Title: a pale reflection
Review: Bypassing the Banshees' punk roots, this revisionist collection does little credit to London's avatars of the agony of ecstasy. Eleven of disc one's tracks were previously compiled on ONCE UPON A TIME and TWICE UPON A TIME. The so-called 'new' song "Dizzy" is an alternate version of a single sold on their 2002 tour. The selections skirt the Banshees' primal premiere, THE SCREAM, the underrated follow-up, JOIN HANDS, and 1982's delirious A KISS IN THE DREAMHOUSE. The 1978 pop hit "Hong Kong Garden" is the only (and highly uncharacteristic) evidence of the early, pre-Budgie lineup. Superb sound underscores the urgency of the need for a remastered Banshees back catalog. Why disc two is padded with remixes is a mystery, as there are dozens of original B-side songs that never been issued on CD.
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