"Compilation Reviews"
Sponsored In Part By
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