Source: Rover, June 1996

Have you ever been separated from a loved one for a substantial period
of time? Ah, the elation of the day you receive the announcement of
their return. The burning that eats at you every endless moment until
they arrive. If you can relate to this scenario, please afford me some
considerable empathy. Because that’s how I will suffer until Fishbone
assaults The Clubhouse/Underground Pub on June 23. 
	Touring in support of their new release "Chim Chim’s Bad Ass Revenge,"
Fishbone have surprisingly opted to "keep it rugged" and stick to the
more intimate settings offered by smaller venues. As Fishbone’s drummer
Fish (Phillip Fisher) stated on the phone before a show in North
Carolina, "It’s another opportunity for us to get up closer with the
people who really want to be there."  
	Fishbones’ loyalty to their fans, whom Fish named the "Fishbone
brotherhood," has seen them through well over a decade of astonishing
highs and back-breaking lows. One of the more lower moments for the band
came a few years back when a few members of the band tried to help
former guitarist Kendall Jones through what Fish called a "nervous
breakdown."  
	After getting involved with a cultic religious organization, Kendall
was snagged by a couple members of the band and taken to a hospital for
evaluation. Kendall responded in kind by prosecuting those members for
kidnapping him. Fish said the case was thrown out of court due to the
fact that a hospital setting was the destination after the alleged
abduction. When asked if he had some bitter feelings against Kendall for
the suit, Fish stated, "Hard feelings? I can’t feel no hard feelings for
someone who lost their mind."
	The sad result of the costly legal proceedings was that it took
Fishbone out of the loop for a while. But now, brother, let me say it
with pride and reckless abandon - Fishbone is back, Hell yes, Fishbone
is back with the strongest album they’ve released since ‘87’s
masterpiece "Truth and Soul." 
	Fishbone’s departure with it’s long time label Columbia, brought forth
fruit in an Arista subsidiary called Rowdy Records. Produced by Rowdy
owner, Dallas Austin, "Chim Chim’s..." effectively spans the various
styles that have shown up on their albums throughout their career. Songs
such as "In the Cube," "Sourpuss" and my favorite, "Alcoholic," would
fit well with the lighter ska/funk/punk styles of the first three
Fishbone releases. Whereas tracks such as "Monkey Dick,"
"Psychologically Overcast," and "Riot" represent the harder
metal/funk/punk style heard on the last two Fishbone titles. 
	Along with the diversity in songwriting comes a more raw feeling with
this album. The absence of ex-keyboardist Christopher Dowd is noticeable
as the band took a stripped down approach to "Chim Chim’s." As frontman
Angelo Moore relates, "I was (literally) naked in the studio. We got
basic on this album, just guitars, bass guitar and horns - it’s a lot
more meat and potatoes. We got a little bit of ska, we got some rock
steady, we got some rock ‘n’ roll and we got some funk. We got some
Fishbone. It’s the raw dog style."
	If you haven’t yet (and mister you’ve got some explaining to do if you
haven’t) seen Fishbone live, be prepared to loose all bodily functions
and fluids. The Underground’s dark labyrinth setting, although tiny,
will most likely prove to be a Discovery Zone style playground for
Moore. His stage antics range from climbing every damn rock he saw while
performing at Red Rocks, to gymnastic contortions that would scare even
Mary Lou Retton. 
	Tickets for the best show to come along in recent, or even extended
history, are available at TicketMaster. You had better buy early, word
of mouth alone will sell this show out quickly. - Dave Olsen