ANTiSEEN--One Live Sonofabitch...And A Hell Of A Lot More!
Steel Cage 2004
This stacked reissue could very well have been titled The Monster That Wouldn't Die. Originally slated to be a simple remastered version of ANTiSEEN's self-released 1997 live album One Live Sonofabitch, this package grew over its planning stages to include an entire second CD of bonus live rarities as well as a two hour long DVD. For all the labor that must've gone into getting this beast together, One Live Sonofabitch...And A Hell Of A Lot More should be a document all involved parties can look upon with pride for the rest of their days. There is little doubt every ANTiSEEN fan in the world, both old and new, will be grateful beyond words to get their ears and eyes on this magnificent archive.
Disc one of this set contains a gussied up version of the One Live Sonofabitch album. The sound quality here is superb, giving listeners the best officially released ANTiSEEN live treatment available. A good number of the fan faves were rocked the night of this show, though covers of George Jones' "I've Aged 20 Years In Five" and the the Ernest Tubb standard "Thanks A Lot" stand out as special treats, our heroes in backwoods thug mode like never before.
The second CD of One Live Sonofabitch...And A Hell Of A Lot More closes the audio portion of this program with a slew of live ANTiSEEN rarities, the majority of which are previously unreleased. Beyond being a nice bonus to the package, this platter contains more evidence than any other ANTiSEEN offering proving these guys have been sorely underrated as musicians over their 20 plus years as a band. A rendition of "Lil' Sister" from February of '94 exhibits a grasp of onstage dynamics most others will never come to know. Then, there are the takes of "Heavy Mud" in Finland '93 and a '95 cover of Anti Nowhere League's "(We Will Not) Remember You"--both are so tightly and flawlessly executed, with such clear sound, you'd half swear they were studio outtakes. The ultimate highlight of both CDs remains a version of "Old Man Hit The Road," performed in December of '91 by Jeff Clayton and Jamie McLendon under the band name Siddartha. It's often easy for music snobs to dismiss Clayton's vocals as mere dumb bellowing. Not so, here--he is absolutely channeling the spirit of Ronnie Van Zandt, laying down the most soulful performance of his life. Such a wonderful note to end on.
Yet, it really isn't over. This leaves the video portion of One Live Sonofabitch...And A Hell Of A Lot More to enjoy. As soon as you pop this disc in the player, you know you're in for a party--lontime ANTiSEEN hype man/former Rancid Vat frontman/current Sirius satellite radio host Thee Cosmic Commander Of Wrestling takes over the FBI warning in his typical explosion of charisma, sure to leave you in stitches and smiling ear to ear. The first segment of this video contains the entirety of ANTiSEEN's '97 Halloween bash. Jeff Clayton takes the stage with a pumpkin over his head, rips the area covering his face and mouth off, spits out a pile of pumpkin guts and seeds, launching straight into "Deeds Of The Damned"--one of the best starts to a show ever. While it seems like the audio was overdubbed in spots, this 3 camera shot footage is satisfying as hell, music and spectacle uniting in perfect synergy. Jeff from the Dead Kings even takes the stage in a nun's outfit at one point, only to eat a drum riser leg drop from Clayton--total insanity. Speaking of insanity, the next program in this set contains highlights from one of ANTiSEEN's notorious barbed wire shows, filmed in '94. As always, the guys deliver prime destructo rock action from start to finish. Sometime during the set, an audience member strikes Jeff Clayton's wife, prompting ANTiSEEN as well as members of Cocknoose and Rancid Vat to rush the crowd--otherwise, the bloodletting is only of the variety we've all come to expect from the Brutalsville boys. Next up is a very cool 20 minute mini documentary called Destructo Video shot in '93. Having a chance to glance at the group's inner workings makes one hope ANTiSEEN will get proper full-length film documentary treatment in the near future--there's obviously a bigger story to tell, especially this much further down the timeline. Closing this visual feast is an appearance culled from a local North Carolina cable show called What's Cool With Me, also from '93. Here, ANTiSEEN unleash devastating renditions of "Animals Eat 'Em" and "We Got This Far Without You," plus there's a cool little interview with Clayton and Mighty Joe Young. A fine capper to two solid hours of quality viewing time.
ANTiSEEN have a reputation for being very giving to their fans but this deal is ludicrous. Taking into consideration how much this band has survived over the years based on the respect they've garnered as a force onstage, one might think of this set as the perfect audio and video companion to last year's essential ANTiSEEN book Destructo Maximus. An even greater priviledge to consume than it is to discuss, One Live Sonofabitch...And A Hell Of A Lot More is a collection that truly lives up to its title. An absolute must-own.
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