Faster Pussycat - Belted, Buckled And Booted

Released on 21 July 1992 by Elektra Records, Belted, Buckled and Booted is a four-track EP that serves as a grit-soaked companion piece to Faster Pussycat's third studio album, Whipped!. The EP works as an expanded maxi-single, anchoring itself with the epic, seven-minute melodic lead single "Nonstop to Nowhere" before diving into rare, hard-to-find material. It features two exclusive, blues-infused studio session outtakes—"Too Tight" and "Charge Me Up"—alongside their heavy rock reimagining of Carly Simon's classic "You're So Vain," which was originally recorded for Elektra's 40th-anniversary compilation. Marking a transitional era for the band, the release spotlights a heavier, down-tuned groove and introduces new drummer Brett Bradshaw, offering a definitive glimpse into the band's final creative burst before the early-90s alternative rock explosion.

Belted, Buckled and Booted serves as a fascinating and gritty sonic tombstone for the classic era of Faster Pussycat, arriving just as the grunge explosion began to sweep the Sunset Strip into obscurity. Functioning as a companion EP to their third studio album, Whipped!, the four-track release captures a band adapting to a shifting musical landscape by sharpening their claws with heavier grooves and darker production. The sprawling lead single "Nonstop to Nowhere" anchors the collection with its melancholic, driving melody, proving that frontman Taime Downe’s songwriting had evolved far beyond basic party anthems. Rather than feeling like a cheap promotional throwaway, the EP offers real artistic value by showcasing a mature, down-tuned sonic direction that embraced a thicker, modern hard rock crunch while retaining their core bluesy foundation.

The true treasure for die-hard fans lies in the unreleased material, which balances raw rock-and-roll hedonism with creative experimentation. Studio outtakes like "Too Tight" and "Charge Me Up" deliver an infectious, low-slung groove that gives newly recruited drummer Brett Bradshaw a chance to lock into a heavy pocket with bassist Eric Stacy. Meanwhile, the band's swaggering cover of Carly Simon’s "You're So Vain"—reprinted here from an Elektra anniversary compilation—reimagines the classic pop track as a venomous, guitar-driven rock anthem tailored perfectly to Downe’s biting vocal delivery. Ultimately, Belted, Buckled and Booted stands as a tight, essential piece of the band's discography, capturing Faster Pussycat refusing to go quietly into the night and instead delivering one last punchy burst of alternative-adjacent sleaze.

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1. "Nonstop to Nowhere" (6:37) – The epic, nearly seven-minute lead single from the Whipped! album cycle.

2. "Too Tight" (5:04) – An unreleased, swaggering outtake from the Whipped! studio sessions heavily inspired by '70s Aerosmith.

3. "Charge Me Up" (4:10) – A rare, low-slung, bluesy groove track left off the final Whipped! album pressing.

4. "You're So Vain" (4:10) – A hard-rocking cover of the Carly Simon classic, originally recorded in 1990 for Elektra Records' 40th anniversary compilation, Rubáiyát.