Negativconcertland

• Artist: Negativland
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1993
• Type: Live
• Genre: Rock

Review

One of the best fan-produced CD bootlegs out there, Negativconcertland, though regarded by the band a bit quizzically and partially superseded by These Guys Are From England and Who Gives a Shit, captures a full show from the group's West Coast 1993 tour. Packaged with Negativland's own statement about fair use and Casey Kasem's own response to an inquisitive soul about the U2 controversy, Negativconcertland also acted as a bit of a fundraiser for the band's defense fund (apparently). Thankfully, there was value for money -- while not a soundboard recording, it's still a very high-quality audience taping on DAT, and very little is lost from the chaotic collages created or re-created. Some numbers lack full impact without the actual visuals -- the lip-synced performance of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," here listed as "Proud to Be An American," isn't quite as grand as also actually seeing Hosler waving absurd gun cutouts around. Much of the music later ended up on the disc with the Fair Use book, but in the context of the show it's good fun to hear Negativland trashing Black Flag's "Gimme Gimme Gimme" in a clear jab at Greg Ginn, as well as other disquisitions on copyright law. The whole U2 situation takes up the majority of the show, but there are some visit to past classics, including a rumbling take on "Christianity Is Stupid," a merry jaunt through the compilation-only track "Perfect Scrambled Eggs," and a literally painful set-closing "Four Fingers." There's a hilarious framing device kicking off the show as well, with the band putatively mourning the plane-crash death of Mr. Moribund Music himself, Dick Vaughn. Via tape, Vaughn himself explains, in oleaginous fashion, that he's prepared a series of final statements, each tailored to whatever manner of accidental death he might have suffered. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

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