As the Worm Turns

Looking back, I realized that I haven't touched on any of Patton's early days with the band that put him on the map.  In fact, everything up to this point has been from 2000 on (even if some of the songs were released earlier, the performances were not).  So, without further ado, let's visit You Fat Bastards: Live at the Brixton Academy, and check out "As the Worm Turns".

When "the worm turns", someone who has always been weak and obedient starts to behave more confidently or take control of a situation.  It seems that the unemployed subject in this song would benefit from doing so.  The original version of this song was written and performed by Chuck Mosley, and released on FNM's debut album, We Care a Lot.  This is another one of those songs that I'm glad Patton picked up, though I really enjoy both singers doing this.  Patton recorded a studio version of this song during the Angel Dust sessions, but it never made it onto the album.  Luckily, Patton's cover DID make it onto a limited Japanese release, which can be heard here.  Go listen to it right now.  I'll wait.

Recorded in London in 1990 (in the very same venue that they would kick off their reunion tour some 19 year later), Live at Brixton Academy would be the only official live album released by the band.  The VHS was released the same year it was filmed, during the tour to promote their latest album, The Real Thing.  The audio was released a year later. 

Here, a young Patton, just a couple of years inside the legal U.S. drinking age, jumps around on the stage, hair still long, voice still testing it's boundaries.  Even this early in his music career, Patton was juggling his time between two bands, though Mr. Bungle had taken a backseat during this worldwide tour.

    You can view the entire concert here, which has been said to be one of their best performances ever as a band.  The energy levels are through the roof, Jim Martin (who many argue was the best guitarist the band had in their existence) is still present, and Patton's vocal range is on the cusp of self-discovery.  It's exciting to watch this concert, knowing all that has yet to come.