In 1990 they released a compilation album, "Look! Listen!!", which featured remixed versions of songs from their first two albums plus two new songs. At the end of that year Pleasance was diagnosed with tinnitus and was unable to perform with the group. He was temporarily replaced on bass guitar by former bandmate from Serious Young Insects, Vallance. During his break from the band, in 1991, Pleasance released his debut solo album, "Galleon". Late that year Boom Crash Opera released a four-track extended play, "Dreams on Fire", with both Pleasance and Vallance aboard. The EP was produced by Keith Forsey and the band; it appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart Top 50, and featured the track, "Holy Water". In 1992 they travelled to Los Angeles and began work on a follow-up album, "Fabulous Beast". However, during early writing sessions, Pleasance left the band and returned to Australia; he was temporarily replaced by Dorian West on bass guitar (ex-Wildland). It was during the recording of "Fabulous Beast" that the band found themselves impacted by the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The song "The Last Place On Earth", that appears on the album was inspired and written as a result of this experience. The final vocal line of Ryder's in the song which is "just look out the window", has his voice actually breaking due to being so emotionally moved by the experience.