Pigface- '90-96

This two-disk set finally collects the out-of-print “Glitch” and “Son of a Glitch” videos on DVD and throws in some bonus concert material to boot. Is it worth picking up, though? Anyone who’s not already a Pigface fan would be better off picking up a best-of album; the songs on here are raw, violent, hard to hear, and kind of hard to watch – video quality on the first two Pigface tours was sporadic as best. Hardcore fans might want to think twice, too; most of the songs in this collection of live footage are available in better sound quality on any number of official live CDs. The thing is, this isn’t really about the music at all. This is about getting the briefest glimpse of the onstage chaos of a Pigface tour, or as Martin Atkins refers to it repeatedly, “a total conceptual nightmare.” It’s the little things like En Esch licking an audience member or Genesis P. Orridge surfing the crowd during “Your Own You Own.” It’s also the little curiosities that would never make it on an actual album, like the all-male chorus on “Hips Lips Tits Power” or a sitar-backed version of “Suck.” There are some real rarities on here, as well, like versions of PiL’s “Careering” and Chris Connelly’s “Dirtbox Tennessee.” This shouldn’t be anyone’s introduction to Pigface, but for longtime fans, seeing this is like seeing a brand new side to an old and dear friend.

Visit the Pigface crew at www.undergroundinc.com