Originally issued on the Receiver record label, which has released several albums of varying quality, Fiend with a Violin is yet another collection of live recordings that'll surely interest and frustrate hardcore Fall fanatics. Some tracks may actually be demos, considering the lack of an apparent audience. The title tune and "Ed's Babe" are instrumental takes, with a muddy, negligible vocal version of the title track finishing off the album. However, once a fan settles in to listen to what's here, rarities be damned, the experience has rewarding moments. "L.A." sounds revelatory stripped of its studio sheen. "Petty Thief Lout" is essentially indestructible; it's one of the group's finest songs, and with the odd mix of loud keyboards and perfect vocals, it's a treat. With several tracks from This Nation's Saving Grace receiving alternate treatments, the album works over some prime-era material. "I Feel Voxish," originally from Perverted by Language, is noteworthy. "Married, 2 Kids," originally from Code: Selfish, brings the electric blues, as much as Mark E. Smith & Co. would do such a thing.