Fastbacks – Mural Amphitheater, Seattle, WA, August 25, 1986

In the late ’90s, when I first immersed myself in the punk rock scene, I discovered ZÜCKER and instantly knew the Fastbacks were special—too sugary for punks, too rock ‘n’ roll for pop-punks, too weird for grunge, yet my own little secret band. Thanks to Glitterhouse Germany distributing Sub Pop in Europe, their records were easy to find and affordable. I never saw them live, though I had tickets for their Innsbruck show with Pearl Jam—until their van broke down in Milan.

As Trouser Press once said, the Fastbacks were “always good but never trendy”—a perfect fit for Bachelor Records. This 1986 live recording captures their raw energy and joy on stage. Remastered by Kurt Bloch for a CD release, we knew it had to be on vinyl too. Here it is, minus the first two songs (available as audience recordings on the CD), with the full multitrack session on LP.