"Compilation Reviews"

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Clay Pigeons original motion picture soundtrack

Universal Records
If honesty were required in Hollywood (fat chance!) then the word "soundtrack" would only be written with quotations around it, since so many songs on these compilations do not even make into the actual films they are associated with. I don’t know how many songs on the Clay Pigeons soundtrack received any screen time, but with the sweet "Teach Me About Love" from Lyle Lovett, an alt-punk-country cut from Old 97’s and even a selection from the underrated Tonio K., this recording certainly is a worthy collection, if nothing else.
- Dan MacIntosh


ECW Extreme Music

Slab/CMC International Records
This twelve track compilation to promote Extreme Championship Wrestling consists of several members of metal’s elite covering songs by their contemporaries. Bruce Dickinson rips through the Scorpions' "The Zoo," while Motorhead and Anthrax take turns with Metallica tracks. Also, Muscadine tries on AC/DC for size... Grinspoon, White Zombie, Monster Magnet, and more.

While not the world’s hottest album, it does offer some interesting "alternative" tracks from some of metal’s heaviest hitters. Check out Kilgore’s version of "Walk"!

- Shane Copher


 NOTE: Due to space constraints, the following reviews were not included in the print edition of Geoff Wilbur's Renegade Newsletter. These reviews are only available here in the online edition.

Bride of Chucky soundtrack

CMC International Records
This soundtrack hosts a who’s who of metal's hierarchy, including Priest, Slayer, Motorhead, Coal Chamber and White Zombie. Four of the tracks included here have never been released elsewhere, while the remainder make for a nice compilation package.

"Boogie King" by The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies kicks this one off, and it never looks back. Bruce Dickinson, Type O Negative, Monster Magnet and Stabbing Westward are among the heavy hitters featured here.

The movie may suck, but the soundtrack kicks butt.

- Shane Copher

The Best of Rockline

Priority Records
This disk contains some great live performances from the Rockline radio series. The first track is a killer -- "6th Avenue Heartache" performed by The Wallflowers. Also included are performances from The Verve Pipe, Lenny Kravitz, Dishwalla, 7 Mary 3, Brother Cane... 12 cuts in all from 12 different performers. Impressive roster.
- Geoff Wilbur

CMJ: The Year in Music 1982

Chronicles
Twelve songs -- some we all know and some just the CMJ-types would remember. "Come One Eileen" by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, "Our House" by Madness, and "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell fall into the first category. Other songs, like XTC’s "Senses Working Overtime" and The Jam’s "A Town Called Malice," never made it into the broader pop consciousness. In all, this is a comprehensive look back at the music you would’ve found on the cutting edge back in ’82.
- Geoff Wilbur

12" Essentials: The Eighties

Chronicles
Ah, that clubbing phenomenon... the 12" single. It’s where they take a normal hit song and stretch its length until it’s about ready to break. This is a collection of some from those big ’80s. Included among the eleven cuts are an 8:07 version of Tears For Fears’ "Shout," a 6:02 rendition of Animotion’s "Obsession," and a monster 8:56 presentation of Soft Cell’s "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go." If you’re a DJ -- or simply unable to let go of your favorite, all-to-short songs -- this CD is essential. If you’re normal, maybe not.
- Geoff Wilbur

Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze

Intersound, Inc.
Chances are that, at most, you may have one or two of these 15 songs on a CD and maybe 2 or 3 more of them on cassette or LP. That still leaves at least ten tracks that are still at "’80s radio tape" status -- songs you knew well at the time but may have forgotten about. This ultimate ’80s dance/party disc includes Q-Feel’s "Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)," OXO’s "Whirly Girl," Murray Head’s "One Night in Bangkok," and Boys Don’t Cry’s "I Wanna Be a Cowboy." The bands on this disc whose albums you’re more likely to own include Berlin ("Sex (I’m A...)"), Wang Chung ("Everybody Have Fun Tonight"), Madness ("Our House"), A Flock of Seagulls ("I Ran (So Far Away)"), and The Fixx ("Saved By Zero"). Gotta applaud the selection.
- Geoff Wilbur

Retro Lunchbox: Gooey Love Songs

Intersound, Inc.
With bands like Duran Duran ("Save a Prayer"), the Bangles ("If She Knew What She Wants"), and Culture Club ("Do You Really Want to Hurt Me") and solo artists like Debbie Gibson ("Lost in Your Eyes") and Tiffany ("Could’ve Been"), this disc lacks the one hit wonder factor of its Squeeze the Cheeze counterpart, but the 15 cuts featured are definitely high quality and span the range of styles of ’80s love songs. Personal favorites are Sheriff’s "When I’m With You," Cutting Crew’s "(I Just) Died in Your Arms," Naked Eyes’ "Always Something There to Remind Me," Climie Fisher’s "Love Changes (Everything)," and T’Pau’s "Heart and Soul."
- Geoff Wilbur

Take Warning: Songs of Operation Ivy

Glue Factory Records
Rarely comes along a short-lived band that makes a major impact on the music scene, but Operation Ivy was one of those bands. Lasting from mid-1988 to late 1989, Operation Ivy inspired punkers, skasters and metalheads by combining elements of all those styles. On this tribute release, bands pay homage, covering their favorite Op Ivy songs. The line-up reads like a who’s who of the skacore scene -- Home Grown, Reel Big Fish, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Long Beach Dub All-Stars (former members of Sublime), Marshall Arts (Sublime’s D.T.), The Aquabats, Pocket Lint, The Blue Meanies, Teen Heroes, Jefferies Fan Club, The Hippos, and Longfellow. This is a fine tribute to Operation Ivy -- the band which later would become Rancid -- and a well-deserved one, in fact.
- Al Slavicsky

The Dawning of Pure Evil: Five Years of Necropolis Records

Necropolis Records
Sampling of some of the purest evil tracks ever released by the horde of Necropolis Records. 19 skull breaking tracks of evil, brutality, and mass slaughter house power. Bands include Dawn, Guillotine, Nifelheim, The Ancients Rebirth, Witchery (an advance track from their Witchburner CD), Sadistic Intent ("Untimely End" from their promo tape), Demonic, Opthalamia, Dissection, War, Cranium, Deathwitch, Tartaros, Usurper, Arckanium, Satanic Slaughter, Niden Div. 187, Ashes, and Vondur. Morbidly awakens the dawn and brings them into a blazing inferno. Hell awaits for people who want a platter of pure evil.
- Al Slavicsky

Summer of Loud

TVT Records
A great selection of some of the louder, harder edged, heavy metal sounds which TVT has recently released. Includes Gravity Kills’ "Alive," which is a metallic industrial tune, Cubanate’s "It," which is trance-metal/trip-industrial... highly original. Course of Empire’s "Automatic Writing No. 7" sounds like NIN meeting Godflesh at a Fluf concert. Hendoize’s "Drain" from the La Femme Nikita -- Music From the Television Series is eerie and mind-boggling slow industrialized groove music... hauntingly enchanting. Expansion Union’s "Playing With Lightning" from the Blade Motion Picture Soundtrack is trip-hop electronica fused with a neo-industrial beat. Sevendust’s "Bitch" proves that this Atlanta, GA band is ready to conquer the world with its hard groove metal. A Day For Honey’s "Laserblast" reminds one of Faith No More mixed with Life Of Agony... strong. Dayinthelife’s "Tenth in a Series" awakens the world with a Rush meets Hole meets Drain sound. And the last track is the best, for it is Vallejo’s "Snake in the Grass," which was remixed by D.J. Hurricane, who is best known for his work with the Beastie Boys... on this track, Vallejo crosses all musical genres and creates a great groove rock classic.
- Al Slavicsky

1998 Victory Hardcore Summer Tour cassette

Victory Records, P.O. Box 146546, Chicago, IL 60614
The new breed of hardcore giants are ready to take over the world, and this cassette proves that today’s hardcore bands can live up to some of the past legends of the music. Contains powerful bands like Thumb, with its unique groove vibe hardcore, doing "Sell Myself" and Break Me," Snapcase doing its aggression-filled hardcore with heavy drums and psychotic guitar riffs that are warped on "Zombie Prescription" and "Priceless," and the last but not least band, Hatebreed, delivers some of the best hardcore which may be able to cross over to the metal marketplace due to its strong metallic overtones in "Before Dishonor" and "Last Breath." An excellent sounding cassette for you to mosh to and crank your skull to and worth giving a good listen to.
- Al Slavicsky

Suburban Voice #018: Another Rockin’ 7" EP

Suburban Voice, P.O. Box 2746, Lynn, MA  01903
This EP came along with issue #40 of Suburban Voice fanzine and has been glued to my turntable ever since it came. Side 1 has the snotty punk sounds of Violent Society doing "Philly Shreds," which is a great pogo number. Next comes the Halflings doing "She’s So Ugly," which is East Coast poppy punk in the vein of old Half-Life or The Murr. Side 2 is the more interesting side. First up is the California punk band Everready doing an untitled jam which the record maker or compiler called "Untitled Punk Hip-Hop Slam Jam," which is a cross between old school punk and modern hardcorish hip-hop. Very different and groovy. Last is New Hampshire-based band New Sweet Breath doing its lo-fi punk/crust on "Southern Hospitality." Help me -- the vinyl is melting to my turntable!
- Al Slavicsky

Nothing to Believe In!

Know Records
The ultimate punk compilation with 36 bands from all over the place. So, if you are looking for a release which highlights what is going on in the punk world today, this is for you. Some of the great bands on this release include The Meatmen, Naked Aggression, Rhythm Collision, No Content, Das Klown, All Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Apocalypse Hoboken, Youth Gone Mad, Blout, and more. If you need something to believe in, then Nothing to Believe In! is for you. 36 bands for around 73 minutes makes this an excellent compilation CD.
- Al Slavicsky

Solar -- A Sampler, Spring 1998

Gray Dot, Inc./Bulletproof Music
A great blend of modern CCM music featuring bands that would appeal to many age groups and people of different musical tastes, featuring Squad Five-O, Exter Flud, Bumblepuppy, Crooked Smile, Dumpster, One 21, Speck, Johnny Respect, Sundays Child, Sanctified Glory Mountain Revival Family, Elder, Dear Ephesus, New Jerusalem, Age of Faith, The Miscellaneous, My Friend Stephanie, and Blame Lucy. This is the forefront of CCM music and will mold your mind and soul into spiritual awareness.
- Al Slavicsky

The Immortal 7

Immortal/Epic Records
Highlighting seven artists that are signed to Immortal Records. Featured is Korn doing a remix of their song "All in the Family (Clark World Mix (Clean))," Far doing "Really Here" from their Water and Solutions CD, Incubus doing "New Skin" from their S.C.I.E.N.C.E. CD, The Urge doing "Closer" from their Master of Styles CD, Bare Jr. with "You Blew Me Off" from their CD Boo-tay, Goodness unleashing "I’d Rather" from their release Anthem, and Goldo with an edited version of their hit "To All the Lovely Ladies" from their self-titled release. Overall, The Immortal 7 is some of the best new and rising artists in the music world today, and all must be recommended for doing their own thing.
- Al Slavicsky

Cooler Than Your Mom

Drive-Thru Records
This is one of the most unusual double CD compilations one has ever seen, containing 48 tracks from different labels from all around the United States. Some of the labels represented include Drive-Thru Records, Crank! Records, Cool Guy Records, Rubber Records, Republic Records, Springman Records, Vegas Records, Glue Factory Records, Lobster Records, Tomato Head, Too Hep, Capitol Records, Vagrant Records, Fueled By Ramen Records, Go-Kart Records, Ditch Rank Records, Centipede Records, Transmission Records, Rotz Recordings, Initial Records, Velvel, Doctor Dream Records, Two-O-Six Records, Microcosm Records, Onset Records, Zero Hour, and Devil Doll. Bands vary as much as labels do, ranging from Chumbawumba to Amazing Royal Crowns to Psychotica to Zebrahead, to name a few. One of the best compilations ever assembled, even if it came in a plastic baggie.
- Al Slavicsky

ESPN Presents X-Games: The Soundtrack Album

Tommy Boy Music
One tends to get bored of the many soundtrack and various artists releases on the marketplace today, while this is an X-ception to the rule. The X-Games are an extreme sports showcase of skateboarding, in-line skating, and BMX biking competitions. This release shows the hardcore, different sound which you will hear at the X-Games -- Bush’s "Old," Sugar Ray’s "RPM," Goldfinger’s "Superman," The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky," and CIV’s "Shout It." Plus, there are a few rare gems such as Sublime’s "What I Got (Unreleased Original Version)," Public Enemy’s "Welcome to the Terrordome (X-Games Remix)," and The Prodigy’s "Voodoo People (Chemical Brothers Remix)." 17 tracks of pure skate-bike-X-treme music.
- Al Slavicsky

What Were We Fighting For?: A Dead Kennedys Tribute

Know Records
There are tons of bands in the world who play Dead Kennedys covers in their sets. This compilation highlights some of the best hardcore/crust/punk bands in the world today paying homage to Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys. Some of the great bands featured include Arson Family ("Government Flu"), gob ("Terminal Preppie"), Electric Frankenstein ("Your Emotions"), Das Klown ("Police Truck"), The Dread ("Moon Over Marin"), Anal Cunt ("Religious Vomit"), Eyelid ("Forward to Death"), Visual Discrimination ("Hyperactive Child"), No Fraud ("Life Sentence"), Angry Little Men ("When You Get Drafted"), Politikill Incorrect ("Jock-o-Rama"), Vitamin L ("California Uber Alles"), Drain Bramage ("MTV Get Off the Air"), Blanks 77 ("Too Drunk to F**k"), Insult ("I Kill Children"), The Missing 23rd ("Moral Majority"), and Final Conflict ("Nazi Punks F**k Off"). The DKs may be long gone, but they are sure not forgotten.
- Al Slavicsky

Moonshine Over America ’98 -- The Album

Moonshine Music
A great companion to the 1998 Moonshine Over America tour, highlighting bands which were on that tour. Contains The Freshmaka’s "Rise ‘N’ Shine," John Kelley’s "B-line," Micro’s "Real Time," Big Johnson’s "Technology," Stone Circle (aka Carl Cox)’s "The Sound of Ultimate B.A.S.E.," Wizard of Oh featuring T La Rock (the legendary old school rapper) on "Verbal Warfare," AK1200’s "From Within," DJ Dan presents Needle Damage’s "That Zipper Track," Cirrus’ "Backward Ass Country Funk," The Son’s "Jumpin’ & Pumpin’ (Tall Paul Edit)," and Darwin Chamber’s "I Sing the Body Electric." Overall, a great intro in the sounds of Moonshine Music and a must for electronica fans everywhere.
- Al Slavicsky

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