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Front Line Assembly > Live Wired
2CD 1996 Off Beat SPV 088-43262, 2CD 1996 Metropolis MET 027.
Tracklist of Live Wired 2CD:
Disc 1
01. Mortal (7:03)
02. Vigilante (5:52)
03. Circuitry (7:50)
04. Bio-Mechanic (5:24)
05. Resist (5:24)
06. Surface Patterns (6:15)
07. Plasticity (6:47)
08. Modus Operandi (5:48)
09. Liquid Separation (5:30)
Total Playing Time: 55:55
Disc 2
01. Gun (6:26)
02. Overkill (5:21)
03. Millenium (11:46)
04. Condemned (6:26)
05. Mindphaser (9.46)
06. Neologic Spasm (6:37)
07. Body Count (9:09)
Total Playing Time: 55:31
Credits for 2CD:
FLA-Live Crew: Bill Leeb Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion Rhys Fulber Keyboards, Percussion Adrian Burns Drums, Percussion Jed Simon Guitars, Drums
Greg Reely Sound Engineering Tim Oberthier Monitor Engineering.
Recorded 24.10.95 Mainz/Kuz engineered and Mixed by Greg Reely.
Design and illustration by Dave McKean at Hourglass.
Review
For those who went to one of the dates on the FLA world tour then this album is sure to bring back memories. For those that didn't here's your chance to hear their powerful live performance.
The cd features pretty much every song the band performed on the tour. Thanks to Greg Reely the quality of the recording is excellent, there are probably those that feel the FLA sound would be totally lost when performed live but all the samples and effects are here and on cd you can certainly hear it all better than if you were at the gig. You might expect the songs from the Millenium album to sound the best live due to them being heavy guitar tracks but in my opinion it's the older stuff that comes across best.
Here's my track by track review.
Disc 1
01 Mortal
A slightly extended version with a smattering of extra samples. I think this was probably running off the dat with the just the drummer over the top (he misses out some beats). A little bit of crowd cheering adds to the atmosphere 8/10
02 Vigilante
A good version of this track, the guitarist does a good job and the vocals are just right. 9/10
03 Circuitry
A bit disappointing this one, I think the mix is poor. The electronic stuff is too low. It's mainly bassline and drums. 6/10
04 Bio Mechanic
I loved this at the gig I went too and it's pretty much the same here. A perfect live representation of the original. 9/10
05 Resist
Clear and well mixed and gives you a chance to really hear Rhys at work. The added guitar is just right aswell. 9/10
06 Surface Patterns
Good version, guitars are thankfully kept quite low with the keyboards given priority. 7/10
07 Plasticity
I wasn't that impressed with the mix on this track. Like Circuitry the electronic bits are too low especially the 'I'm not insane..' sample and the keyboards in the chorus. 6/10
08 Modus Operandi
Everythings in the right place on this one. 7/10
09 Liquid Separation
I remember this sounding excellent at the London gig I went to. It's not quite as good here, it could have done with a better vocal effect. 7/10
Disc 2
01 Gun
This is a favourite for many people, it's a very poweful live performance, they couldn't have done it better. 10/10
02 Overkill
Another old track given a reworking and sounding excellent live, nice guitar work and everything else is right on the button. 10/10
03 Millenium
An extra long version that is reproduced almost exact to the original (maybe some of the riffs are samples?) although I can't hear the Falling Down samples very clearly. The extra part on the end is like a soundscape of chords and samples that lasts for nearly five minutes. 8/10
04 Condemned
A good version, the guitar sounds slightly different to the original though 7/10
05 Mindphaser
The live version of this song is almost like a remix with extra samples and effects added to it. There's a soundscape ending with all the Robocop samples and moddy chords. Definitely a crowd favourite. 10/10
06 Neologic Spasm
Another excellent reproduction with some added samples aswell. 9/10
07 Body Count
The oldest track on the album (from Convergence) sounds great live. The guitars are maybe too overbearing for some though. Bill even gets the crowd going at the end, "Come on lets make some noise". Great Finale to this excellent album. 9/10
Reviewed by Jon M
Live Wired review from Metal Hammer at time of release
FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY
Live Wired
Off Beat
3.5/5
OBSERVING FLA's computer-enhanced delivery In the live arena can be an Intensely alienating process. However, in the confines chez vous it's much easier to step back from their suffocating sensory overload and appreciate just how far out their armageddonist industrialism has been pushed.
'Live Wired' is the sound of precision engineering It's a Formula One engine on overdrive and it flawlessly captures the haunting ebbs and pulsing flows of a typically airtight gig. However, there's simply no denying accusations that their songs are interchangeable and lack variety, FLA have found their formula and they're quite happy to stick to it. That said, tracks like 'Bio-Mechanic'& 'Surface Patterns' and 'Neologic Spasm' are the aural counterparts to William Gibson books. As a fantasy of a possible tomorrow where today's delicate balance between man and machinery and servitude and slavery has been irretrievably tipped toward extinction,'Live Wired' is as bleak a vision as you'll ever get.
Chris Ingham
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