Punk Rock Rarities

Punk Rock Rarities

Track Listings

1. Right to Work [Demo Version]

2. Government [Demo Version]

3. No Admission [Demo Version]

4. Curfew [Demo Version]

5. Twelve Men [LP Demo]

6. All the Downs [LP Demo]

7. Trouble Is the Day [LP Demo]

8. Decide [Remix]

9. I'm on Fire [Remix]

10. Your Toy [LP Demo]

11. Free the Fighters [LP Demo]

12. High Rise Living [Other Single Version]

13. No Escape [Non Brian James Version]

14. Blind Date [Demo Version]

15. Pretty Vacant [Demo Version]

16. Decide [Demo Version]

17. Come On [Demo Version]

18. Urban Kids [Demo Version]

19. No Admission [Demo Version]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
One of Punk's Finest Bands, 19 Track Studio Collection of Demos, Alternative Tracks and Unissued Songs. Includes their First Ever Demo plus Versions of Some of their Best Known Songs Such as 'Right to Work'.

Tracks:

Fire Engine Dream
Fauxhemians
Razor Blade
Blink
Campfire
Loop Cat
Kim's Chords
Beautiful Plateau
Three-Part Sectional Love Seat
Queen Anne Chair
The Diamond Sea

Amazon.com

After years of making fans track down out-of-print singles, obscure compilations, and odd Japanese import pressings, Sonic Youth have decided to take a little mercy on their hardcore fans. The Destroyed Room is a rarities album that truly lives up to the label, not just settling on a few radio edits and soundtrack cuts, but gathering songs from the band's recent back catalog that are genuinely hard to find: "Campfire" from the Grand Royal At Home with the Groovebox collection; "Razor Blade," a B-side to the "Bull in the Heather" single; and several cuts from the Noho Furniture Sessions, including the intriguingly titled "Three Part Sectional Love Seat" and "Queen Anne Chair." Fans and casual enthusiasts will no doubt be bewildered by the extra experimental outings of an already daunting band--but for completists, this is the last word. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

THE DESTROYED ROOM: B-sides and Rarities, a band-chosen collection of near-hidden Sonic Youth gems.

The album brings together tracks from throughout the band's career - focusing on tracks previously available only on vinyl, limited-release compilations, or as b-sides to nternational singles. Remastered here for the first time, it's a chance for fans to complete their Sonic Youth collection with pristine versions of tracks they'd been going nuts trying to find on their own. They asked for it... and now they're getting it.

Customer Reviews:

Sonic Stuff.......2007-03-23

I love Sonic Youth but...their records all sound the same in the end.

A Sonic treasure trove for fans.......2007-01-20

("The Destroyed Room" by Sonic Youth)

While it pains me to give anything less than 5 stars to a recording by what is after all the Greatest American Rock Band of the Last 25 Years--nay, the Greatest Rock Band Period of the Last 25 Years--I'll respectfully knock off one star for this collection of B-sides, demos and other sonic effluvia. This collection, you see, is mainly geared to fans of the band and other related music obsessives--newbies need not apply. If you're just looking to dip a toe into the band's very deep waters, it's better to start with SY's best-of-the-early-years collection, "Screaming Fields of Sonic Love." Those wanting to try a proper album should head straight for "Sister" (which most fans agree is actually their best album) or the epochal "Daydream Nation." The material on "The Destroyed Room" dates back no further than 1994, around the time of the underappreciated "Washing Machine" album, with the majority much more recent than that. In fact, only three of the songs here even have vocals, and one of those ("Razor Blade") is just a brief out-take. If you're already a fan, however, nothing except lack of funds should stop you from diving in, as there are plenty of Kool Things to be found, especially if you share the band's love of free improv. The lengthy instrumental workout that opens the album, "Fire Engine Dream" lets the band stretch out and just explore; needless to say, it's filled with oddly tuned textures and feedback, but also something of a groove courtesy of drummer Steve Shelley, who never receives enough credit. Naturally, SY's guitarists, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo (the real Glimmer Twins, if you ask me) are usually front and center, trading melodic ideas, drones and all-out Sonic abandon with glee. The Kim Gordon penned "Blink" is a surprisingly subtle song that would've fit right into one of the bands proper albums, and "Campfire" is an interesting excursion into abstract electronica. Unlike many latter-day noise merchants such as Wolf Eyes and Sightings, the Youth take a more laid-back, even friendly approach to horrible noise. The days of Sonic Death have been replaced by Sonic Life (an early title for the album now known as "Rather Ripped"), which is, of all things, sunny and positive. This isn't to say that it's "easy listening" (much of the stuff here will cause most "normal" folks to run for the exits). It's just that SY aim to transport listeners rather than smother them. While that approach draws sneering comparisons to so-called "jam bands," they're far more daring than the likes of Phish. If "The Destroyed Room" were released as an "all-new" album, it would definitely be considered the ballsiest release by a major rock band in years.

The biggest treat here, at least for yours truly, is the complete, uncut version of "Washing Machine's" epic coda, "The Diamond Sea." Mind you, the original version clocked in at a huge 19+ minutes--now we get to hear it at a mind-blowing 25:48! That it never feels bloated or wasteful is testament to the band's powere. Of course it's self indulgent, as is much of this album in general, but from them, too much is never enough.

21st Century Jam Band.......2006-12-22

If you like the 2nd disc on the Dirty deluxe set, or the Made In USA soundtrack, check out this album. Not too weird, but not too normal either.

Forget Rarities, SY Releases 'Oddysseys'.......2006-12-17

The anticipation of new Sonic Youth discs are always welcomed events amongst fans in the know and 2006 has been an absolute deluge of the old, the new, and in this case, the odd. SY's latest offering is 76 minutes of ear-opening rare compilation tracks and album outtakes spanning from 1994-2004 (no earlier, no later).

It's reasonable to state that SY's website description to "Destroyed Room" was a bit misleading. Often times a b-sides/rarities comp is an uncohesive stew of songs 'not good enough' or 'too different' from a particular group's current art mindset. While The Youth has already tagged 2nd disc outtakes unto "Goo" and "Dirty", this release looked to be a culmination of the throwaways from SY's most recent seven albums.

Thankfully in a twist of rote expectations, "Detroyed Room" is different from hodge-podged outtake anthologies and plays very similar to the stylings of the inward-looking SYR series. Only three of the eleven songs on "Destroyed Room" contain lyrics (2 by Kim, 1 by Thurston) and the other eight are somewhat challenging instrumental compositions that stemmed from album session jams or focused peices specifically meant for concept compilation albums. The mind-bending instrumentals, most notably from the "Sonic Nurse" era, are angluar and rare-tuned oddysseys that demonstrate how this band glides into recording a new record.

In addition to quality music, the "Destroyed Room" booklet is not closet material for you portable cd-casers and/or I-Poders. With a track-by-track analysis, the mystery behind the sounds is explained well enough to leave the listener to do just that, LISTEN, and not question the band's intentions. Having read the band commentary, it'S obvious what The Youth has opted out to offer on this release; straight up experimental jamming.

FYI - Depending on what kind of SY fan you are this could be a warning or a letdown; this disc DOES NOT contain any noise freakouts. But on the otherhand, this disc does not offer great insight to polished outtake songs that are complete with verse/chorus/verse structures. Overall, this disc is good middle-of-the-road material. Spend the money and vote for peace (see the booklet for that reference).

Blissed-out Sonic Goodness.......2006-12-17

I thank Sonic Youth for all the great music they've bestowed on us in 2006 alone...'Rather Ripped', their strongest LP since 'Washing Machine'. The "Helen Lundeberg/Eyeliner" 7-inch. The reissue of their first EP. And now, this...an into-the-groovey double-LP-length ride on the expressway to yr skull.

The subtitle tells you exactly what's here...b-sides and rarities. The emphasis, however, is on instrumental rarities that are ultra-tuff to come by. For me, mood pieces like "Campfire" and "Loop Cat" are definite highlights here. SY took the adventurous route with 'Destroyed Room'...they could've opted for some "safer" choices like "My Arena", "Superstar" or the cover of Nirvana's "Moist Vagina" from the "Sunday" 7-inch. But no. This record will challenge you straight outta the box with the 10-plus minute "Fire Engine Dream", which manages to sound exactly like what the title suggests. Oh, and the track-by-track notes are entertaining, too.

But let me say this. When I found out that 'Destroyed Room' was going to contain the full 26-minute version of "The Diamond Sea" complete with alternate ending, I just about "done a double backflip", to quote Roger Miller. I listened to this track today while fighting my way through Tulsa Christmas shopping traffic, and it prevented me from losing my patience and killing fellow motorists. God, what a song.

You may be saying, "Well, if it's so damn good, why only 4 stars and not 5?" I like to keep the 5-star rating meaningful, so I don't give it to every record that blows my skirt up. 5 Stars means 'Blonde on Blonde'. 'Velvet Underground & Nico'. 'Fun House'. You get the idea. Surely you will understand.

Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities, 1978-2001

Average customer rating:

Nicely handled compilation
A musical gem-chest is finally unlocked...
Amazing Collection of B-Sides
Exhaustive.
Go to Napster and buy the whole thing for $10

Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities, 1978-2001
The Cure
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Cure - Trilogy

ASIN: B0001906O0
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Tracks:

10:15 Saturday Night
Plastic Passion
Pillbox Tales
Do the Hansa
I'm Cold
Another Journey by Train
DeScent
Splintered in Her Head
Lament (Flexipop Version)
Just One Kiss
The Dream
The Upstairs Room
Lament
Speak My Language
Mr Pink Eyes
Happy the Man
Throw Your Foot
New Day
The Exploding Boy
A Few Hours After This...
A Man Inside My Mouth
Stop Dead

Tracks:

A Japanese Dream
Breathe
A Chain of Flowers
Snow in Summer
Sugar Girl
Icing Sugar (Weird Remix)
Hey You!!! (Kevorkian 12" Remix)
How Beautiful You Are (Clearmountain 7" Remix)
To the Sky
Babble
Out of Mind
2 Late
Fear of Ghosts
Hello I Love You (Psychedelic Version)
Hello I Love You
Hello I Love You (10sec Version)
Harold and Joe
Just Like Heaven ('Chuck' Remix)

Tracks:

This Twilight Garden
Play
Halo
Scared as You
The Big Hand
A Foolish Arrangement
Doing the Unstuck (Saunders 12" Remix)
Purple Haze (Virgin Radio Version)
Purple Haze
Burn
Young Americans
Dredd Song
It Used to Be ME
Ocean
Adonais

Tracks:

Home
Waiting
A Pink Dream
This Is a Lie (Palmer Remix)
Wrong Number (Smith Remix)
More Than This
World in My Eyes
Possession
Out of This World (Oakenfold Remix)
Maybe Someday (Hedges Remix)
Coming Up
Signal to Noise (Acoustic Version)
Signal to Noise
Just Say Yes (Curve Remix)
A Forest (Plati/Slick Version)

Amazon.com

A testament to the Cure's explosive creativity, Join the Dots is also an ode to the band's remarkable consistency. Spanning the group's entire career, it'll keep fans happily burrowing away for hours; days, even. Disc 1 concentrates on Robert Smith's early growth spurts, when his jerky goth-pop blossomed with depth and savvy. Disc 2 recycles some of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me's motifs (there's a touch of "A Thousand Hours" in "Breath," for instance), and pays tribute to their early-90s Mixed Up Madchester phase with "Harold and Joe." Elsewhere, there are covers of "Young Americans," Depeche Mode's "World in My Eyes," "Purple Haze," and three versions of the Doors' "Hello I Love You," as well as more recent material like an acoustic version of "Maybe Someday" from 2000's Bloodflowers. The handsome packaging features a complete career retrospective partially narrated by Smith himself. As a capstone to a brilliant career, Dots is a sublime walk down memory lane for tortured hearts and melancholy moods. --Matthew Cooke

Album Description

Subtitled - B-sides & Rarities 1978-2001 - The Fiction Years. First-ever collection of hard-to-find gems in a career-spanning four-disc remastered set. As The Cure nears its third decade at the forefront of pop culture, Universal, Rhino & Fiction/Elektra are celebrating the band's remarkable career with this collection. 70 tracks compiled by Robert Smith, 25 on CD for the first time & 10 tracks previously unreleased. Includes 76-page booklet featuring rare & previously unseen photographs & a complete Fiction discography. Packaged in long-digibook format. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

Nicely handled compilation.......2007-07-18

"Join the Dots" is a long overdue compilation from the post punk/goth pioneers. This isn't really a surprising set, clearly being what it claims to be, a compilation of b sides and rarities. Pretty much everything is here. Only completists will previously have everything on here, which have been available on various singles, soundtracks, or collected on various bootleg compilations.

What is remarkable about this set is the quality of the output presented here. Robert Smith's remarks in the opening of the liner notes strike a chord when he says he always hoped to hear another version of the band he was listening to at the time on the b side. If your curious how a true a statement this is, listen to several tracks on the first disc, notably the Exploding Boy or A Few Hours After This to hear the Cure in full experimental mode, fooling around with a grandiose sound listeners would become more familiar with on later recordings.

There are many moments on here that find the Cure outshining the respective albums that these bsides support. To the Sky is one of the most remarkable songs they've recorded while the Wild Mood Swings era bsides are better than anything off of that album.

This is overall a great set. Aside from a few throaway remixes, it's solid. The Cure are one of the few bands (along with the Pet Shop Boys and until recently Depeche Mode) who have put as much care into the b-sides as they would on the a-sides, really giving something extra to their fans. Fantastic set.

A musical gem-chest is finally unlocked..........2007-02-20

It has been a long-held belief by many, if not most, Cure fans that Robert Smith often chooses to hide away the most beautiful of his works, striking them from the track lists of the "official" Cure albums, and placing them instead elsewhere (usually, in difficult-to-find places.)

"Join the Dots: B-sides and Rarities" fuels that belief even further, as nearly any listener could tell from the very first playing of the compilation. Essentially, this 4-disc set is Robert's way of finally unlocking the stored-away gem-chest of beloved yet elusive material, which many fans had for years been hoping would be opened.

The strongest sections of this compilation are definitely the second and third discs. Why so many of these songs were never A-sides is a mystery known only to Robert and to God.

Among the very greatest works on "Join the Dots" - which happen to also be among the very greatest Cure songs ever made - are:

Breathe
A Chain of Flowers
Snow in Summer
To the Sky
Signal to Noise
Waiting
2 Late
This Twilight Garden
Home
Halo
A Pink Dream
Fear of Ghosts

Also notable are Burn, More Than This (which is not, as some erroneously think, a Roxy Music cover), the Exploding Boy, Coming Up, and Out of Mind, among a few others.

The Dizzy Mix of Just Like Heaven also proved to be quite nice, however it would have been preferrable to include the much more scarce (and better) Extended Dizzy Mix of the song, in my opinion.

All in all, this compilation is one of the very best bets for Cure fans, along with Disintegration and Wish. It could also combine well with Greatest Hits.

Amazing Collection of B-Sides.......2006-08-25

From the saturnine appearance of Robert Smith it looks like he's spent the better part of his career wallowing in self pity with very little time to put out a prodigious library of music. Maybe he is depressed but he isn't lazy. His work ethic is clearly shown in this dazzling collection.

Made up of b-sides covering over 20 years Follow the Dots never disappoints. The material is strongest at the beginning but song quality never falls off precipitously. It's amazing that this is all B-side material!

I give it the highest possible rating!

Exhaustive........2006-08-24

An exhaustive overview of pretty much all b-sides and rarities by the Cure during their tenure on Fiction Records (1978-2001), "Join the Dots" is a critical collection for fans. Around five hours of rare Cure music is contained within the four CDs of the set, and while some of the material left out can be annoying (more on that in a minute), this is a superb resource for any of us who try and gather the entire output of a band.

The set runs chronologically, providing a fine overview of the band's career as much as anything else. The Cure always seemed to fill their b-sides with interesting material, from the early days (jaunty, clean tone punky "Plastic Passion") to much later (the absolutely superb "Sugar Girl"). Like many bands, in teh '90s the Cure became involved with tribute albums ("Purple Haze") and soundtracks ("Burn", "Dredd Song"). Some great performances ended up on these, "Burn" in particular from the Crow is highly regarded, and while there are bound to be some things you won't care for (for me it's the occasional 12" remix and some of the b-sides that just sound incomplete and unmemorable like "Halo"), it'll be someone else's goldmine.

The only really noticably missing stuff on here are the a-sides-- "Killing An Arab", "Charlotte Sometimes", et.al. While these have all been released in one fashion or another, it'd be nice to see all of them collected in a convenient (and remastered!) package as some of them never ended up on albums.

Per usual good boxed set standards, the entire set has been rematered-- it sounds great, crisp and clear with an opportunity to really appreciate the subtleties of the pieces, and includes extensive liner notes about each disc and a detailed discography.

I can't imagine anyone but a real diehard of the band would want this, but for those of us who fall in that category, "Join the Dots" is a great set. Recommended.

Go to Napster and buy the whole thing for $10.......2006-04-12

I really really love this album. With that said, you must be wondering why I'm giving it 3 stars. Well ... the entire first disc of b-sides is amazing, while the other 3 quickly dive from "ho-hum" to the point where you're scrapping the barrel for good tracks.

... AND this would have gotten 5 stars if it were the first (essential) disc for only $10. After breaking the first disc, I pondered whether or not to buy the whole thing new. And then I found it on Napster for $10; think of it as a "great b-side album from 3IB - Head Cure + 3 bonus discs."

Yay!

Average customer rating:

His favourite album, and my favourite album
B Sides Ballads
Knettergek...
I am glad I got it!
A question

B-Sides & Rarities
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Mute U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00022LJH4
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

Deanna (Acoustic Version)
The Mercy Seat (Acoustic Version)
City Of Refuge (Acoustic Version)
The Moon Is In The Gutter
The Six Strings That Drew Blood
Rye Whisky
Running Scared
Black Betty
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The Girl At The Bottom Of My Glass
The Train Song
Cocks 'N' Asses
Blue Bird
Helpless
God's Hotel
(I'll Love You) Till The End Of The World
Cassiel's Song
Tower Of Song
What Can I Give You?

Tracks:

What A Wonderful World
Rainy Night In Soho
Lucy (Version #2)
Jack The Ripper
Sail Away
There's No Night Out At The Jail
That's What Jazz Is To Me
The Willow Garden
The Ballad Of Robert Moore And Betty Coltrane
King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O
Knoxville Girl
Where The Wild Roses Grow
O'Malley's Bar Pt.1
O' Malley's Bar Pt.2
O' Malley's bar Pt. 3
Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum (by Nick Cave and The Dirty 3)
O'Malley's Bar Reprise
Red Right Hand (Scream 3 Version)

Tracks:

Little Empty Boat
Right Now I'm A-Roaming
Black Hair (Band Version)
Babe, I've Got You Bad
Sheep May Safely Graze
Opium Tea
Grief Came Riding
Bless His Ever Loving Heart
Good Good Day
Little Janey's Gone
I Feel So Good
Shoot Me Down
Swing Low
Little Ghost Song
Everything Must Converge
Nocturama
She's Leaving You
Under This Moon

Amazon.com

In the two decades since Nick Cave (with multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey, who co-ordinated this anthology) bolted the beloved chaos of his native Melbourne's Birthday Party to focus on a solo career informed in equal parts by Poe, Flannery O'Connor and Biblical goth-chic, he and the Bad Seeds have explored enough musical detours and career side projects to yield the 56 tracks that grace this set's three compelling discs. Variously anchored by the acoustic gospel intrigues of "Deanna" and "The Mercy Seat" and a fascination with American roots music that evinces itself with preternatural conviction on covers of Orbison's "Running Scared," Leadbelly's "Black Betty" and the traditional "Rye Whiskey," it's a forceful collection that further underscores the artist's ever literate, neo-cabaret charms. Fans will relish it as a trove of disparate riches, be they soundtrack cuts for Wim Wenders ("Till the End of the World," "Cassiel's Song" from Faraway, So Close) and others ("Red Right Hand" and "Time Jesum.." from The X-Files), cover project highlights (Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song," Neil Young's "Helpless" and "There's No Light Out at the Jail," a loving, previously unreleased tribute to Australian country legend Chad Morgan) or such typically idiosyncratic Cave fare as the playful "That's What Jazz Is To Me" and murderous, three-part "O' Malley's Bar." --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

"THIS IS MY FAVOURITE NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS ALBUM." - NICK CAVE

Spanning the full twenty-one years of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds illustrious career, this comprehensive three CD set, entitled B-Sides & Rarities, presents a thrilling and eclectic retrospective collection of material by the band, some of which has been deleted, featured on a disparate number of soundtrack albums or has never been officially released before. From the menacing 'The Six Strings That Drew Blood', through the distraught 'The Girl At The Bottom Of My Glass', the fragile beauty of 'Little Empty Boat', the outlaw romance of '(I'll Love You) Till The End Of The World', the plaintive 'Bluebird' through to the murderous attack of 'The Ballad Of Robert Moore & Betty Coltrane', long term Bad Seeds aficionados, recent converts or the merely curious will find much to appreciate and enjoy in this landmark 56 track compilation.

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

His favourite album, and my favourite album.......2007-01-19

This is Nick Cave's very own favourite album by the Bad Seeds, and this also happens to be my favourite album of all time. I purchased these three discs for about 16 dollars, making it my first Nick Cave CD of purchase. I listened to it all, and it was just perfect.

I've bought a lot more Nick Cave albums since then, in which he has turned out to be my number one favourite artist, but i always look back on this one as my ultimate favourite.

The 3-disc compliation of b-sides and rarities are all good enough to be sprawled across his other albums, but at the same time im happy that this compliation was made. There is too many songs to highlight, but stand-outs included the bluesy jam of God's Hotel with great lyrics, the acoustic versions of Deanna, City Of Refuge, The Mercy Seat and Jack The Ripper, a great upbeat tune called Come Into My Sleep, a magnificent cover of Rainy Night In Soho, Sail Away, and so so SO many more.

This album showed me how good music can get. I highly recommend you should buy it, right now.

p.s although this is under a kids review, i'm not a kid

B Sides Ballads.......2005-11-10

They may be called B Sides and Rarities but there is nothing sub par about these songs. And even plucked out of different eras and line-ups, they actually form a sort of cohesive, deranged, drunken blues and poetry whole.
There are album offshoots, some unashamedly beautiful like Train Song, acoustic versions and jazzed up remixes of classics, like Red Right Hand, Deanna and Scum, there are cover songs and crazy jam session on a theme, both of which apply to Leonard Cohen's Tower of Song, plus live gems like God's Hotel - just listen to what the band does in the background!
For old faithful, this is a treasure box, even if you thought you had it all. I had almost all of these on CD singles and such, but one was rendered inaccessible by technological progress- the track from the X Files soundtrack; it was hidden before the first song and impossible to play on computer CD players. And it's nice to have the whole collection handy on three CDs.
For new fans this could actually be a great, offbeat introduction to the wonderful world of the Bad Seeds: dark humor and great songwriting, with a touch of inspired insanity, in one cool package. Just sample "The Ballad Of Robert Moore And Betty Coltrane", a three minute Quentin Tarantino movie rolled into a song, and you will be exploring Cave in no time.

Knettergek..........2005-10-06

Meestal zijn B-sides en rarities een collectie bijeengeraapte rommel die niet verkocht raakt van een artiest die 'fin-de-carriere' is... maar dit is zeker een uitzondering. Alleen al voor de compleet geflipte versie van O' Malley's bar is het zijn geld meer dan waard. The ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane had eigenlijk ook op Murder Ballads moeten staan...
The Tower of song is beter dan de originele versie. Gewoon supergeslaagd!!

I am glad I got it!.......2005-09-22

What I love the most about this 3 disk set is volume III.
That disc alone is what made buying this worth it. To start it
off, you have "My little empty boat". I fell in love with this
song the first time I heard it. I wonder why he never put that
on of his regular albums. It may be one of his best. The rest of the disc reflects a part of his life that is more personal.
It's calm. I haven't liked his last albums that much, but when
I heard this, I was like what the f---. Why was he waiting so
long to put this stuff out. Volume III is mature. And I don't
mean there is sex and violence in it. It's sophisticated.

A question.......2005-06-02

...Can somebody please explain to me why there's a b-sides with a black cover for 22 dollars and something (and below there it says it's a 3-cd set) and a version with a green cover for 40 something where in the description it says it's a 2-cd set!!! it makes absolutely no sense! I searched the web for an answer but failed...

Average customer rating:

Quality-pops and clicks etc Human League remixes
AWESOME!!
YEA THEY WERE MIXED-UP IN THE HEAD WITH THIS JUNK !
shaking my head in disappointment
Human League...

Original Remixes & Rarities
The Human League
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Heart Like A Wheel (Extended) (CD & 12 Single)

Album Description

The popularity of The Human League never seems to wane, with constant sell-out tours and festival appearances (Homelands and Big Gay Out in 2005). 2005 saw the League back on a 16-date tour of the UK in November. To coincide with their touring activities, a collection of original 12-inch remixes of their most popular tracks are features, many of which have not been on CD before - such as the full unedited versions of 'The Sound Of The Crowd', 'Open Your Heart' and 'The Lebanon'. Additionally, 'Love Action' and 'Hard Times Instrumental 12-inches were only previously available on a CD single, and the rest of the tracks (bar the Extended Electric Dreams which came out on the reissued Oakey & Moroder CD reissue) are currently only to be found as bonus tracks on various US and International pressings. EMI. 2005.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Collection of Rarities as Well as Extended and Dub Mixes that the Pioneering Synth Pop Group Has Released in It's Long Tenure Spanning Over Two Decades. Many of These Tracks Appear on CD for the First Time Here. Long Time Fans Will Rejoice at the Inclusion of the Full Versions of the B-sides of 12 Inches Released in Conjunction with the Album "Dare". The Set also Includes the Extended Mixes from "Hysteria" and the Jimmy Jam-terry Lewis Produced "Crash", Including the USA No. One Single "Human". In Between is the Phil Oakey-giorgio Moroder Internation Smash "Electric Dreams", Produced for the Motion Picture of the Same Name.

Customer Reviews:

Quality-pops and clicks etc Human League remixes.......2007-07-02

While there are some pops and clicks on some of these recordings it is not because the recording source is suspect it is because the tracks that have those artifacts where created back between 1981 and 83 when samplers where hugely expensive- hard to get and didnt have much memory at all- the way the producer created most of the non stop unlimited remixes was with a
good old razor blade and tape. A skill that is dieing off. The producer- Martin Rushent- has been said that most of these remixes had SO MANY cuts and edits in the original tape that many times it could only be run through the machine once or twice before it would disintegrate!!! Be glad that these are availible as many many other great artists from the best period of new music (late 70's early to mid 80's) are still not on CD and possibly never will be. While the record companies pump out tons of garbage that has no right to be released tons of great stuff will sit in vaults- people that would spend good money will wait forever- point in case the first two albums (1980 and 81) by Polyrock. They where FINALLY just released on a small label and you had better snatch them up while you can cause the value of them will skyrocket just like the double CD of The Producers(the New Wave-Power Pop band not the remade movie) albums- they where released on a small label on cd and now less then 9 years later they are fetching 80 bucks or so!!

AWESOME!!.......2007-04-10

Love this group and love that they've stuck together over the years. Great stuff.

YEA THEY WERE MIXED-UP IN THE HEAD WITH THIS JUNK !.......2007-01-24

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY GET SMART IT'S THAT OLD TRICK THE SLICK COVER IS HOW THEY WANT YOU TO JUDGE IT BUT YOU JUDGE SOMETHING ONLY BY IT'S COVER YOU WILL END UP TAKEING ONE UP THE U KNOW WHERE EVEY NOW AND THEN SOMETIMES THE COVER DOES TELL IT ALL BUT NOT THIS TIME ?THEY DONT EVEN SOUND HUMAN NO ONE WILL DANCE TO THIS EVEN ON CRACK... WELL MAYBE A FEW BUT THERE BUGGING.. .....AND THEY SOUND LIKE THERE IN LEAGUE WITH ....THE DEVIL-SATAN OUT TO STEAL ARE MONEY HEY CAN YOU SEND ME MY MONEY BACK PLEASEEEEEE'S !

shaking my head in disappointment.......2006-07-21

WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY (Six Times) did they fade out the end of the Fascination remix!!!!!???? This was one of the primary reasons I wanted this CD! The genius of that remix was WAY ahead of its time, and they RUINED IT!

WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE THINGS ALONE!?!?!?!

Human League..........2006-01-21

Personally, I've always wanted an extended version of Human, as the regular single is under 4 minutes. The version of the song on this collection is 5:05. I do like it. I just wish it was 10 minutes longer. Guess I'll have to get software and figure how to extend it (or just loop it with RealPlayer V.10!). The rest of the mixes on this CD are also good.

Could it have been better? Sure. But as I paid under $8US for the disk, I have absolutely no complaints and feel that I got my money's worth! Four stars!

Yes Darling, But is It Art? (Early Singles & Rarities)

Average customer rating:

A great TVP's comp
Who are these guys?
they couldve been bigger than the beatles
they couldve been bigger than the beatles
they couldve been bigger than the beatles

Yes Darling, But is It Art? (Early Singles & Rarities)
Television Personalities
Manufacturer: Seed
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

They Could Have Been Bigger Than the Beatles
International Rescue
And Don't the Kids Just Love It
Mummy Your Not Watching Me
Colossal Youth

ASIN: B000005WX5
Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

14th Floor
Oxford St., W1
Part Time Punks
Where's Bill Grundy Now?
Happy Families
Posing At The Roundhouse
Smashing Time
King And Country
I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives (Original)
Arthur The Gardener
The Prettiest Girl In The World
That's What Love Is
Three Wishes
And Don't The Kids Just Love It
A Sense Of Belonging
How I Learned To Love The...Bomb
A Girl Called Charity
She's Only The Grocers Daughter
Now You're Just Being Ridiculous
God Snaps His Fingers
The Dream Inspires
Favourite Films
Me And My Desire
Miracles Take Longer

Customer Reviews:

A great TVP's comp.......2007-03-18

Not too sure what that other guy is going on about w/ the Gang of Four reference. How you could claim to be an Anglophile & have no knowledge of Dan is beyond me. Obviously, he just doesn't get "it". This is a great comp of TVP tunes otherwise unavailble on CD. Essential, if you're "in the know" (as Kurt & so many others are/were).

Who are these guys?.......2003-12-04

I never heard of this band until I was browsing allmusic.com and they happen to mention them in the Pink Floyd listing.
I have been quite the Anglo-file for about 40 years now and I never heard of them! After giving them a listen, I know why!
Nirvana and other U.S. band were influenced by this?!
Do me a favor, check out Gang of Four, they got it all over these guys!

they couldve been bigger than the beatles.......1999-11-11

this is a great place to start with the TVPS. you have silly songs (Arthur the Gardner), emotional songs (Smashing Time), and songs that bust on punks (part time punks). get this, but beware...many of their albums are hard to come by, and are classics. "mummy your not watching me", "they couldve been bigger than the beatles", "the painted word", and "privelege" are all out of print, i think. one of the greatest bands ever...

they couldve been bigger than the beatles.......1999-11-11

Average customer rating:

ghost of Jim
WOW
Nice gems
Definitely Essential For Doors Fans
Mixed Results

Essential Rarities
The Doors
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

An American Prayer
Live in Detroit (Cobo Hall, 05/08/1970)
The Soft Parade
In Concert
Waiting for the Sun

ASIN: B00004TSHE
Release Date: 2000-06-20

Tracks:

Hello To The Cities (Live)
Break On Through (Live)
Roadhouse Blues (Live)
Hyacinth House
Who Scared You
Whiskey, Mystics And Men
I Will Never Be Untrue (Live)
Moonlight Drive
Queen Of The Hghway (Alternate Version)
Someday Soon (Live)
Hello, I Love You
Orange County Suite
The Soft Parade (Live)
The End (Live)
Woman Is A Devil

Amazon.com

This collection, originally available only as a bonus disc in The Doors: The Complete Studio Recordings box set (fleshed out here with another outtake track, "Woman Is a Devil," from that set) is split just about evenly between a sometimes motley collection of outtakes and demos and a better slate of live material. It also argues that while most rock bands cut their teeth on blues and other roots music, then develop a distinct sound (or sell out to pop fashion trends), the Doors seemed to evolve ass-backwards, the band's, and particularly Jim Morrison's, college poet-nihilist pretensions slowly giving way to more blues-based influences. Indeed, after a few legendary years of late-1960s success and excess, Morrison had more than enough reasons to sing the blues. The studio leftovers here underscore why they're called "outtakes" (1965 demos of "Hello, I Love You" and "Moonlight Drive" are historically interesting, if a bit bubblegummy) though there are some highlights. "Whiskey, Mystics and Men" showcases another side of the band's tastefully odd Kurt Weill fetish; a '69 alternate of "Queen of the Highway" is almost lounge hipster chic; and "Orange County Suite" is a dirge from '70. Live cuts (all from '69 and '70) range from a baroque, affected PBS telecast of "The Soft Parade" to an apocalyptic, overwrought "The End." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

ghost of Jim.......2006-09-24

"Bring out your dead" cries Jim, a caller through the streets of Paris during the Black Plague. It is as if we are visited by the ghost of Jim in this collection. I can rarely listen to the studio albums, having listened to them for 40 years, and the live albums, though exciting, seem dated. This disk is as if it was found on Jim's grave in Pere LaChasse. These tracks, rejected during his life, are now his freshest expression.

WOW.......2006-08-30

What a GREAT CD for your collection. I own all of the Doors CD's and was looking for new material. This belongs in everyone's collection.

Nice gems.......2005-12-25

Listening to it now. So when that box set comes out, with a disc of rarities, here's one instance where waiting matters. Thank you for releasing this extra bit for fans who already have all the other albums. I wouldn't have bought the box set just for it, but sell it separately, and I'm more than game. It's all great... the closest thing I'll get to a "new" Doors album (unless the band gets some real "balls" and records new material with Ian, which would be a real kick!). These gems are well worth it...

Definitely Essential For Doors Fans.......2005-12-10

If you're a diehard Doors fan who didn't already purchase this CD along with "The Doors" box set, then chances are you will thoroughly enjoy "Essential Rarities," a superb collection of Doors demos, outtakes, and live recordings. On this disc you'll find such gems as the excellent "Soft Parade" leftover "Who Scared You" (which rightfully deserved to be included on that album), the drunken-bar tale of "Whiskey, Mystics And Men," the early 1965 demo of "Moonlight Drive" (with it's lighter vibe and Jim Morrison's softer vocal treatment), the cocktail-lounge alternate version of "Queen Of The Highway," the lovely "Orange County Suite," and the band's scorching live performances of "The Soft Parade" and "The End." I suppose casual listeners don't really need this album, but for the most faithful followers of The Doors, "Essential Rarities" is VERY essential stuff, no question about it.

Mixed Results.......2005-12-02

Since the Doors had such a short career, it seems that everything ever recorded has been put on the market - repeatedly. The publisher is trying to milk this cow to death.

Essential Rarities contains a collection of live songs by the Doors, some of which are in fact actually rare in that they were not performed/recorded often but they HAVE be released before. This is a subset of the 97 Box Set, which is a collection of previously released pieces, which ...

I found Break On Through, Roadhouse Blues, I will Never be Untrue and The End to be VERY good. The rest, I could take or leave. They all have value though for the hardcore fan who wants to hear the Doors in various 'live' or 'demo' settings. In some cases, that may be the only value. If you just want these tracks and not buy the Boxed Set, it is cheaper to buy this CD.

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Jam CD
This album is a MUST for any collector of The Jam

Extras: A Collection of Rarities
The Jam
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Gift
Live Jam
Direction Reaction Creation
Dig the New Breed
Setting Sons

ASIN: B000001DWP
Release Date: 1992-06-23

Tracks:

The Dreams Of Children
Tales From The Riverbank
Liza Radley
Move On Up
Shopping
Smithers-Jones
Pop Art Poem
Boy About Town
A Solid Bond In Your Heart
No One In The World
And Your Bird Can Sing
Burning Sky
Thick As Thieves
Disguises
Get Yourself Together
The Butterfly Collector
The Great Depression
Stoned Out Of My Mind
Pity Poor Alfie/Fever
But I'm Different Now
I Got You (I Feel Good)
Hey Mister
Saturday's Kids
We've Only Started
So Sad About Us
The Eton Rifles

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite Jam CD.......2004-02-10

First, I have every Jam record and I bought them in the 80's. I am a diehard Jam fan and just missed see them live. With that said, this was my favorite tape when I bought it. I listened to all the studio tapes first and wore out a few, including my favorite, Setting Sons. Then after years of listening to the same Jam songs over and over, "Extras" came out.

What a great CD! This should not be your first Jam CD. Get Setting Sons or Sound Affects. Then get more studio CD's This should be you last Jam CD to full appreciate it. Chock full of rare and wonderful sounds by one of the greatest bands ever.

This album is a MUST for any collector of The Jam.......1999-05-21

A real must for any collector of one of the best groups of the late 70s and early 80s. Who could resist such hidden lost classics like the acoustic Liza Radley? You will also get classics like "Burning Sky" and "Eton Rifles" - both sound like Weller was alone in the front room of his house. A real must have.

Average customer rating:

Yes Darling, But is It Art? (Early Singles & Rarities)
Television Personalities
Manufacturer: Fire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000067CJK
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Tracks:

14th Floor
Oxford St., W1
Part Time Punks
Where's Bill Grundy Now?
Happy Families
Posing at the Roundhouse
Smashing Time
King and Country
I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives [Original Version]
Arthur the Gardener
Prettiest Girl in the World
That's What Love Is
Three Wishes
And Don't the Kids Just Love It
Sense of Belonging
How I Learned to Love the... Bomb
Girl Called Charity
She's Only the Grocers Daughter
Now You're Just Being Ridiculous
God Snaps His Fingers
Dream Inspires
Favourite Films
Me and My Desire
Miracles Take Longer

Album Description

A packed 24-track set, 1995's Yes Darling, But is it Art? performs an invaluable service by collecting the Television Personalities' early singles and b-sides, rarities and obscurities. Slipcase. 2003.

Average customer rating:

best rendition of Cocktail Nubiles EVER!

Rarities
The Stranglers
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Raven (+4 Bonus Tracks)
Aural Sculpture
No More Heroes
La Folie
Black and White (+6 Bonus Tracks)

ASIN: B00006BXO2
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Tracks:

You Hold The Key To My Love In Your Hands (Early Demo)
Cocktail Nubiles (Jazz Version)
Tomorrow Was Here After (Early Demo)
N'Emmenes Pas Harry (French Version Of 'Don't Bring Harry')
Sverige (Swedish Version Of Sweden)
Walk On By (Radio Edit)
Mean To Me - Cilia And The Mulations
Mony Mony - Cilia And The Mutalations
No More Heroes (Radio Edit)
Peaches (Radio Edit)
Goebbles, Mosley, God And Ingrams
Waiting For The Trees To Grow
Gone Are Those Days
The Beast
New Day Today
My Young Dreams
Mr. Big
I'll Be Seeing You

Album Description

18 rare versions, demos, covers & rare punk tracks from 1977-1999. EMI. 2002.

Album Details

Super Disc for Fans of Long Sought, Hard to Get Tracks by the Venerable Punk Band. Includes a French Version of "Don't Bring Harry", a Swedish Version of "Sweden" (Naturally), plus Eight Tracks that were Previously Only Available on Flexi Discs Issued to Members of the Sis (Stranglers Information Service....their Fan Club).

Customer Reviews:

best rendition of Cocktail Nubiles EVER!.......2004-10-23

Rarities is a great purchase for stranglers fans. It contains excellent early demos such as "you hold the key to my love in your hands." It is one of my favorite Stranglers songs and I dont know why they didn't release it. There are many other gems on this cd, and Cocktail Nubiles is very funny with plenty of studio chatter. I think you will find your self satisfied with this purchase. A definate must have for the well established Stranglers junkie as well as a pretty good intro to the stranglers because it has the radio versions of many singles.

Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982 [ENHANCED CD]

Average customer rating:

Could have been better, though.
BFHRT 301 : A Beefheart Crash Course!
A must for Beefheart fanatics.
Great collection for obsessive fans
Break Out the Cash and Grow a Fin!

Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982 [ENHANCED CD]
Captain Beefheart
Manufacturer: Revenant Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bluejeans & Moonbeams
Strictly Personal
Doc at the Radar Station
The Mirror Man Sessions
Unconditionally Guaranteed

ASIN: B00000IXTB
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

Obeah Man - (1966 demo)
Just Got Back From The City - (1966 demo)
I'm Glad - (1966 demo)
Triple Combination - (1966 demo)
Here I Am I Always Am - (early 1966 demo)
Here I Am I Always Am - (later 1966 demo)
Somebody In My Home - (live, 1966)
Tupelo - (live, 1966)
Evil Is Going On - (live, 1966)
Old Folks Boogie - (live, 1967)
Call On Me - (1965 demo)
Sure Nuff N Yes I Do - (1967 demo)
Yellow Brick Road - (1967 demo)
Plastic Factory - (1967 demo)

Tracks:

Electricity - (live, 1968)
Sure Nuff N Yes I Do - (live, 1968)
Rollin N Tumblin - (live, 1968)
Electricity - (live, 1968)
Yer Gonna Need Somebody On Yer Bond - (live, 1968)
Kandy Korn - (live, 1968)
Korn Ring Finger - (1967 demo)

Tracks:

Untitled 1
Untitled 2
Hair Pie: Bake 1
Hair Pie: Bake 2
Untitled 5
Hobo Chang Ba
Untitled 7
Hobo Chang Ba - (take 2)
Dachau Blues
Old Fart At Play
Untitled 11
Pachuco Cadaver
Sugar 'N Spikes
Untitled 14
Sweet Sweet Bulbs
Frownland - (take 1)
Frownland
Untitled 18
Ella Guru
Untitled 20
She's Too Much For My Mirror
Untitled 22
Steal Softly Thru Snow
Untitled 24
My Human Gets Me Blues
Untitled 26
When Big Joan Sets Up
Untitled 28
Untitled 29
China Pig

Tracks:

Blimp
Herb
Septic Tank
Overdub [plus ENHANCED CD live performance footage: Cannes Beach, 1968; Amougies, Belgium, 1969; Detroit, Michigan, 1971; Paris, France, 1973]

Tracks:

My Human Gets Me Blues - (live, 1969)
When Big Joan Sets Up - (live, 1971)
Woe Is Uh Me Bop - (live, 1971)
Bellerin' Plain - (live, 1971)
Black Snake Moan I - (1972 radio phone-in)
Grow Fins - (live, 1972)
Black Snake Moan II - (1972 radio)
Spitball Scalped Uh Baby - (live, 1972)
Harp Boogie I - (1972 radio)
One Red Rose That I Mean - (live, 1972)
Harp Boogie II - (1972 radio)
Natchez Burning - (1972 radio)
Harp Boogie III - (1972 radio phone-in)
Click Clack - (live, 1973)
Orange Claw Hammer - (1975 radio)
Odd Jobs - (1975 piano demo)
Odd Jobs - (1976 band demo)
Vampire Suite - (1980 worktapes/live)
Mellotron Improv - (live, 1978)
Evening Bell - (1981 piano worktape)
Evening Bell - (1982 guitar worktape)
Mellotron Improv - (live, 1980)
Flavor Bud Living - (live, 1980)

Amazon.com

Grow Fins is an impeccably assembled, lavishly produced, epic fanboy love poem to one of popular music's least popular and most influential geniuses, Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart. Packaged in a hardcover accordion folio that recalls the 78-rpm era, five CDs of demos, acetates, concert recordings, video footage, and radio broadcasts are packaged alongside 112 densely annotated, highly illuminating pages of previously unpublished text and photos that leap from trainspotting minutiae to insider revelation. The sound has been cleaned up considerably, but the set is essentially the world's coolest bootleg. The upshot is that if you love Beefheart's music, you're likely to have already one-clicked it, but if you are looking for an introduction to his idiosyncratic and totally addictive music, you should hear Trout Mask Replica, Lick My Decals Off, Baby, and Safe as Milk first. This set traces the various permutations and exhilarating development of the Magic Band, from bluesy garage punks to otherworldly, thoroughly orchestrated avant-Delta/skronk/rock avatars of the Trout Mask sessions to the rejuvenated new-wave-era group. Insights into the Magic Band's working method abound, notably with the earliest recordings of Trout, in which they're rougher sounding and mostly instrumental, although their exacting precision disproves the legend that the music was banged out in a free-form free-for-all; clearly, it was a laborious effort. The video footage from Cannes Beach, France, in 1968 and the Detroit "Tubeworks" show in 1971 is priceless. The radio appearances on disc 5 are also thrilling; Beefheart plays solo harp and sings relaxed, spine-tingling a cappella songs. After beginning John Lee Hooker's "Black Snake Moan," which shows off Beefheart's infamous, multi-octave range, he stops in the middle, informing a Boston radio host, "I just can't get it through this microphone--it's too little." --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

Could have been better, though........2007-05-24

Grow Fins features all rare not-released-before recordings of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band. That sounds good, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately, not all sounds that good in this box set. Let's take a brief look.

CD number 1 features mostly old pre-Safe As Milk Beefheart studio recordings. The sound quality is amazingly good. It gives a good insight to the early sound of a band that was great from the very beginning. There were not rhythmic extravaganzas yet, not Zoot Horn Rollos nor Drumbos, but Beefheart's voice was already ready to shine. Nicely played and nicely recorded. There are also tremendously good live recordings that do the band even more justice. The few last tracks, which are early versions of tracks that would later appear on debut album "Safe As Milk" sound more poorly, but anyway it is nice to hear them on their early encarnations.

CD number 2 features mostly post-Safe As Milk live recordings. The sound quality is acceptable, but not as good as the live tracks on CD#1. Anyway, the group's sound was turning more distinctive, not to say unique. Unfortunately, this CD is quite short for today's length standards, not even reaching the 40 minute mark. It closes with an unreleased studio recording which can be found nowadays with slightly better sound on the reissue of "Safe As Milk".

CD number 3 gives the listener an opportunity to get into the early stages of recording of "Trout Mask Replica". It features instrumental tracks recorded at the house where the band was living. It is worth mentioning that that was the way in which the album was going to be recorded until Don Vliet complained about it to producer Frank Zappa, who rented a bunch of hours at a studio later to record the album we all know and love. The CD sound quality is really good and it portraits the instrumental complexity of those almost-impossible-to-play compositions over which Don would lay his legendary vocal tracks later.

CD number 4 is definitively not interesting. Though it features some really nice videos to watch on the computer, the dialogues featured on the audio section of the CD are not very interesting. It doesn't add much really.

CD number 5 covers the rest of Beefheart's career, mainly through live recordings which in general sound quite awful. Especially "Spitball Scalped Uh Baby", where Artie Tripp's talent simply can't be appreciated because of an extremely badly recorded performance. The highlights are the performances at TV in 1971 and Beefheart appearances on radio (including a Beffheart-Zappa version of "Orange Claw Hammer"). The rest is not very valuable, and this is because of the recordings' sound quality. I wish other cleaner live takes had been chosen.
The booklet is certainly great, especially because of John French's revealing liner notes, and also because of a good-taste design.
As the title of this review says, it could have been better. Anyway, it is essential if you're into Beefeart.

BFHRT 301 : A Beefheart Crash Course!.......2006-07-27

FANS, Beefheart aficionados are like few others. They are steeped in the lore, amazing skeptics, lovers of music off the beaten path, and all of them deeply moved and influenced by the body of work by one band (with a great number of players) and one writer vocalist, Don Van Vliet.
There's a lot of hogwash going on about this great blues influenced band turned psychedelic, jazz, rock, skronk genius - AND most of the urban legends are completely disassembled in the accompanying book. In fact, I've never seen an artist undergo quite a thorough raking over the coals in tribute, IN THE VERY BOX SET!

But it's worth it, and the price is coming down - time to get addicted!

A must for Beefheart fanatics........2003-11-27

This box set is BOOTLEG QUALITY, but the music and liner notes are FIRST RATE. The video footage is priceless! This package was made with tender loving care by Beefheart fanatics, and it shows. If you love Beefheart, grab it before it goes out of print! The instrumental "Trout Mask" rehearsals are worth the price of admission alone....burn them to a CD-R (without the in-between song banter) and you're in Trout Mask Heaven!

Great collection for obsessive fans.......2003-07-21

I probably wouldn't have bought this collection at full price. Lucky for me, I found it for 20 dollars at a CD store that was going out of business. But if you're an obsessive Beefheart fan, you probably don't care anyways. This is a good collection, packed with tons of rarities and live tracks. I haven't even checked out the entire thing yet. But anyways, good stuff. Go for it!

Break Out the Cash and Grow a Fin!.......2003-03-02

Although the price of "Grow Fins" is steep, this set is essential if you are a fan of Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. Although they could have fit discs one and two onto one disc, I don't care. Although they could have added more video cuts or even some "clean" copies of Beefheart gems for which we have been waiting years (e.g., "Bat Chain Puller" original album), I don't care. Although the Trout Mask Sessions disc is filled with endless meaningless studio chatter, I don't care.

Why do I not care? After listening to and absolutely loving the music on this set for several days now, I realized that despite its limitations, had this set been a bootleg costing twice the price, I still would have happily paid the cash and felt great about my purchase. The reason for my gleefulness is precisely because Don Van Vliet and his comrades produced such powerful, engaging music that I'll happily devour whatever scraps of music or studio chatter that they left behind. For the uninitiated listener, "Grow Fins" might not be the best place to start your journey into the world of Beefheart, but it isn't the worst, either. The music on the discs reveal a vast array of stylistic textures, showing how the band developed their music from their blues-oriented beginnings to their avant-garde blowouts of the early `70s. The video clips on Disc 4, although a little grainy, are wonderful examples of the early Beefheart and Magic Band.

There are additional highlights on the other discs. On Disc 1, the demo of "I'm Glad" is absolutely gorgeous, as it showcases Don's incredible ability to use his voice with a rare tenderness. The blues-based songs on the disc show that the Captain Beefheart band was arguably the best blues band of that period. Unlike the numerous British bands that were butchering classic blues songs in that period (e.g., Yardbirds, Stones, among many others), Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band played the blues with technical and aesthetic authenticity. The version of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" on Disc 2 absolutely smokes. Disc 3 offers a penetrating look into the making of the classic "Trout Mask Replica." While there is a lot of insignificant studio chatter, many of the instrumental jams provide insight into how the songs developed over time. (Some of the studio chatter is hilarious, such as Don's discussion of how Herb Alpert uses overdubs on his albums. As a fan of postmodernism, I appreciate that it is often when nothing seems to be happening that everything is happening.) Although the final "Trout Mask" album sounds pretty chaotic to many people, it is actually highly cohesive when compared to the demos on "Grow Fins."

My overall impression of "Grow Fins" can be summed up as follows: When is the next box set of rare Beefheart material going to be released?

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