Album A Day 08.17.10: Week #8 - B-sides and Rarities
Posted by Alistair McGeorge on 08.17.2010
This week’s edition of Album A Day includes review of five collections of b-sides and rarities from some of the top rock acts around today. One of these is a special three-part look at Wrecktrospective, a demos and rarities collection from Fat Wreck Chords featuring bands like Anti-Flag, Less Than Jake and Rise Against. Also featured this week are collections by McFly, Less Than Jake, My Chemical Romance and a rare bootleg from Green Day. The latter features material from their 1994 Woodstock set, plus a 1992 radio broadcast.
Hello, hello, hello, this is Week #8 of Album A Day, and I'm Alistair McGeorge. I'll be taking a two-week vacation after this week's column, so let's all make the most of it.
This week, I'm looking at a few collections of rarities and b-sides. For me, these types of releases can throw up some real gems, and some rare versions of songs even manage to surpass the officially released tracks. Technically I'm only listening to five albums this week, but the latter is a 3-disc collection from Fat Wreck Chords where each of them deserves adequate attention. Let's take a look at the playlist for this week:
1. McFly – The Greatest Bits – B-sides & Rarities (2007)
2. Less Than Jake – B Is For B-sides (2004)
3. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade: The B-sides (2009)
4. Wrecktrospective Disc 1 (2009)
5. Wrecktrospective Disc 2 (2009)
6. Wrecktrospective Disc 3 (2009)
7. Green Day – Transmissions (2005)
But first...we have comments! Let's kick it off with dAVE:
Alistair, listen to Good Mourning, it's easily AK3's best album. And I don't get peoples dislike of Agony and Irony, it's no where near as bad as people make it out to be.
I will try and look into that, I hadn't actually seen it before. It certainly isn't as bad as people suggest, although it isn't true to Alkaline Trio's usual style. It is still a great rock album. We have a suggestion now, from Duke youngcity:
Review a week of albums that came after long layoffs, delays, or hiatus.
This is definitely an interesting idea, although a lot of thought will have to go into albums and bands to include. I may do a few of these, as there are albums now I could discuss (Chinese Democracy being the most obvious), but then there are anticipated releases from blink-182 and My Chemical Romance which will qualify.
Week 8
B-sides and Rarities
Tuesday August 10 2010
McFly – The Greatest Bits – B-sides & Rarities (2007)
I discussed McFly's career in a fair amount of detail last week, and also in my now-defunct A Lesson In... column last year (available in my archives on my profile). This collection was only given an extremely limited release in Woolworths, a store over here in the UK which went out of business last year. When I worked at the store, I picked up a copy, my interest piqued by a track-list including covers of The Beatles' "She Loves You" and "Help", The Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" and Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", amongst others.
It's largely made up for the b-sides for the majority of McFly's UK singles, and makes for a very solid collection of live tracks and covers, plus non-album tracks that had only been available on their respective singles.
The two original tracks could easily have made it onto McFly's earlier albums, as they contain much of the band's pop-rock sensibilities, with the stress on the pop. "No Worries" and "The Guy Who Turned Her Down" are both catchy tunes that suggest seemingly every song Tom Fletcher sets his hands on is turned into pop-rock gold.
Of note for "No Worries" is that the writing is credited to Fletcher, James Bourne and Charlie Simpson, the latter two being members of the now-disbanded Busted, at one point of the biggest bands in the UK. The lads' other appearance on the collection is a collaboration between the two bands on a cover of "Lola", which is surprisingly solid.
The two contemporary songs given a fresh take on here are also nice additions, with "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers and oft-covered "Umbrella" given the McFly treatment. Honestly, the former isn't too different to the original, it's just a little bit heavier. "Umbrella", as shown above, is a lot heavier though, and a nice change from the acoustic covers from the likes of Manic Street Preachers and Biffy Clyro.
The lads take on the old tunes just as well, with fine live efforts of "Pinball Wizard" and "Fight For Your Right", and The Beatles' songs given a decent modern make-over (but not to the extent that they murder them). Also thrown into the mix are two Christmas songs, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "Deck The Halls". Very seasonal, they still make for an upbeat listen at that time of year.
Overall, it's a solid release with some great covers, but it isn't one that could really convert the casual fans to McFly's cause.
Wednesday August 11 2010
Less Than Jake – B Is For B-sides (2004)
I first got into Less Than Jake after hearing "National Anthem", the closing song from their collection B Is For B-sides. This converted me into a fan of the band, and from that point I listened to whatever I could. It was a strange way to get into the band, but it definitely gave me an idea of what to expect.
The collection starts off fantastically with "Portrait of A Cigarette Smoker At 19", a fast-paced, energetic, consummate Less Than Jake track. Everything off this album is taken from the Anthem (2003) sessions, and it shows. It's a great testament to the quality of that album that these are seen as the outtakes, as they really are album-quality.
"Last Rites To Sleepless Nights" is another great ska-punk rocker, with less brass than expected. It's a wonder that, by the midway point of this collection, it doesn't begin to drag at all. There's just enough variety in the formula that songs like "Jay Fenzal" and "Goodbye Gasoline" can still shine.
My personal highlight is still the song that made me a LTJ fan originally, although tracks like "Nine-One-One To Anyone" certainly come close. B Is For B-sides has enough to keep me occupied and entertained for its duration, and whilst some may get semi-regular play on my iTunes, I can't see hearing it today convincing me to increase the attention I give to it. It's got some great moments, but in the vast collection of LTJ's back catalogue, it blends in when put in that context. It's serviceable and good for the occasional listen, but nothing really more than that.
Thursday August 12 2010
My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade: The B-sides (2009)
This is technically an E.P., but it did catch my eye as I went through my record collection, and so I feel I may as well write about it this week. It's just made up of 5 tracks, all previously available as b-sides to The Black Parade's singles.
A couple of these are live versions of singles "Welcome To The Black Parade" and "Famous Last Words". The former works quite well as a live recording, although it pales in comparison to the actual live performance. Part of My Chemical Romance's live charm is their energy and passion when performing, however, and some of that is lost in the translation. "Famous Last Words", in particular, falls flat on this release, despite being great on The Black Parade and even better in person.
The remaining three tracks on the E.P. are non-album tracks, all with some merit. "Heaven Help Us" is a nice tune, although my liking of it has decreased since its release. "My Way Home Is Through You", however, is a fantastic effort and capturing the early energy from songs like "I Never Told You What I Do For A Living" and "Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us", showing that My Chem still have that rawness and energy...
Perhaps the best song on the collection, however, is "Kill All Your Friends". Tongue-in-cheek, cabaret-style vocals, it's basically song about how "We all want to party/When the funeral ends/ba-ba-da/ba-ba-da-da". Lyrically, it's stereotypically what the mainstream media think MCR is all about, and the title is beautifully mocking of that stereotype.
"Kill All Your Friends" makes The Black Parade: The B-sides an essential release if you don't already own it (and want it legally without downloading it). Along with "My Way Home Is Through You" and "Welcome To The Black Parade", there's enough good-to-great stuff on here to make it a must-have for diehard fans, if you don't already own the tracks individually. If you do, it may be worth it if you want a complete discography, but otherwise it's passable and best, a cheap attempt at milking fans' wallets at worst.
Wrecktrospective is a fantastic collection of demos and other rarities from a wealth of Fat Wreck Chords bands and alumni. It spans across three discs, with the whole collection totalling at 88 tracks. For that reason, I'm splitting this over the next three days. Also, I won't be doing anything close to a detailed track-by-track account. With 33 tracks all by different artists, reviewing Disc 1 track-by-track would just take too long. I'll do my best to cover the best aspects though, as there are some great gems on here.
Featuring material from the likes of NOFX, Propagandhi, No Use For A Name, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Swingin' Utters, Screeching Weasal, Mad Caddies, Sick Of It All, Less Than Jake, Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Dillinger Four and Against Me!, plus many more, it really is a "who's who" of punk-rock and ska.
On paper, this first disc was a dream for me. I'd heard of most of the artists I listed above, and songs like "Like A Record Player" by The Lawrence Arms were enough to convert me to the cause of several of the bands I hadn't heard before. Saying that, it hasn't always worked that way, with Sick of It All failing to impress me on this release.
With bands like The Real McKenzies, there is enough diversity on the first disc to keep it from being boring, and Less Than Jake's "Gainesville Rock City" is a real gem. Similarly, demo versions of "T.S.R." and "Turncoat" by Against Me! and Anti-Flag respectively were highlights for me, as a big fan of both.
This record is wholeheartedly recommended to fans of modern punk-rock, in any of the subgenres including pop-punk and ska-punk. Even if you just know a couple of the artists, pick it up, because there's bound to be something you enjoy. Just from the first disc, I was introduced to bands like No Use For A Name ("Soulmate") and Mad Caddies ("Mary Melody"), who are now two of my favorite bands.
There are some misses, with "Leaving On A Jet Plane" not being my favorite track from the catalogue of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, and bands like Good Riddance and Bracket not adding a great deal to the proceedings (although the latter's contribution "2RAK005" grew on me today). Also, despite loving everything they've made, the Rise Against rarity "Heaven Knows" was, whilst good, not breathtaking.
Overall, Disc One definitely impressed, although (as expected with a collection of this size and range) there is a fair amount of filler.
Disc 2 is also a great collection, although the best tracks are from the usual stars (Rise Against, Anti-Flag, Mad Caddies and NOFX all feature again on this disc). This makes for some great songs ("You Look Like You Need A Drink (acoustic)" by Anti-Flag, for one), but it feels like the same names repeated, rather than a lot of variety. It does make for a quality collection though, as this is a chance to hear great, established acts at their most raw.
"Eulogy" by The Flatliners eventually became a minor hit, and it took my breath away the first time I heard the final studio version. I actually prefer the demo version on Wrecktrospective, however. The vocals are raw, the musicianship tight and everything just clicks.
Tracks by Star Fucking Hipsters ("Immigrants & Hypocrites"), The Loved Ones ("Living Will (Get You Dead"), Swingin' Utters ("A Promise To Distinction") and None More Black ("Slytherin? My Ass!") make cases for these being underrated and underappreciated members of the Fat Wreck Chords roster. Here, they make just as great an impact as the big names.
The quality of the recordings, as expected, isn't great, but that's the collection's charm. This is a look at contemporary punk's history, with current and former label-mates' early moments. From demos and unreleased songs to unknown bands, there's definitely something on here worth listening to.
NOTE: Minutes before I posted this, I discovered that the tracks on this disc are from the Fat Club series of 7-inch singles, which the label released monthly from February 2001 to January 2002. The following was written without this knowledge.
The final disc of the collection isn't as diverse as the previous two, nor is it as long (at 27 tracks, it's one fewer than Disc 2, and 6 tracks less than Disc 1). Across the 27 songs, there are only 12 artists, with each getting at least two songs on the final disc (Randy, Enemy You and The Lawrence Arms get three). However, what it lacks in diversity, it makes up for in quality.
The first two tracks are real gems from the vaults of The Vandals, a hugely influential American punk band. "Why Are You Alive" is a rather fun, tongue-in-cheek punk songs which could've been a forerunner to the pop-punk movement. Similarly fun, "Underground" is a commentary on the underground punk scene and how it can't be destroyed. It's balls-out, honest and 3:39 of pure energy. It's one of the best songs across all three discs, summing up Fat Wreck Chords punk-rock perfectly.
Bands like American Steel, MxPx and Strike Anywhere let down the final disc somewhat, just not living up to the standards of the rest of the collection (or just Disc 3). The latter does have a half-decent song in "Antidote", although the vocals stop it from being truly good. Also, the drumming sounds like someone gave a toddler bags of candy soaked in sugar then handed him some sticks. It has its moments, but really does sound hurried and disjointed.
"She Wants Me Dead" by One Man Army is an absolutely brilliant song, hilarious and energetic to the end. It's only just over 2 minutes long, but it means it doesn't drag on. It's to the point and a real quality song, and fellow One Man Army contribution "Victoria" lives up to this high standard.
Swingin' Utters and Strung Out are deserving of places on this final disc, although the former only has one decent track out of the two on this disc ("Black Mountain Rain"). Their spot on this disc could've been given to No Use For A Name's two tracks, as "Outside Life" is utterly skip-able.
Enemy You are kinda a mixed bag- "Emma", a great love song, is worthy of its place, but their other two songs certainly fall flat. Following suit, The Lawrence Arms shine with "Overheated", but "Porno and Snuff Films" and "A Toast" don't reach the same heights. Contrastingly, Randy shine on all three of their contributions; "Unite" and "Freedom Song" are two of the best songs the collection has to offer.
Overall, this collection is a stunning and fitting look at many of the best bands that make up the contemporary punk scene, and some of the best Fat Wreck Chords alumni. The fact that I've gone until now without noting that NOFX's material on here was decent but didn't stand out...well, it shows the quality of the material here. This collection is a must for anyone who considers themselves a punk-rock fan.
Monday August 16 2010
Green Day – Transmissions (2005)
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL BOOTLEG RELEASE. IT IS NOT AUTHORIZED OR APPROVED IN ANY WAY BY GREEN DAY OR THEIR MANAGEMENT.
I bought this album from a major retailer, although it is not an official release. The quality isn't great, but the track-listing is an old-school Green Day fan's wet dream. The first thirteen songs are versions of songs from Green Day's first three albums (although the only Dookie track on this section is hidden track "All By Myself", sung by Tre Cool) performed live in 1992 on WFMU Radio. The final five are from Dooke, performed at the infamous Woodstock 1994 set. From the track-list alone, I recommend this to any hardcore Green Day fan.
As I said, the sound quality isn't exceptional, but with a bootleg you should never expect anything stunning. However, the grittiness of the radio broadcast version of songs like "Welcome To Paradise", "Christy Road" and "Going To Pasalacqua" really capture the energy and mood of that era of Green Day. Also notable is Billie Joe Armstrong's vocals- at this point in the band's career, they were nearly always drugged up when they performed, and it's apparent in his vocal tone. Rather than detract from the recording though, it boosts it, as it's great to get some (relatively) decent live recordings from this period.
The set-list for the first thirteen songs is solid, with live favorites like "2000 Light Years Away" and "409 In Your Coffee Maker" being included and performed solidly. "The Judge's Daughter" performed here isn't to a great quality- it's a good song generally, but it falls a bit flat on this record, for some reason, as does "Only Of You". However, "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield" brings back the energy, although it features Billie Joe's vocals at their lowest point on this record. They sound drawn out, he sounds exhausted. It makes for a fun, interesting recording though, so I have no complaints.
Also notable are the inclusions of live versions of "Country Hoedown" (AKA "Dominated Love Slave") and "All By Myself", with drugged-up Tre singing along. They're hard to listen to though, as the quality really takes a dip here. Cool doesn't sound good at all, and the guitar's out of time. The imperfections work on other songs, but here they just fall flat and make for two poor songs, which really should've been special additions.
The final five songs are a fantastic addition to this bootleg, featuring live versions of Dookie tracks. Taken here from the Woodstock '94 set, we get (in order) "Chump", "Longview", "Basket Case", "When I Come Around" and "Burnout". The quality is a lot better here, and the band seems to be tighter. "When I Come Around", in particular, sounds great here, with a great tone on the guitar.
"Basket Case" and "Longview" are decent, but there are already live versions of these on the official Bullet In A Bible live release. Sure, there's 11 years separating the recordings, but there's nothing really noticeable to recommend these above any later ones. That said, the live recording of "Burnout" more than makes this recommendable for any Green Day fan interested in their earlier years.
Transmissions may be hard to get hold of (depending on where you live), but if you're a big Green Day fan, it's worth trying to hunt some of these songs down. The Woodstock songs are great to have in your collection, and the drugged up vocals on the '92 performances are interesting to here. This one is only for the diehard fans, and definitely worth listening to if you've forgotten how "punk" Green Day once were.
7-A-Week
Doctors recommend we eat five portions of fruit and veg every day to stay healthy. Well, now for something completely different. Try the new "Album A Day" approved "7-A-Week" course. Each week, I'll recommend one song from each album for you to sink your teeth into.
1. "The Guy Who Turned Her Down" – McFly
2. "Portrait of A Cigarette Smoker At 19" – Alkaline Trio
3. "Kill All Your Friends" – My Chemical Romance
4. "Mary Melody" – Mad Caddies
5. "Eulogy" – The Flatliners
6. "Underground" – The Vandals
7. "Burnout (live from Woodstock '94)" – Green Day
Upcoming Ideas
Here, I'll just add any ideas that have been suggested or thought of for upcoming weeks. I won't be a time frame on each one, but they will get done at some point.
-Soundtracks I (songs written for the film, non-instrumentals)
-Soundtracks II (scores)
-Soundtracks III (compilations)
-Albums released after a hiatus
Farewell
There we go, the end of Week #8 and Month #2 of Album A Day. I'm gone now for two weeks, but we'll pick up again after my vacation with Week #9. Until then, keep safe.
