dart is pointed at the government, media, and major entertainment outlets. Ian MacKaye's "destroy your television" rant on "Polish" is one of the more direct and simple songs. His "KYEO" comes straight from the rice paddy or homefront, depending on interpretation. It urges the listener to always remain aware, whether awaiting the enemy's next battle move or remaining blissfully unaware of how people can be taken advantage of by others. As with the rest of the band's catalog, lyrics are provided in the booklet. This makes things much easier on the intent listener, as both Picciotto and MacKaye have weird voices that become unintelligible when howled over their instrumental din. The lyric sheet is most useful on Picciotto's "Latin Roots." He's not warning you that "it's time to meet Jamaicans," as it sounds, but rather "it's time to meet your makers." Not quite lending itself to "Purple Haze"-like levels of butchery, but important to point out nonetheless. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With its righteous disdain for capitalism and the almighty dollar, Repeater sounds like an angrier American update of Gang of Four's Solid Gold, which had been made ten years earlier. Lines/slogans like "When I need something/I reach out and grab it," "You are not what you own," "I was caught with my hand in the till," and "Everything is greed" bear this out. Though not lacking any sense of conviction, Repeater honestly gets a little stifling. It's not too difficult to see why the band was allegedly lacking a sense of humor at this stage. They could have been yelling about filing their taxes; the yelling begins to fade into a din after a while. The title makes sense, if only by mistake. But -- and that's a big but -- Repeater nearly matches the Fugazi and Margin Walker EPs with its musical invention and skill, spewing out another group of completely invigorating songs, which makes the subject matter and finger-pointing a little easier to swallow. Few rhythm sections of the time had the great interplay of Joe Lally and Brendan Canty. Likewise, the guitar playing and interaction of Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto almost always get overlooked, thanks to all the other subjects brought up when the band is talked about. A guitar magazine even rated Repeater as one of the best guitar records of the '90s, and rightfully so. Anemic revs spiked by pig squeals (or is it a screeching train?) highlight the title track, one of the band's finest moments. (Don't miss MacKaye's vicious double-tracked vocals, either.) As always, MacKaye and Picciotto's noise-terrorism-as-guitar-joust avoids flashiness, used as much as rhythm as punctuation device. Sharp, angular, jagged, and precise. Other gnarling highlights include the preachy "Styrofoam," the late-breaking "Sieve-Fisted Find," and the somewhat ironic "Merchandise," which skewers Mr. Business Owner by asking, "What could a businessman ever want more/Than to have us sucking in his store?" Plenty of fans had to suck in someone's store to get this record, after all. [The CD version of Repeater added the 3 Songs 7" as a bonus, titled as Repeater + 3 Songs.] ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
