Fat WrecktrospectiveVarious
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Released: Dec. 8, 2009
Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Review by: Bill Jones
It’s hard to believe that Fat Wreck Chords has been around for two decades, especially when this reviewer was about five years old when it all began. It wasn’t really until the latest decade or so that I really got into the iconic punk label, but in that time it has become a standard for good punk rock.
There aren’t any labels the entire catalogs of which appeal to any one person – the music scene is just too diverse. Fat Wreck is no exception to that rule, but if there’s any one label I will happily give a chance to anything it releases, it’s Fat. And it’s likely due to label owner and NOFX frontman Fat Mike’s simple philosophy of signing only the bands he likes, and only ones that are punk rock. And while the California label is facing the same hardships as the rest of the waning music industry, the last 20 years (or how ever many the particular fan has jumped in on) have undeniably been one hell of a ride.
The Fat Wrecktrospective is a three-CD compilation looking back at the label’s history to date. It collects a hefty 88 tracks, separated into three categories – 33 of the “Fattest Hits,” 28 demos and 27 Fat Club tracks. The “Fattest Hits” are all previously released tunes, which means Fat fanatics might own a lot of the music on the first disc, but by limiting it to one song per band, it is also a diverse collection guaranteed to allow even the most hardcore punkers to discover (or maybe rediscover) a new favorite. Either way, it provides a great stroll down memory lane.
The Fat Club disc may agitate fans who purchased the series as it was released, but they still remain in possession of a collectible version of the releases, and new fans are treated to a great deal with the third disc, which features bands like The Vandals, Strike Anywhere, The Lawrence Arms and Swingin’ Utters. But the middle disc, the demos, is what really makes this collection a standout. In many cases, listeners get to hear the songs that got many of these great bands signed and ask that hindsight question – “Would I have recognized the potential in a band like Lagwagon, Mad Caddies, Rise Against, etc?” Fans also get a chance to hear songs like Against Me’s “You Look Like I Need A Drink” in a different way, in this case an early acoustic recording.
It is quite the collection of music, and the packaging that goes with it is equally as grand. The discs come in a fold-out Digipack featuring posters from the many tours of Fat bands and a short note from Fat Mike about the beginnings of his label. What makes the compilation, though, and is in my opinion worth the price of purchase alone (What are they asking, $15?) is a pull-out that unfolds into a full poster. One side features the covers of everything Fat has ever released. The other side collects great stories from many bands on the Fat roster and how they found themselves on the label. The anecdotes are mostly entertaining, provide information on the bands and their label, as well as offering some insight into Fat Mike’s philosophy.
General skepticism about compilations aside, Fat shows how to do it well with the Wrecktrospective. And the 88 tracks on this compilation show that if any label deserves such a look back through time, it’s Fat. Here’s to another great 20 years.
There aren’t any labels the entire catalogs of which appeal to any one person – the music scene is just too diverse. Fat Wreck is no exception to that rule, but if there’s any one label I will happily give a chance to anything it releases, it’s Fat. And it’s likely due to label owner and NOFX frontman Fat Mike’s simple philosophy of signing only the bands he likes, and only ones that are punk rock. And while the California label is facing the same hardships as the rest of the waning music industry, the last 20 years (or how ever many the particular fan has jumped in on) have undeniably been one hell of a ride.
The Fat Wrecktrospective is a three-CD compilation looking back at the label’s history to date. It collects a hefty 88 tracks, separated into three categories – 33 of the “Fattest Hits,” 28 demos and 27 Fat Club tracks. The “Fattest Hits” are all previously released tunes, which means Fat fanatics might own a lot of the music on the first disc, but by limiting it to one song per band, it is also a diverse collection guaranteed to allow even the most hardcore punkers to discover (or maybe rediscover) a new favorite. Either way, it provides a great stroll down memory lane.
The Fat Club disc may agitate fans who purchased the series as it was released, but they still remain in possession of a collectible version of the releases, and new fans are treated to a great deal with the third disc, which features bands like The Vandals, Strike Anywhere, The Lawrence Arms and Swingin’ Utters. But the middle disc, the demos, is what really makes this collection a standout. In many cases, listeners get to hear the songs that got many of these great bands signed and ask that hindsight question – “Would I have recognized the potential in a band like Lagwagon, Mad Caddies, Rise Against, etc?” Fans also get a chance to hear songs like Against Me’s “You Look Like I Need A Drink” in a different way, in this case an early acoustic recording.
It is quite the collection of music, and the packaging that goes with it is equally as grand. The discs come in a fold-out Digipack featuring posters from the many tours of Fat bands and a short note from Fat Mike about the beginnings of his label. What makes the compilation, though, and is in my opinion worth the price of purchase alone (What are they asking, $15?) is a pull-out that unfolds into a full poster. One side features the covers of everything Fat has ever released. The other side collects great stories from many bands on the Fat roster and how they found themselves on the label. The anecdotes are mostly entertaining, provide information on the bands and their label, as well as offering some insight into Fat Mike’s philosophy.
General skepticism about compilations aside, Fat shows how to do it well with the Wrecktrospective. And the 88 tracks on this compilation show that if any label deserves such a look back through time, it’s Fat. Here’s to another great 20 years.
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