FU MANCHU
GO FOR IT...LIVE!
STEAMHAMMER

LINKS:
fu-manchu.com

California is synonymous with surf, skate and fun. And, after more than a decade of rocking from the Bay to the Valley and beyond, Fu Manchu is synonymous with California.
Taking tracks recorded during their 2002 California Crossing tour, the LA quartet has released a double disc of Pacific sunshine called Go For It…Live! Featuring songs from across their discography, the release provides a perfect overview of a career far too underrated outside of the West Coast.
Fu revisits old favorites like “Ojo Rojo”, “Wurkin” and “Regal Begal”. They included their cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s "Godzilla" and the one song that gained some wide recognition, “Squash That Fly”. With 22 songs across the dual discs, listeners are able to absorb the full range of the skater/stoner rock.
Scott Hill’s halting vocals and guitars ride along with Bob Balch’s molasses-thick guitar chords and Brad Davis’ bass lines. Brant Bjork capably mans the skins and, on “Anodizer” goes off on one of the better drum solos to grace an album in years.
Go For It…Live! provides a good retrospective of the band’s work but, unfortunately, comes a bit lacking as a live album. There is little interaction between the band and the crowd and there is not much extra energy or changes from the original album versions of the songs.
Regardless, if you have ever gone California dreaming, the LA natives Fu Manchu provide a sweet soundtrack on Go For It…Live!

----Scott Olivenbaum