Review Summary: Why is the beer always gone?
Fear. A punk group that came to the forefront for an infamous stunt on Saturday Night Live in 1981 had begun to run out of steam near the mid 80's, so it was surprising when they released
Have Another Beer With Fear. It may have seemed like the band was done, considering the only founding member remaining was vocalist Lee Ving. So what did the group bring to the table with this offering?
Well, for a group that helped put Californian Hardcore Punk on the map, even before Bad Religion had really come to the forefront, there isn't really that much here that helps differentiate it from similar acts at the time. But the performance is as tight as you'd expect from a punk band of their generation, even through the strangely timed section of
Free Beer and yes, the drums do tend to have some peculiar flairs that really create an interesting mood. Yes, the lyrics swing between sarcastic and downright ridiculous, but the execution is perfect. Even when Ving is shouting the extremely cynical lyrics to
Honor and Obey, you can't help but want to sing along, no matter how much you love and respect your female companions.
It's easy to release an album which is both humorous and has good quality music. Fear manages it here. The bass is fantastic, with its pumping vibe. Yes, sometimes it's only a held note, but you know what? Who cares. There is a genuine energy in the playing, one not found in so many modern performances. This is one of the defining features. The vocals sound genuine, the guitars not so perfectly in sync that they sound like they were performed by a machine. It's not a classic, not by any means, with all the repetition of the beer and the general theme, but it definitely has some great [i]moments.
3.5/5
