NOFX - They've Actually Gotten Worse Live!
They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live sounds a little like a live collection of rarities that occasionally sparkles
Anyone who has ventured to a NOFX live performance will know that Fat Mike and his band of merry men like to talk. They talk, and talk, and talk, and talk, and talk … before they even play a song, they talk, in between songs, they talk, and between the talking? … More talking. Sometimes its funny, sometimes its obnoxious, but a NOFX gig wouldn’t be the same without it. So when they announced that they would be releasing a follow-up to their 1995 live set I Heard They Suck Live, fans rejoiced at the thought of their live setting updated with the extensive list of songs they’ve written since 1995. Alas, with the announcement came the statement that previously released live cuts would not be appearing on the new set, and when the track listing was released, several noted omissions expectedly drew ire. Seriously, no “The Decline”? What gives?
Well, after sitting through the 24 tracks on They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live, fans can take respite in knowing that “The Decline” is in fact on there … but in true NOFX fashion, their sick sense of humor has the song as a hidden track, fading out before it really picks up. Yes folks, NOFX has once again got the better of you! It’s a sentiment repeated through the release- many of the live songs here are really the fringe elements of the NOFX discography. While it is great to have rare cuts like “I Wanna Be An Alchoholic” and “Fuck the Kids” recorded in live surroundings, the very nature of these songs (30 seconds or less) mean they’re really just throw away songs made to pad out the set list. Similarly, songs like “See Her Pee” previously only managed an appearance on two rare compilations for a reason, while “Juicehead” just sucks. And yes, as expected, the entire set (recorded and compiled from a few days worth of recorded in San Francisco) sounds like the band was ridiculously drunk for the entirety of the recording.
It is however, not all bad … live renditions of some of the band’s best tracks like “The Longest Line” and “Lori Meyers” are a welcome addition to the NOFX canon. The electrified/live version of “Scavenger Hunt” is also great, but the compilation could really have used the injection of a better selection of songs like “August 8th” (or any songs from Heavy Petting Zoo), or if they wanted to get rare songs in their live setting, how about rarities like their cover “All Of Me,” (or “Olive Me” … which ever) or even “Drugs Are Good?”
In the end, They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live sounds a little like a live collection of rarities that occasionally sparkles (comparing Jerry Garcia to Adolf Hitler is golden), but often feels very lazily put together. NOFX are still pretty funny after all these years, and no band on Earth plays as well inebriated as they do. But you really can’t help but feel that they really have gotten worse live … not that they care. Nonetheless, those wanting a better live presentation should go for I Heard They Suck Live instead.
(Fat Wreck)