Cornelis Vreeswijk "Cornelis' Bästa" (1985)

Cornelis' Bästa, compilation

release date: 1985

format: 2 cd (2010 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: various

label: DB Records - nationality: Sweden

Best of compilation by Dutch-Swedish troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk is the only compilation released during his lifetime. The album was originally released as a triple vinyl album on the Norwegian DB label. The album is a mighty fine collection, although, it still feels insufficient. A 2003 2 cd-only compilation with the same title but a different release issued by Metronome appears as a better choice in representing his best material; however, in the case of Vreeswijk with his vast repertoire of songs, any compilation would come out as insufficient but if you only want one album this isn't bad at all.

Vreejswijk deserves this type of recognition, although, his studio albums are preferred over the many compilations. His status as singer / songwriter and a genuine Nordic troubadour puts him on the shelf among the best.

Fats Domino "Fantastic Fats (Sixteen of the Greatest Tracks by Fats Domino)" (1965)

Sixteen of the Greatest Tracks by Fats Domino (compilation)

release date: 1965

format: vinyl (1968 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

producer: Felton Jarvis

label: Stateside / Columbia - nationality: USA

Compilation album by Louisiana-born Fats Domino (aka The Fat Man - Antoine Dominique Domino Jr.) (Feb. 26, 1928 – Oct. 24, 2017).

Siouxsie and the Banshees "Voices on the Air (The Peel Sessions)" (2006)

Voices on the Air (The Peel Sessions) (compilation)

release date: Oct. 23, 2006

format: cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: diverse

label: Polydor / Universal / BBC - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: (1. session, 29/11/79): 1. "Love in a Void" (anden liveoptræden '79) - 2. "Mirage" - 3. "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" - (2. session, 6/2/78): 5. "Hong Kong Garden" - 6. "Overground" - 7. "Carcass" - 8. "Helter / Skelter" - (3. session, 9/4/79): 10. "Playground Twist" - 11. "Regal Zone" - (4. session, 10/2/81): 13. "Halloween" - 14. "Voodoo Dolly" - 16. "Into the Light" - (5. session, 21/1/86): 17. "Candyman" - 19. "Lands End"

Compilation album by Siouxsie and the Banshees from Polydor / Universal who just keep finding material to issue with a band they didn't see as commercial enough while active on the label. Here, however, it's not another best of, which looks like many others but a collective work of all the band's appearances on John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show over the years from 1977 to 1986. The John Peel Sessions is a legendary radio show existing from 1967 until Peel's death in 2004, and it includes more than 4,000 recordings by more than 2,000 artists. The album here comprises a total of 19 tracks spread over five appearances, where the only two regulars from all five recordings are vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. The first three sessions, Nov. 29, 1977 (tracks #1-4), Feb. 6, 1978 (tracks #5-8), and Apr. 9, 1979 (tracks #9-12) respectively, sees John McKay on guitar and Kenny Morris on drums. The fourth session recorded 10/2-1981 (tracks #13-16) is with John McGeogh on guitar and Budgie on drums, and the fifth and final session Jan. 21, 1986 (tracks #17-19) is with John Valentine Carruthers on guitar.

It's mainly the band's earlier period you'll find documented here - with only three tracks are taken from the band's seventh album, Tinderbox (1986), the remaining 16 tracks (apart from one track by The Creatures) may be found in studio versions on the band's first four albums.

Voices on the Air (The Peel Sessions) is obviously a collector's item, as the recordings have not previously been broadcast together. The band's first Peel Session was independently released as an ep in '87 (on cd in '89), the second session released in '89 - both are collected on a compilation from '91.

The album is fine musical historic release, virtually showcasing the band before any label had a contract ready, and with the BBC's limited sound studio with a single sound track available, it's really the documentation of pure rawness, white noise, and electric energy flowing from one of the most notable British bands who instantly managed the progression from punk rock and into the wider scene of post-punk.

The album is dedicated BBC radio presenter John Peel (1939-2004) and producer John Walters (1938-2001, who was producer on many Peel Sessions, but not on the tracks on the album mentioned here).

From the band's BBC performances, there also exists a later rather extensive 3 CD + 1 DVD box set (with around 85 tracks), Siouxsie and the Banshees at the BBC released in 2009, which in addition to the five Peel Sessions also includes other radio-broadcast concerts and television appearances.

Recommended connoisseurs.

[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Elvis Costello "The Best of Elvis Costello - The First 10 Years" (2007)

The Best of Elvis Costello - The First 10 Years (compilation)
release date: May 1, 2007
format: digital
[album rate: 4,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Hip-O Records - nationality: England, UK

Best of compilation by Elvis Costello compiled by Costello himself is a strong contender to the best single disc compilation around with his earliest - and best - material. The selection starts off from the debut album My Aim Is True (1977) and ends with his last album released on F-Beat, Blood & Chocolate (1986). A couple of fine things about the album is how all studio releases except (the shallow) Goodbye Cruel World (1984) from this ten year period are represented, and that the songs appear in chronological order. The total of 22 tracks is made up from three taken from Costello's first three albums, My Aim..., This Year's Model (1978) and Armed Forces (1979), then two from albums 4 and 5, Get Happy!! (1980) and Trust (1981), one composition from his 6th, Almost Blue (1981), then again three from his 7th, Imperial Bedroom (1982), two from his 8th, Punch the Clock (1983), two from his 10th, King of America (1986), and one song from his 11th, Blood & Chocolate. Of course there's no way he would be able to satisfy everyone's taste and personally; I miss more from Get Happy!! and Blood & Chocolate and I could live without few of the selected, but ultimately, it's impossible to pick 22 tracks only, and when going for 1-3 songs from these albums, it's a pretty decent job.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Ane Brun "Rarities" (2013)

Rarities

release date: Oct. 2013

format: digital (20 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]

producer: Ane Brun et al

label: Balloon Ranger Recordings - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "All My Tears" - 2. "Halo" - 4. "From Me to You" - 5. "Tragedy" - 6. "Ain't No Cure for Love" - 7. "Orphan Girl" - 10. "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" - 11. "Oh Love (piano version)" - 12. "The Opening" - 13. "Jóga (live at the Polar Music Prize 2010) - 15. "Virvelvind" - 16. "Fly on the Windscreen" - 17. "Humming One of Your Songs 2013" - 20. "She Belongs to Me"

2nd compilation album in 2013 - like with Songs 2003-2013 (Jun. 2013) in celebration of her first decade as an active musician, and this time with 20 'rare' recordings, i.e. songs that are not found on any of her previous studio releases, or have been scattered out on various singles and / or other compilations. On Brun's bandcamp site the album is described with the following: "According to BRUN, “RARITIES is a compilation of songs and recordings that have either not been released, or have been released on other compilations or as singles. This is a way to empty our cupboards of recordings that have been lying around, and another way to mark my ten year anniversary as an artist.” The collection includes covers of Björk and The Beatles, Elvis and Eurythmics, as well as new versions of fan favourites and, of course, previously unreleased songs, contributing further to an already impressive back catalogue. Many of the recordings are here described more fully with Brun's own words.

In a year with two major compilations from Ane Brun, it's more than hard to choose between the two, and then you don't have to, because with Songs 2003-2013 she has made a great collection of familiar key songs from that period and with this, she shows us more of the full palette - and 'palette', I think, nicely describes this artist's way with her music: she sort of utilises a painters approach with music, words, tones, arrangements, and choise of instrumentation are colours on the canvas, and Brun sure understands how to make use of the whole palette. Also, she has made a vast number of original compositions but she's also a remarkable interpretor, which makes her covers so powerful. She doesn't have to copy the original to make it swing. This is a wonderful collection of highly varied originals.

Highly recommendable.

Ane Brun "Songs 2003-2013" (2013)

Songs 2003-2013

release date: Jun 3, 2013

format: digital (32 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Ane Brun, various

label: Balloon Ranger Recordings - nationality: Norway

First compilation album by Ane Brun, released to celebrate her first decade in music. The album was exclusively issued in Europe in 2-disc cd format, and eventually as digital download album via her bandcamp profile. The album contains songs from all of her studio albums, live recordings as well as various covers, international hit songs as well as obscure covers all of which includes "The Dancer" by PJ Harvey, "True Colors" by Tom Kelly & Billy Steinberg, "Big in Japan" by Alphaville, "Lift Me" by Norwegian band Madrugada, "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel, "Alfonsina y el mar" by Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez, "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by Arcade Fire, and "Feel Good" by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. These are scattered all over the album but really, it doesn't change much that the songs are covers 'cause what's so special about Ane Brun and her way of covering other artists is her ability to make songs her own. In that respect, she reminds me a bit of Cat Power, who is perhaps more notoriously a cover's artist but who doesn't possess a vocal instrument that equals the qualities of Ane Brun's impressiveness.

Songs 2003-2013 is strong collection of songs, and a nice way to celebrate her time in the limelight. Later this year, she would go on and release another fine 2-disc album of 20 songs titled Rarities containing more obscure recordings of nearly only cover versions, or: 'only' cause those that are not actual covers are Brun covering herself.

Recommended.

Fine Young Cannibals "She Drives Me Crazy - The Best Of" (2008)

She Drives Me Crazy - The Best Of (compilation)
release date: 2008
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Music Club Deluxe - nationality: England, UK

2-disc best of compilation album by Fine Young Cannibals released on the BBC Worldwide parent-label Demon Groups' sublabel Music Club Deluxe (with a speciality of re-issuing 2 cd compilations).
The album contains 30 tracks (15 on each cd). The back cover reads "This collection boasts hit singles, 12'' mixes, key album tracks and rare B-sides. Enjoy." There's a decent description on the formation of the band, its short-lived career and what became of the three band members, and the selection of songs is fine without being what it could have been, had they put more energy in the selection of compositions, e.g. making an effort to put important releases in chronological order. The band only released two albums, which means that most of their album songs are included, and then you only wonder why some of their biggest hits from the second album, "Good Thing" and "As Hard as It Is" are not even here when instead several songs are represented in more than one version. The band made so many great tracks that it's hard not to like almost no matter how it was put together, but with material like that, you could at least pay the band a little more respect. Despite my verdict as a 4/ 5 stars' album, I would instead recommend purchasing their two studio albums.

T. Rex "Gold" (2018)

Gold (compilation)
release date: Sep. 7, 2018
format: 3 cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Crimson - nationality: England, UK

Best of compilation album by T. Rex released by Demon Music Group and by Demon Records for the double vinyl issue and by Crimson for the cd issue. The double vinyl album contains 24 tracks (6 on each side), but the cd issue compiles 45 compositions (15 on each disc), which is such a major difference that you practically speak of two different releases.

There are so many best of albums by T. Rex that it's more than difficult to pick the best or just one that attempts to embrace all the great songs on one album, and in that regard Gold really doesn't differ from the rest. You can't put a finger on the selected tracks but you always ask yourself why a certain track or more aren't there. At least they got it right in one small regard, or it only appears so at first sight: they may have put the early tracks first and later songs at the end, but it's really far from chronological order. And I mean, when you have access to all this splendid material couldn't you just make an effort an compile it as they were released?! This leads to my biggest complaint: the album starts out with three songs credited Tyrannosaurus Rex... Three! The double vinyl album contains two tracks by the same band, but the formative and highly interesting beginning, which at least should have counted 5-8 fine tracks, is not represented like the later years. And speaking of which, there are simply way too many not great songs on this best of compilation to call it truly great despite the effort in collecting many of the single releases that never found their way to studio albums. Even worse is that a bunch of truly great songs are not here - where are "Chariots of Silk" from Unicorn, "Pavillions of Sun", "Lofty Skies", "Elemental Child" and the title song from A Beard of Stars, "Jewel" and "The Visit" from T. Rex, "Mambo Sun" and "Girl" from Electric Warrior, "Baby Boomerang", "Spaceball Richochet" and "Chariot Choogle" from The Slider, "Tenement Lady" from Tanx, "Sound Pit" from Zinc Alloy..., "My Little Baby" from Futuristic Dragon? Way too many iconic songs from the hands of Bolan are missing out.

I know the album is credited T. Rex, but when you actually go back and pick the band's earliest works, you could at least have picked a few more before selecting all the well-known hit songs of the early 1970's. Overall, the album is an interesting look into the vault of Marc Bolan compositions, but it's simply too mixed in way to many ways to actually leave you satisfied with just that.

There are more than... what? At least 150 different best of releases with selected songs by Tyrannosaurus Rex, T. Rex, and Marc Bolan, I guess, and still, there are, not one single truly great compilation album to be found, as far as I know, that attempts to give you the best songs of the '60s, the early '70s, and Bolan's later years up until his last studio album Dandy in the Underworld (1977). My advise is to make your own playlist of his best songs, as there's definitely enough material to fill a double album.

Carpenters "The Singles 1969-1973" (1973)

The Singles 1969-1973 (compilation)
release date: Nov. 9, 1973
format: vinyl (1991 reissue) / cd (2014 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Richard Carpenter
label: A&M Records - nationality: USA

Compilation of 12 singles by the brother-sister duo The Carpenters - older sister Karen (1950-83) and Richard (born 1946) - over a four year period is an amazing quality collection of baroque pop hit songs.
I vividly recall listening to The Carpenters in my pre-teen years. They were among the most frequently played international artists on national radio alongside Sinatra, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley. I didn't know of any of their full albums but many of these songs were part of a preferred musical selection from very early on, and I just listening to Karen's singing voice makes me remember the house of my childhood.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Not this particular album as such, but the Carpenters plays a big part of my earliest music memories that wasn't purely children's songs.

👉 Another one from that earliest stage.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Amy Winehouse "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" (2011)

Lioness: Hidden Treasures (compilation)
release date: Dec. 6, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Salaam Remi
label: Universal Island - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Our Day Will Come" (5 / 5) - 2. "Between the Cheats" - 3. "Tears Dry" (Original Version) - 4. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2011)" - 6. "Valerie ('68 Version)" - 8. "Half Time" - 9. "Wake Up Alone" (Original Recording) - 10. "Best Friends, Right?" - 12. "A Song for You"

Compilation album by Amy Winehouse released posthumously is primarily produced by Salaam Remi, but also feature two songs (tracks #4 & 6) produced by Mark Ronson.
The album title suggests a collection of well-hidden gems, and it may just be that but it's more of a mixed bag in the sense that it contains a variety of songs. "Our Day Will Come" and "Between the Cheats" are superb compositions that probably would have been included on a third studio release, but the remaining tracks come to define something else. We find outtakes, demos and rarities rather than future album songs. Some are alternate recordings, two songs are with other artists - Nas and Tony Bennett respectively, where the latter duet was her last studio recording, and then a couple of old classics before it's all over in just about 45 mins. Apparently, the songs were selected by the producers, Sallam Remi and Mark Ronson, but also with a say from family members...
The album debuted at #1 in the UK as it did in Austria, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, and in The Netherlands. It also became Winehouse's best standard charting album in the US making it to #5 on the Billboard 200 (Back to Black peaked at #2 when it was re-issued). It spawned two single releases - track #11, "Body and Soul", a duet with Tony Bennett reaching #40 and "Our Day Will Come" peaking at #29 on the national singles chart.
It's an album without fillers or poor songs, and it's more than nice to have these songs as well, although, the collection appears more as the incomplete glimpse into a treasury, where the voice of Winehouse is the jewel that shines above it all.
[ 👍allmusic.com, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👎The Guardian, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

The Radio Dept. "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band" (2019)

L-R: Duncanson & Carlberg

I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band (compilation)

release date: Aug. 23, 2019

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: (rec. by Johan Duncanson, Martin Carlberg)

label: Just So! - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Pulling Our Weight" - 3. "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band" - 5. "The City Limit" - 6. "This Past Week" - 7. "Deliverance" - 8. "I Don't Like It Like This" - 10. "Let Me Have This"

Compilation album by The Radio Dept. is basically two old EPs re-released as one album. Tracks 1-5 were originally released as the Pulling Our Weight EP, from Nov. 2003, and tracks 6-10 has previously been released as This Past Week EP, in Jan. 2005. The album has now been released on the band's own label Just So! (established in 2018 when they re-issued Pet Grief as their first album).

Well, this is what we get, when all we really want is new studio material from one of Sweden's most fascinating bands. I take it as a statement saying: 'Hey, but we're still around!'

The front cover is the first revealing the two members of Johan Duncanson and Martin Carlberg. Musically, it's quite naturally The Radio Dept. classic with melodic noise pop, indie rock, and shoegaze written all over, and then the two EPs actually fit nicely together, which makes it a most wanted album, despite being old material. It fits nicely as a natural companion to Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 (2011).

The two original EPs:

2003 Pulling Our Weight EP

2005 This Past Week EP

Etta James "The Essential Modern Records Collection" (2011)

The Essential Modern Records Collection (compilation)
release date: Apr. 5, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
label: Virgin Records - nationality: USA

15 track compilation album by Etta James primarily focusing on the earliest sessions recorded by Etta James for Modern Records between 1955 and 1957, which means that the album is not a normal best of collection trying to embrace all of an artist's career.

B-52's "The Best of The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around" (1990)

The Best of The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around (compilation)
release date: 1990
format: vinyl
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Island Records - nationality: USA

Best of compilation album by B-52's focusing on the band's first two albums. The band had only just released its "comeback" album Cosmic Thing in '89 on a new label, Reprise Records, so their old company, Island Records found it timely to issue this collection of old material.
[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Zucchero "All the Best" (2007)

All the Best (compilation)
release date: Nov. 23, 2007
format: digital (2-disc)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Released as 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari'. This is a fine double compilation album if you don't have Zucchero in your collection. It contains 35 tracks most of which are in Italian. It also contains "Wonderful Life", a song by British singer Black from his debut album Wonderful Life (1987), also released as a cover version by Zucchero as a single release earlier in 2007, which didn't make it to an album but was a rather big hit, again as it was for Black.

This is a highly recommendable album.

Kent "Best Of" (2016)

Best Of (compilation)
release date: Sep. 16, 2016
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: RCA / Sony Music - nationality: Sweden

Best of is a best of compilation album by Kent released as they prepare the disbandment announced for Dec. 17, 2016. The album contains 24 tracks from all 12 studio albums with the addition of 4 new songs.
The album is truly a fine an exquisite listen. The first immediate, yet obvious observation is all the great songs that are not represented here. But how should they find room for all the fine music released by the best Scandinavian act for the past 20 years?! They should then have released a 4-disc album, and even then, many would miss their favourite songs. Instead we have this: A truly fine documentation of a beautiful musical journey.
I still find it hard to believe they end it here, while still producing great music.
Needles to say, the album reached #1 on the Swedish albums chart list. Now all we want is an updated B-side compilation album like B-sidor 95-00 from 2000, although, it would have to span 4 discs.
Highly recommendable.

Bjørn Tidmand "Bjørn Tidmand's bedste" (1970)

Bjørn Tidmand's bedste

release date: 1970

format: vinyl (MOFK 102)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,75]

producer: ?

label: Odeon - nationality: Denmark

Best of compilation by Danish schlager pop vocalist Bjørn Tidmand.

The album was part of my parents' record collection, and it's an album I vividly recall from my pre-teen years. I'm still doubtful as to whether I actually acquired this myself as one of my first vinyl purchases, and perhaps then alongside Stop en halv by John Mogensen or together with I Don't Believe in If Anymore by Roger Whittaker. The price tag on the front cover could indicate this was on sale - say in '75, and then it makes perfect sense. Fact is, I really enjoyed Tidmand at that age, and together with Mogensen and Roger Whittaker, he could have been one of my first choices when finding music on my own. Back then, Tidmand soon slipped my mind when music by ABBA and Boney M was more to my liking, and in retrospect, Tidmand is associated with schlager music that I don't find that appealing but who undoubtedly back in the 60s an even in the mid 70s, he was quite popular among my parents' and my gran parents' generations.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

"The Compact 2 Tone Story" (1993)

The Compact 2 Tone Story (compilation)
release date: 1993
format: digital (4-disc box set)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Chrysalis / 2 Tone Records - nationality: England, UK

4-Disc Box Set compiling all A and B-side singles released on legendary 2 Tone Records. The album is basically an expanded reissue of the '89 album The 2 Tone Story, which was a double vinyl album containing 26 tracks released by Chrysalis / Two-Tone.
The album contains 68 tracks of which 32 are credited The Special A.K.A. / The Specials - which more or less is the same band. The name The Specials was used on the band's first two full-length studio albums, but the moniker 'The Special A.K.A.' had been used in the formative years and for the early single releases of "Gangsters" and "Too Much Too Young" (both 1979), which were included on the first album by The Specials ('Gangsters' only on non-UK versions), and the name was then re-used again after the major split of the band in '81, when the three vocalists Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding formed Fun Boy Three leaving the remainders to continue as The Special A.K.A. and releasing one studio album in '84.
The remaining 36 tracks are with various important and lesser known artists associated with the 2 Tone label. Major artists like Madness and The Beat only released one single each on 2 Tone before signing with Stiff and Go Feet respectively, which is why there's only two songs with each of the two. Also, one single by Elvis Costello & The Attractions, "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" / "Girls Talk" was released and subsequently withdrawn due to legal rights issues, as Costello was on contract with F-Beat; however, the songs are included here, despite, not really being 'ska revival' songs like nearly all other compositions on the album. The Selecter is another important band of the period, and they contribute with 7 tracks, and then there's a long list of various artists like The Bodysnatchers, The Swinging Cats, Rico Rodriguez, The Appolinaires, The Higsons, The Friday Club, and JB's Allstars, all of which contributed with just one or two single releases on 2 Tone before dissolving or morphing into other bands.
The album is a difficult listen - partly because of inconsistency of quality material, but also because of a wide span of stylistic expression. That said, the release is of high importance as a music historical document of an important time and musical expression.

Talk Talk "Asides Besides" (1998)

Asides Besides (compilation)
release date: Apr. 20, 1998
format: digital (2-disc)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: EMI - nationality: England, UK

A 2 cd compilation by Talk Talk is like most other compilations with the band issued by EMI. This was released shortly after Mark Hollis released his eponymous solo album in January on Verve Records. Most tracks here are original Talk Talk compositions in (heavily) altered versions labelled "Extended Version", "Extended Remix", "12'' Mix", "Dub Mix", "Dance Mix", "U.S. Mix", "Demo Version", or just "Edit"... Yes, the old label surely understood how to make profit. Everything, of course, is released without the band's consent, and to make the responsible staff even less sympathetic, they chose to release the album only a few months following the release of Mark Hollis' first and only solo album - using that as promotion to harvest a bit more... The band had sued and won the case against EMI with its release of the album History Revisited (1991, see Natural History...), but here EMI 'only' release the same remixed songs on an album, claiming it's 'demo material'... And my guess - as well as that of EMI - is that the band members simply wouldn't go through another lengthy law suit, so you may ask yourself, who ended up winning the case.
The songs are there - a few of them have been made into extended versions by the band's co-composer and main producer throughout the band's career, Tim Friese-Greene, but the majority of the tracks are edited by EMI engineering staff.
Especially, the older compositions sounds truly fine, but it's also a mixed bag with so many compositions tampered with, and frankly, the studio albums are there, and they're all you need.

The Divine Comedy "A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy" (1999)

A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy (compilation)

release date: Aug. 30, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: various
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

7th album release by The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon's first best of album. The album contains 17 tracks and it's a fine collection of songs for anyone not familiar with The Divine Comedy. For someone who knows some of his albums, I suggest that you buy the original albums, as these songs come from albums with either conceptual tracks or various styles and subject matter.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Pixies "Indie City" (2014)

digipack

Indie City
release date: Apr. 28, 2014
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,26]
producer: Gil Norton
label: Pixiesmusic - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "What Goes Boom" (live on Later) - 3. "Indie Cindy" - 7. "Blue Eyed Hexe" - 5. "Magdalena 318" - 9. "Another Toe in the Ocean" - 11. "Snakes"

5th studio album by Pixies is the band's first full-length release in 23 years [!] and has legendary Gil Norton as producer - as guarantee for coming close to the original sound. The album has been labelled a compilation because it consists of all 12 songs taken from three recent three EPs: EP1 (tracks #1, 3, 9, 10) released Sep. 2013, EP2 (tracks #2, 5, 7, 11) from Jan. 2014 and EP3 (tracks #4, 6, 8, 12) released Mar. 2014; however, it still IS the band's first full length studio release since Trompe le monde from 1991. The line-up has changed since then, as founding member, bassist Kim Deal, much to the band's regret, left the band before going to the studio to record these new songs. For a European tour the band found a substitute in Kim Shattuck, but only to be replaced two months later by Paz Lenchantin, also for live concerts only. As for the album, Simon 'Dingo' Archer (formerly The Fall) is credited as non-member bassist on all tracks.
The album was met by luke-warm reviews mostly pointing to the incoherence of the material, where some songs point to Black Francis' early solo works, and other compositions play with too many influences. Some also suggest that fans had awaited the return of Pixies for a long time, and as they finally release a full-length album, it's the songs they already know from the three EPs.
I too hear way too many stylistic traits, but on an overall basis, I also hear the unmistakable sound of Pixies, which is really nice. As was the case two decades ago, Francis is at the steering wheel, and together with Santiago and Lovering this new journey may just be a fine ride.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Q, Spin, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5 stars ]

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