I must admit I had some prejudices towards this release. After purchasing the
13 Most Beautiful... Songs for Andy Warhol Screen Tests DVD (and seeing the live show) I didn't like the idea of a release independent of the visuals.
For those not in the know it was a project curated by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh: come up with music to accompany 13 of Warhol's legendary screen tests. The results are pretty remarkable. The live show, that they frequently still perform, is mesmerizing and the DVD is a real labor of love with an outstanding hard cover booklet with essays from Dean and the museum curators outlining the process in great detail.
So why did I have some bias towards this CD release? The visuals and music work so well together; I disliked the idea of them being separated. Also, some obscure Luna (the band Dean & Britta previously played in) tunes are recycled - I just tend to dislike the practice of this.
Having said all that, this release is a favorite of mine; it's outstanding. The music really stands on its own and I have to say releasing this batch of songs separately was a good idea. Channeling a more mellow Velvet Underground with some modern overtones? If I must describe the music with what came before (most musicians hate this, but it's hard not to do) I think this description is well suited.
It's a 2 disc set with a handful of songs remixed. My favorites being It Don't Rain in Beverly Hills and International Velvet Theme; such beautiful songs! A whole release that equals the sum of its parts. Forgive me as I fail the clever writing exam here...
Goes without saying if you are a fan of The Velvet Underground, Dean & Britta, Luna, thoughtful guitar music with some melodic glitch, etc. you are going to dig this. Check it out.