This live show was recorded April 18th,1993 in Kawasaki, Japan. Previously only available as an expensive import video/DVD it finally gets a European release via Frontiers records. A lot of Fair Warning fans may already have this show but the re-release gives the added value of five extra tracks, more of which later.

I am a huge Fair Warning fan but never got round to getting this show so I was pleasantly surprised when I was handed this to review. Finally I would get to see what the Japanese had previously had all to themselves.

The show opens with some moody backstage black and white footage of the band with the sound of rain and thunder .This is definitely the calm before the storm. Cue colour footage with the introduction track “Sunset” and then action!......the band launch into “Out On The Run”.

The first thing you notice is the big hair and the typical early nineties fashion sense of ripped jeans and braces that was all the rigour for melodic rock stars at that time. How many perfectly good pairs of jeans did we all ruin to look a bit like our heroes? This doesn't really date the show at all though as the music does the talking and boy have they got plenty to say.

Fair Warning were blessed with two of melodic rocks finest guitar players in Helge Engelke and Andy Malecek. These guys always play for the song and at times leave you breathless at the quality of their guitar solo's. I've always likened them to mini epics within the songs themselves.

“Longing For Love” sees Tommy Heart working the crowd and letting them know that they are “making a video". That gives the age of the show away a bit as well. “When Love Fails” sees lots of good camera work on the guitars. A joy to behold.

Next up we get a real highlight of this show." Eastern Sun” by the bands earlier incarnation Zeno. A tasty build up sees the band launching into one of melodic rocks finest songs. This is just priceless, classic stuff. This reviewer went to hard rock heaven watching this. I was lucky enough to see Zeno on two occasions and this brought back some great memories (I've still got my vinyl version of the album!).

“Crazy” has an intro reminiscent of Gillan and Blackmore and the way they traded licks with vocals and guitar. The crowd loves this one and clap and bounce along in delight and we also get Tommy doing his version of Bono climbing the p.a. system.

“Take Me Up” sees the band taking their foot off the gas and giving us a superlative power ballad. This song is a lesson in song arrangement and is fine stuff indeed. Budding guitarists witness one of the most tasty guitar solos to ever grace a stage." Take Me Up” seamlessly blends into “Long Gone” with another heavenly guitar solo.

“Take A Look At The Future” is the band doing their version of epic rock and “Children's Eyes” leads into “Hang On” with Engleke and Malecek abusing their wang bars (Don’t try this at home folks). We get up tempo with “Eyes Of Rock” and at this point the show closes.

The band return for their encore with “One Step Closer” featuring really meaty guitars and epic guitar solo’s. The show finally comes to an end with another Zeno track “A Little More Love". This is a killer song with the guitarists reaching new heights and has one of melodic rocks most sing along choruses.

The crowd show their appreciation and one can almost feel the sincerity between the band and their fans. This song shows how rock brings hearts and minds together like no other genre can.

The bonus tracks give us a version of “Burning Heat” their biggest hit single and also acoustic versions of “Call Of My Heart“ and the Elvis track “In The Ghetto” and “Sukiyaki” a Japanese sing along with Tommy heart visibly concentrating on the words.

Finally we get “Mickey's Monkey” a rather strange number. It's basically the riff to “Custard Pie” by Led Zeppelin turned into something, of what I’m not sure. I would have been inclined to have left this off the release. The stop start camera work looks dated and it adds nothing to the overall package at all. It's for completists only.

It's great to see this show getting another run out. It's highly watchable and has stood the test of time.It’s a great introduction to a band who are reforming this year with an album scheduled for August via Frontiers records and also, finally, a UK live appearance at FireFest III. Watch thisDVD and believe me you will want to see them live.

Welcome back Fair Warning!

Let us know your views on 'Call Of The Wild Live'

Track List

Sunset (intro)
Out On The Run
Longing For Love
When Love Fails
Eastern Sun
Crazy
Take Me Up
Long Gone
Take A Look At The Future
Children’s Eyes
Hang On
The Eyes of Rock
One Step Closer
A Little More Love
The Heat of Emotion
The Call of The Heart
In The Ghetto
Sukiyaki
Mickey’s Monkey

Line Up

Tommy Heart - Vocals
Andy Malecek - Guitar
Helge Engelke- Guitar
Ule Winsome-Ritgen - Bass
C.C. Behrens - Drums