Fear: The Record (Kicked In The Throat/2004)

Fear were part of the original Los Angeles, California's punk scene in the late 1970's. Part sincerity and part tongue-in-cheek, Fear were what you'd call “humorously offensive”. With cartoonishly homophobic, misogynistic and misanthropic lyrics, they were what one might describe as being an acquired taste. I remember Trouser Press Record Guide liking singer Lee Ving's vocals to a drunken baseball fan bellowing from the bleachers. Fear had their most widespread exposure in 1981. First in the Penelope Spheeris' classic The Decline Of Western Civilization motion picture and on the Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live in which, as per mega-fan John Belushi, the band played a mini-set (which is worthy of an episode itself).

Nonetheless Fear's debut album The Record is easily something of a classic and one of the best-recorded debut albums from the entire LA late '70's punk scene. The playing is technically very skillful and well-above average in terms of your standard up-start punk band. “Camarillo” has a difficult time signature, “Getting The Brush” is darkly imaginative and “New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones” is kind of hilarious. “I Don't Care About You”, “Let's Have A War” and a re-recording of the 1978 single “I Love Livin' In The City” are bonafide punk anthems in the classic-sense.

Initially released in 1982 on Slash records, this issue is the 2004 Kicked In The Throat release and features their 1982 Holiday single “Fuck Christmas” as a bonus track.

Highly recommended for any and all fans of punk rock. 

Here's the video review: