Indie Pop New Wave Music

This is a really good album with artists doing Gram Parsons' work better than he could do it himself. Not that Gram Parsons was a bad performer --but the diversity of talent performing this material is truly outstanding. OK....it's not for the purists but it will appeal to those who really like Gram Parson's music and it is a fitting tribute to an artist who was lost before his full potential was realized.

This album is very good cosmic country rock. The originals are classics, but this album respectfully covers them and even adds to some. This tribute has some outstanding tracks. Whiskeytown, and Ryan Adams, carry on the tradition of Gram more than anyone would imagine such a young, precocious, yet talented songwriter could do. Evan Dando and Juliana singing $1000 wedding is priceless! Buy it! It has been in heavy rotation for years.

You know an album is good when people disagree so vastly on the best part. For me, it was The Mavericks and Raul Malo's soulful tenor that got me (maybe because I've long felt they were the best band to two step to). My mother was taken by Ohh Las Vegas and had all kinds of questions about the Cowboy Junkies. The album filled the house and set the tone for a weekend (along with homemade biscuits). Highly recommended to anyone who likes soulful rock or country. Strangely, I found myself singing Willie, Waylon, & Me when we left the house. Hey.

The Cowboy Junkies are so great on this, they manage to make `Ooh Las Vegas' sound good. Sometimes a song strikes me as not being very good musically. I did not like the original version of Warrens Zevon's song `Ain't That Pretty At All.' When I heard him do it live, it sounded better. Having a tribute for Gram Parsons is like taking Warren Zevon back to Paris with a whole gang of people who want to go to the Louvre Museum, get a good running start, and hurl themselves against the wall, because we would all rather feel bad than not feel anything at all. The big irony for me is that I never wrote a review for this CD before. I've had Emmylou Harris's version of five of these 13 songs since I bought her 1990 `Duets' CD, and I even have the 3-CD box set, `Emmylou Harris Portraits' (1996), which has five Gram Parsons songs plus the trio's version of an old hymn, `Farther Along,' which Gram Parsons probably sang with the Byrds on the `Sweetheart of the Rodeo' album. Only in 2006 did I make an effort to find out more about him and get most of his songs.

Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris jointly get credit for writing the song `In My Hour of Darkness,' which is nicely placed as the last song on this CD. It has three verses, with a tragedy about a young man and a deadly Denver bend in verse one, another young man safely strumming his silver-stringed guitar in verse two, and an old man, kind and wise with age in verse three. People ought to listen to this one like "He read me just like a book, and he never missed a page."

The guiding hand of Emmylou Harris is in evidence on this fine tribute album to Gram Parsons ,an influential country rock icon who is held in awe by proponents of that genre .He left an indelible stamp on the genre ,from his first group of note ,The International Submarine Band through his stint with te Byrds ,and the Flying Burrito Brothers and culminating in his solo career .On both of his fine solo albums he duetted with the then relatively unknown Emmylou Harris who ,on relaunching her own solo career in 1973 used many of the musicians who played on the Parsons solo albums .She made no bones about the influence of Parsons on her own life and work and she is very much involved with this 1999 tribute album .She sings on 3 of its tracks and oversaw the project as Executive Producer

What does leap out of the album is the excellence of Parsons as a songwriter ,something often overlooked when people discuss his influence on music --the man left a legacy of good songs many of which are featured on this album
Two of the featured songs are from the Byrds period .Wilco despatch "One Hundred Years From Now "with some verve and panache ,although no great subtlety and there is a quite stunning version of "Hickory Wind "by Gillian West,one which captures the longing and melancholy with which the song is suffused .Its an album highlight .
The Burrito Brothers period is represented by a number of cuts .There is Sin City" done here in a duet between Harris and Beck which stands comparison with the seminal original ,but the same cannot be said of the version of Hot Burrito Number 1 by the Mavericks -its good but rather skates on the surface of the song .Emmylou returns ,duetting with the divine Sheryl Crow on Juanita ,whose key line "a bottle of wine and some pills on the shelf" seems to stand in some ways for the fatal problems in its author's hedonistic lifestyle
From the "Burrito de Luxe "album we get "High Fashion Queen" in a version by co-author Chris Hillman and Steve Earle which is good if not outstanding ,and also from the 1976 album " Sleepless Nights " we hear an Elvis Costello version of the title track .This benefits from a committd vocal and a deft arrangement making dexterous use of the vocalist's skills on piano ,vibraphone and celeste .

Then ,the solo albums .From "GP"there is a strong album opener ,She by The Pretenders and Emmylou Harris ,and the beautiful ,mournful A Song For You performed exquisitely by Whiskeytown .There are 4 songs from the second solo album "Grievous Angel",.Unfortunately one cut features current music's biggest waste of space and studio time the useless Cowboy Junkies whose anaemic crawl through Ooh Las Vegas is soporific beyond belief .However relief is at hand with the Julianna Hatfield -Evan Dando duet on $1000 Dollar Wedding (excellent) and the Lucinda Williams -David Crosby take on ,what for my money is Parson's finest song "Return of the Grievous Angel,
Completing the songs from the second solo album is In My Hour of Darkness performed by an alternative country "supergroup"=consisting of Buddy and Julie Miller,Jim Lauderdale and Mark Olsen (formerly of the Jayhawks)

I regret the lack of songs from the International Submarine Band era but overall this is a fine tribute to a key rock figure and one that should be in the collection of lovers of alternative country and country rock

Holy-crap this album is awesome! I mean, how in the world did it happen? How was a show as great as this ever assembled? Frank Black, the Breeders, Cindy Lauper, The Polyphonic Spree and Yoko Ono, just scratch the tip of this tributary ice-berg. Each song on the disc is a loving recreation from the original play/movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch (which is also kinda too amazing for words...)done in the artist's respective styles leaving an eclectic yet truly rock-gasmic experience; and who knew Cindy could still belt it out like that, she puts supernatural demon-banshees to shame.

Wig in a Box

I saw a documentary on cable about this CD benefit project for a school. I really enjoyed the music and put my order in. The tops on this CD is "Wig in a Box" performed by The Polyphonic Spree. It is an upbeat, uplifting, slightly silly, what-the-heck, pop tune that gets into your brain and makes you sing along. At the least you will smile while you listen. Another plus is the raucous rock of "Sugar Daddy" performed by Frank Black. Lots of off beat stuff and some big named musical talents like Cyndi Lauper contribute. No matter what your musical tastes you will probably find something on this CD to rip an MP3 and put on your player.

As an old Breeders fan, I am completely blown away at their cover of "wicked little town". One of the best songs I've heard in such a long time. Play it over & over - the harmonies are hauntingly beautiful.

no it's not a perfect CD, but as it was a benefit for the Harvey Milk School in NYC for gay/lesbian/transgender and other in-need students, it's worth getting it regardless. I just saw the "Follow my Voice" documentary about the making of this CD and the school. It was very moving and interesting to learn about these kids who can really thrive when they get out of the unsafe environments they have at home or in their old schools because of their orientation. Please support this worthwhile program.

Yeah, the rumours are true. Hate to say it, since I'm such a huge Hedwig freak. So much that I'll admit to playing the 85-minute "making of" DVD feature in the mornings as I wake up to get me going... And yet... yeah, there's sadly no soul in this CD. I wish it weren't true, but it is. Just mail $10 to Harvey Milk School and buy the sheet music to play yourself. If you'd like to buy it because you MUST own everything Hedwig, go ahead. If you're looking for good music, just stick with the original soundtracks.
I mean come on! Even "They Might Be Giants" was boring on this album.

if you were around then, and hanging out after the band played at the parties where the people you knew who worked at the local record store could import the newest 45/s showed up, this is what you heard. the pistols absence is a bit irrelevant. yeah we listened to them, but not all that much of the time.

Some interesting comments on which bands are not punk (Elvis C) and which bands are missing (Velvet Underground).

I listened to all of the bands and saw most of the bands between '77 and '80 in England. Elvis C was a significant part of the scene then. Velvet Undgerground was around but did not hold much interest for us then.

This collection gives a great taste of what was happening. To make it even more enjoyable, listen to a live version of any Yes song, wake up and then rattle through this collection. That is what we lived through!

Bit of controversy about the worth of this box set, which seems about right given the subject matter. But I think it's okay for a 4CD overview, which can only be fairly shallow and a bit random, no matter how thoughtfully compiled. If you got really serious, for example, you'd need a full CD, or at least a solid half of one, just devoted to Australian bands. I mean, for starters, no Birthday Party? Huh? In fact The Saints are the only inclusion, with their most routinely anthologised track and all. But of course by then you're looking at ten or twelve CDs in a box costing several hundred dollars, which might be overkill.

And what is punk music anyway? If you mean what "punks" actually listened to at home, which Rhino sort of seems to (e.g. Devo, Cure), then including no ska-dub-reggae seriously misrepresents the era, too. But hey, Cherry Bomb and Another Girl Another Planet and Roadrunner and Chinese Rocks all made the cut, so I'm happy. What's there is pretty good. It's a decent blast from the past, and it certainly brings back the time for me, weird though it was. Even the bad and pointless stuff is acceptably representative.

It would also, I think, make an excellent one-stop-shop introduction for someone born in the 1980s or 90s, because of rather than despite it's scattershot and sometimes unsatisfactory nature. Punk was a glorious, disjointed, and genuinely absurd mess from go to whoa, and no one really knew what it was about even while it was happening, so in a sense this collection is VERY faithful. (Ending the set with Love Will Tear Us Apart is perfect in so many ways.)

But then I'm probably in one of Rhino's target demographics, i.e. middle-aged baldheads with ruined livers who miss hearing some of the songs, but don't particularly want to devote what's left of their lives (no future really starting to kick in at this point) to collecting them all over again.

(But ignoring the Pistols and PIL must just be a legal issue, surely? Or else, yeah, too insane.)

I'll keep this short.

PROS:
- Great packaging and booklet
- A lot of great songs
- Some not so obvious selections (both bands and songs)
- Wire's "Mannequin"
- The large box has the four CDs in their own individual cases, so you won't have to lug around a cumbersome box.


CONS:
- $65.00? Are you joking?
- It would have been better if each band only got one song.
- The Dils are on it. The Dils suck. You just try to listen to "Mr. Big" and not feel stupid.
- A lot of the songs are very obvious choices.


At the moment I'm typing this, the used price is just under $35. That's a good price for this compilation. Keep in mind though, that this is best for people who are getting into the music and not those of us who are familiar. I know that I own, or did at one point, own a large portion of this.

The one thing Rhino Records did get from the Sex Pistols (Johnny Rotten/Lydon) was the name of this box set. The way I heard it (from a music insider) is that Rhino wanted to include the Sex Pistols but when Johnny Rotten/Lydon was asked about the inclusion of a song, His reply was simply "NO THANKS!" So don't blame Rhino, they did a great job! On the other hand, Johnny, you are just rotten!!!!!!!!!

Where is 'Ink and Paper' and 'Hands Across the Sea'. They were both videos from the MTV days. Still waiting for a Greatest hits with songs from Stop Start. Or better yet re-release Stop Start. Songs represented are darker than you would expect from Modern English.

Notorious for the single "I Melt with You", Modern English produce a dark brand of pop that is also dark. Like the other reviews claim, this is one of the most highly under-rated bands. If you like Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Dada Pogrom or Gary Numan then you will enjoy this album. There is a lot of similarity with The High Dials in a strange but curious way. The melodies with get you up on the dance floor. Listen and see.

Modern English are certainly deserving of a decent Best Of, but this one featuring songs from their 4AD years is just one big question mark. The darker, harsher debut MESH AND LACE gets far too much coverage here and their best two albums -- AFTER THE SNOW and RICOCHET DAYS -- are weakly represented. For starters, why on earth someone would omit "Someone's Calling" and "Hands Across the Sea" is absolutely beyond me -- two of their quintessential songs. I almost get the impression that this one was compiled by a fan of their earlier "goth" sound who almost begrudgingly (and smugly?) includes the smash "I Melt With You", sandwiched inappropriately between MESH AND LACE material.

It would be nice to see material from STOP START ("Ink and Paper" was a great song) and possibly even PILLOW LIPS included in a truly comprehensive compilation, because this one widely misses the mark by purporting to be a "Best Of".

Modern English have always been much more than just "I Melt With You". In fact I would put several of these songs on this disc up against it. Will people who simply know them through Valley Girl be put off by the darker more experimental songs like "Gathering Dust" or "Sixteen Days"? Quite possibly, but then they'd really be missing the point of what Modern English were trying to get across. I agree songs like "Someone's Calling" or "Hands Across the Sea" should have been included, but overall I think this compilation really represents what Modern English were about, and really gets at the sound they were trying to convey. It's also a bonus that they didn't include material from any of the albums after Ricochet Days. The lineup had changed and they lost their direction, though having just seen them live, they seem to be back on track and the new material played was quite good, albeit with only 2 original members.

I AM SO FRUSTRATED WHEN I BOUGHT AND LISTENED TO THIS CD! I THOUGHT ALL THE BEAT IN EACH TRACK WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE BEAT OF "MELT WITH YOU". I TELL YOU IT'S NOT. PLEASE DONT BUY THIS CD! THIS IS A BIG RIFF OFF!

I bought this CD for the first song on it, which had been playing on my TV music channel. It is a beautiful melody which stops you in your tracks. The rest of the album is just as good, although I wish the Iroquois words were translated in the album notes. Very soothing and relaxing.

The sweet blending of Joan Shenadoah's voice with and the Iroquois language sends you into a different place of meditation. Wonderful and my cats love it.

I have this tape. I came across it in used music store and it had never been opened. I took a chance and now Joann Shenandoah is one of my favorites. Matriarch brings out feelings of being in nature when I hear it. I feel present at sunrise or joyful with the evening song of the birds. Most of the music is accapela with the voices of her daughter and other women of her clan. The words are in Iroquios. This is different than anything else I have in my music collection. It is soothing.

It is truly wonderful that the tradition of honoring women is continuing. Joanne again honors her mother Maisie and others who have impacted her life. A wonderful example of how we must honor and respect women as they are the ones who bring us life.

From the moment that I first listened to this CD, I was hooked. The songs (all of them) carry a voice of wisdom within them that makes you want to sing along and at times get up and dance. By far the absolute best of Shenandoah as far as I am concerned. The most beautiful Native American womens voices there are.

I am apparently one of the few people who doesn't think that DANSE MACABRE is the be-all and end-all of Faint albums. It was good. Hell, it was great, but WET FROM BIRTH outshined it. And FASCIINATIION raised the bar again. Now, maybe I just love the electronica pop more than others, but the Faint's music has gotten progressively specific and approachable as the years go by. I've always loved their lyrics, and this album passes with flying colors on that mark. Musically, things are less muddied than in previous albums, and are intricately well-layered. The only reason this doesn't get five stars is "I Treat You Wrong" and "Fulcrum and Lever" are, while great, skippable compared to the genius "Seduced," "Geeks," "Machine," Psycho" and "Centipedes."

I'm sorry but this is a great album. It should be a no brainer if you are a fan of The Faint. If you are stuck in these notions of what The Faint "should" be then I urge you to open your mind and be more accepting evolutionary artistic expression. I love how The Faint is experimenting at so many levels while still preserving the essence of what makes them special. The synth work is incredible on this album. Their live show is awesome also BTW.

Took a couple of listens to really appreciate this new release. Better than the last CD. Some really excellent songs. Can't recommend it enough!

I own the rest of The Faint's releases, and I don't think this quite stacks up. I agree with the reviewer who said that it is a letdown. It just doesn't have the same whateveritis that grabs you from their other releases. It's not a bad album by any means - still better than a lot of stuff out there - but it just doesn't live up to the expectations set by their previous work.

At first listen, I was not impressed with this album. It seemed to me like Todd Fink and crew "dumbed down" the album after their amazing Wet From Birth. But over the weeks I kept finding myself listening to Fasciinatiion. It finally occurred to me that the album isn't dumbed down at all, if anything its much more technical. Gone are the sweeping string sections from Wet From Birth and in are catchy bleeps blips and bloops to keep dragging you in for more. One thing that makes The Faint so great is that are able to do so much with their music, while retaining their signature sound. This is definitely a new direction for the band, and it should be, as they parted from Saddle Creek and their old studio to branch out on their own with blank.wav records and a brand new home to record.

I had to bring myself to the conclusion that I do, shockingly, enjoy This Island. The record is essentially flawed in more than one way, but nevertheless I love it almost to its core. It's poppy, catchy, accessible for the most part and it can be considered easy listening. The more they push on their political pop agenda, the more biased I get. I was ready to tolerate the rant of "Seconds", the playful "Don't Drink Poison" and even the pro-peace speeches of "New Kicks" (I suddenly found myself yelling "no blood for oil!").

The record starts with "On The Verge", which pushes all my buttons for its fuzzed-out guitars and semi-syncopated beats. Le Tigre have never sounded this fun on a record, and this being their major label debut, they made sure to place their best material on it. Each Le Tigrian gets to sing (check them out in the absolute standout "Nanny Nanny Boo Boo" where they shift from one to another): Hanna flips from tuneless yelling ("Seconds") to tuneful singing ("Tell You Now"), JD Samson is something of a flirtatious, whimsical one ("You'll never get it/I guess this s**t is too new") and Johanna Fateman does a good job of keeping up with them.

It's their dancefloor and they have the jams for it ("TKO" blasts in with its almost cheerleading chorus). They hardly got any plays on the radio and they're still pretty much glued to their indie roots, but the surround sound of Island brings them to new heights. On the other hand, they seem tame from the lyrical aspect when compared to their older records. But it seems only natural because the music is what you should focus on this time around. The pop accessibility of the record makes up for its flaws. Seriously, so many sound textures are crammed in these thirteen songs, plus, they do everything from dance-punk ("Punker Plus") to quasi-lounge ("Sixteen") and for the third time in a row, they're enjoying themselves. Luckily for us, they're not the only ones.

This album causes quite a bit of a stir with die hard Le Tigre fans who thought Le Tigre had lost their feminist edge and thought the production was too glossy. Miss Hannah has said the reason the sound was the way it was on earlier albums is because they didn't have the equipment to gloss up thier songs, believe me, I know how that feels.

Still, the first Le Tigre albums are brilliant but for me, this one is just as good. In fact, this is the one that gets the most play - call me a glossy production whore I guess but I like it. I think This Island still has the power and punch that make Le Tigre who they are.

"TKO" rocks, and every time I hear it, I just get up and punch the closest person to me - just kidding, but I do get up and jam. A crazy and very inspired cover of the Pointer Sister's "I'm So Excited" works well right along with the sometimes witty, sometimes bitchy themes the band has to offer. I can't believe this album is years old now, but I can tell you it still gets plenty of rotation on my spinners.

If you are a fan of Le Tigre, you'll this latest edition of their off-beat style of music. I originaly fell in love with the band while watching the movie "Better Luck Tomorrow." Their song "Let's Run" is what originally drew me to the band. A nice alternative to most of the drab music on the radio.

Seriously, I almost didn't buy this because of the cover. The music is alot of fun, but the cover...not so fun.

Very weak effort; Hanna and company are too caught up in fetishizing the sounds/styles of bygone eras rather than writing solid songs. Didn't think it was danceable/catchy either.

Skip it.

This c-d was very badly scratched. I could not listen to songs 7-11. I tried contacting the owner about a refund. They never responded. Terrible!

Elastica was considered a britpop band, but miles ahead of junk like Oasis and Blur. Elastica won't change your life, nor is it a groundbreaking record. But the almost all-girl band plays a great blend of catchy, edgy, pop rock with a hard edge to it.

Justine Frischmann and Donna Matthews add the right vocals, and they never sound as forced as that annoying Kathleen Hannah and Courtney Love, who, when trying to do rock, fail miserably. I really don't know how the band is able to put a metallic edge and sing pop vocals on top, but they do it. A couple of complaints would be the very bland choruses/harmonies (the horrible S.O.F.T. is full of them) that can pop out from time to time, but there's less of that. You'll want to sing along.

The band themselves can rock out for the best of them. Once again, it's amazing how they can have hard rock and pop vocals on top, but it happened. It's the chemistry, probably. The guitar riffs are tasty pretty much, but the bass and drums really have their chances to shine, or at least display a stellar use of addictive, dancable goodness. And those bass tones are thick and hearty, you could ________ eat that gun-up on Line Up. Metallic pop-punk-rock has never sound so good.

Elastica were often accused of being a rip off of the band Wire (they were sued by the band), but Elastica has enough twists to be there own. Then again, I've never heard Wire, so what do I care? Elastica is a bit deriative (The Indian Song=The Beatles influence), but a good pop song is a good pop song, and Elastica deliver plenty of them.

7/10

OK, I've always loved this album, but it too went missing...then I thought, oh jeez, this album is 13 years old!!! I recently got the 4CD "Brit Box", and "Stutter" is on it, Elastica's representation...and it still retained its snap, crackle & pop...but I had the urge to hear "Connection" again, and the whole album really...I wanted to see if it still held up...I just found a good used copy, so I bought it, popped it on, and it all came flooding back.

Really effing great, and the type of lightning-in-a-bottle magic, where everything came together...songwise, stylewise, hitwise (this album had like 6 hit singles??!!??), just once...then the Stone Roses curse set in, where they couldn't follow it up perfectly and much too late, 2001's "The Menace", while decent and even enjoyable, but Justine and co's moment had come and gone...the Roses were delayed by a record company lawsuit...Elastica were delayed by Justine's perfectionism, and bandmembers defecting.

Now that the air is cleared up, and this album entered the realm of nostagia, I recall that while on Geffen and Infectious UK (I think that's their indie label in Britain??), they released a TON of B-sides and BBC sessions. Now that Geffen and Universal releases these 2CD deluxe packages...there's one out shortly on Beck's groundbreaking "Odelay", and there were 3 on Sonic Youth...it would be a GREAT idea (hint hint) for the label to reissue this landmark album, remastered and freshened up for this generation as well as 90s kids and 70s/80s punk/new wave kids...with ALL their great B-sides and more in one tidy, compact place...dontcha think??? Maybe include some songs that were scrapped and intended for a possible Geffen followup????

Just a thought...loving this album all over again...oh joy!!!

i had this cd years ago...and somewhere along the way it went missing so i had to have a replacement. Now that i listen to it again, i remember why it was so great. there are so many bands out there now (yes, that i can admit that i enjoy) that have a similar sounds (a la the sounds). enjoyable, fun, and a classic

I've been trying this experiment lately. It all started when I heard a song on an episode of [...] As Folk that I absolutely loved and played endlessly. Suddenly, I was swept up in nostalgia, and I was recalling my Sophomore year of university in waves and waves of emotions, sounds and smells and memories that I didn't even know I had. So, I went further into this experiment and began dragging out old mixes and albums.

Here I found Elastica. Sigh. I was about 13, it was my Freshman year of high school. There was this girl on the bus that I knew because we had been riding the same route for a few years. One day, I hear her humming "Car Lover" and I began singing along to it. We became fast friends.

This is playing in my car right now. "Stutter", "Hold Me Now", "Annie", and of course "Hold Me Now" neatly sum up this album for me. I recommended it highly.

I don't know what it is about surf CD's. When we go to Hawaii we always rent a house right on the ocean and we sleep to the sounds of the surf all night. For some reason, any CD of the surf we've bought gets after your nerves after about five minutes and is no longer relaxing. It's almost as if they record a minute or two of surf and just keep repeating it over and over. This one was better than most, but it still annoys us after a while.

Like you are right there ! Surround sound is great hearing the waves roll across the room !

Had previous cassette tape of surf sounds and needed same on a CD. Great for relaxing pre-sleep after stressfuls days (hurricane,economy,etc.)

I bought this for my kids something to go with quiet time ...it's very relaxing. Recording seems so real as if I am actually on the beach...Served the purpose of relaxation.

Great Cd for relaxation. Soft, repetitive surf sounds and wave action, no blaring foghorns.

this is probably one of my top fav albums. it's upbeat, but a tad morose. great lyrics, great rhythem. there is not a single song that i ever fastforward passed because i don't like it, and several that i can't help but to put on repeat, such as C'mere. like it better than the first. awesome!

Even though Interpol's 2001 release, "Turn On the Bright Lights," was brilliant, it had some of the most grating and cruel lyrics I'd ever heard. It's hard to listen to a song about a friend who likes to carve people up, or an outcast girl who was the Paul Bank's catatonic sex toy (weird).

Thankfully, Interpol always has room to improve, and their second album is a wonder. "Antics" is one of the most memorable albums of the decade, featuring excellent songs of love for girls who just haven't been looking in Bank's direction. Since Interpol's sound is based on the dark band Joy Division, there are many, many dark songs about sex and public prostitutes, such as "NARC" and "Take You On a Cruise." And Banks' need for vengeance against the hollow romance of unfaithful lovers really shines in the upbeat neo-punk song "Slow Hands." He really shows his insight with lyrics of anger against pole dancers, such as "We slow hands/killer for hire/you know not yourself." While it's not the biggest show of angst, especially in comparison to Nirvana, Banks' lyrics are much more interesting in this album than "Turn On the Bright Lights."

More importantly, Interpol is also showing a more political side in their songs, especially with the song "Not Even Jail." The drums really plod on a cool disco beat surrounded by deafening guitars, as Banks sings about criminals who make promises not to do wrong in the face of the uncompromising police.

Most notable, however, is Interpol's first switch to try to write songs about healthier love relationships. "C'mere" is one of the most beautiful and upbeat neo-punk rock songs about love. There's something romantic about Banks' when he sings "It's way too late to be this locked inside ourselves/The trouble is that you're in love with someone else/It should be me/Oh, it should be me".

And Interpol is starting to show insight in their analysis of failed love. Banks' last song, "A Time To Be So Small," is a song about girls who long for parents who died. Perhaps Interpol really wants to tell people to seek to find more realistic relationships with this album. Their craftsmanship is improving steadily, and this album proves that they are one of the more intriguing New York bands around.

Listen all the way through 3 times and you will not be able to figure out what song is your favorite. This is a timeless recording. It is hard to believe that Interpol is not more popular.

It's been a month now since I purchased this album and I haven't been able to stop listening to it.. it's amazing! Love the guitar sounds and I adore Paul Banks' voice... the remixes are great, although Banks' remix is a bit slow and it fogs up the song...the videos are great also... Any true fan of Interpol would LOVE this album!

I'm so glad this album was released.The remixes put a whole new spin on the original tracks of Antics. And the entire original antics album is on there, and i cannot stop listeing to it. My favorie remix is Public Pervert (Carlos D Remix).
But the real reason this albumis great is Song Seven. I had no idea that Song Seven existed when i bought this album, and it turns out to be one of the best songs I've evr heard. The great guitar chords and unique lyrics make this song incredible. If you like Interpol, you'll love the Special Edition, and especially Song Seven.