Fear of God (The Bats album)

Fear of God
Studio album by The Bats
Released	1991
Recorded	Jan–Mar 1991
Genre	Dunedin sound indie pop jangle pop power pop
Length	40 minutes
Label	Flying Nun Mammoth
Producer	Nick Sansano
The Bats chronology
The Law of Things (1990) Fear of God (1991) Silverbeet (1993)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	[2]

Fear of God is the third album by the New Zealand band the Bats, released in 1991.[3] It was their first album to be distributed by Mammoth.[4]

The tracks "The Black and the Blue" and "Boogey Man" were released as singles, and the album peaked at No. 43 in the New Zealand charts.[5][6]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "thanks in part to producer Nicholas Sansano (Sonic Youth, Public Enemy), the album dissipates the cloudiness hovering over the Bats' earlier work (which was never an entirely bad thing), while respecting the crisp arrangements and sugary melodic centers."[3] Stereo Review noted the "cute jangly guitars, cute pop hooks, cute rough-hewn vocals."[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by The Bats/Robert Scott

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Boogey Man"	3:08
2.	"The Black and the Blue"	3:05
3.	"Dancing as the Boat Goes Down"	3:06
4.	"The Old Ones"	3:23
5.	"Hold All the Butter"	2:45
6.	"Fear of God"	3:00
7.	"It's A Lie"	2:48
8.	"Straight Image"	2:35
9.	"Watch the Walls"	4:18
10.	"You Know We Shouldn't"	2:13
11.	"Jetsam"	4:26
12.	"The Looming Past"	3:56

Personnel

• Malcolm Grant - drums, percussion
• Paul Kean - bass
• Robert Scott - guitar, lead vocals, painting (cover)
• Kaye Woodward - guitar, vocals

Also credited:

• Nick "The Chair" Caiano - guitar
• Glenn Fitton - percussion
• Alan Starrett - viola, accordion ("Straight Image")
• Nick Sansano - percussion [cheap], accordion ("The Looming Past")
• Craig McGill - illustration

References

1. "Fear of God - The Bats | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
2. "Robert Christgau: CG: The Bats". www.robertchristgau.com.
3. "TrouserPress.com :: Bats". www.trouserpress.com.
4. "MAMMOTH RECORDS' ROSTER RANGES FAR AND WIDE". Greensboro News and Record. 14 October 1993.
5. "The Bats". The Bats.
6. "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz.
7. "Fear of God by the Bats". Stereo Review. 57 (10): 90. October 1992.