Customer Reviews

Accumulation: None

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are like me and have the complete Smog catalog, then this is a nice compilation of some earlier hard to find material. If some one were to come to me and ask me what Smog album to get first I would point them to 'Red Apple Falls' or the 'Kicking A Couple Around' EP. For die hard fans of Smog, this album has it all: the depressing songs, the dry humor, and the powerful song writing that keeps you coming back for multiple listens.

A great resource for Smog fans, although there is supposedly much more that could have been included. While diehard fans will continue to salivate for a fuller B-sides collection (Accumulation: None offers just a dozen songs), the title may be an obscure comment on the world of B-sides. "Real Live Dress" is just wierd, and all Smog "My anaconda don't want none, unless you got buns, hun/ Baby's got back/ I like big buns" Callahan intones over a dirge-like guitar. While Smog fans will find everything here to be of interest, the more fully realized songs are the better, thus "Came Blue" holds more interest, utlimately, than the tape-looped "Astronaut," and "I Break Horses" holds up better than "Floating." All in all, this collection is evidence both of the depth of Callahan's catalog and of his one-of-a-kind deadpan style. Contains the whole of the Cold Blooded Old Times single, among the best of Smog's detritus, from which both "Chosen One" and "I Break Horses" come, although the inclusion of the acoustic version of "Cold Blooded Old Times" is questionable, as it varies little from the album version. Of course the defining moment here is "A Hit," which tells you everything you need to know about Callahan's ethic: "It's not gonna be a hit/ so why even bother with it?/ just lay it down and forget about it."

I am not a exactly a die hard smog fan; I own about five of his albums, and some i really love while others i more appreciate simply for what he's trying to do, although some songs/albumskindof fail for me (supper is not an album that really does it for me but it contains one of my favorite songs, "feather to feather"). although this is not an album, it is one of my favorites. i can say that the one song, white ribbon, released nowhere else is my favorite smog song. it's amazing and i should say nothing else besides the fact that bill really crystallizes kind of who he is as an artist in this song-the song is really a great experience, he hits truth over the head. the other crazy thing about this compilation is that i love every song-i don't know if i can say that about his official albums i love, though the doctor.., a river.., and knock knock.. are pretty amazing. so hearing that most of these songs are rare releases kind of surprises me, but i can say that chosen one is from the album julius caesar which i've never heard but it's a great song. i don't think this is an album for diehard fans at all-i think it was intended as much of an objective overall view of smog's output as he could attempt doing. anyway, i highly recommend it. it's always felt like a greatest hits kind of thing for me simply because every song is amazing but they aren't cohesivally together like his albums.

I don't own any other Smog albums. I discovered the song "A Hit" (listed as "Hit") on a 7-inch record while DJ-ing at a college station in the mid-90's. The song is a cynical take on succeeding in music "Its not gonna be a hit...so why even bother....with it?" I love the fuzzed out guitar, and the sweet melodic picking that peppers the transitions in the song. To me, it captures an essential sound that transports me through time, and has an emotional impact (on me at least) that few songs have. "A Hit" has haunted me all these years, but I really had no idea about Smog's other music.

As it turns out, the song I like seems to be the exception to all of Smog's other releases. I think its the only song on here with drums. The other selections aren't bad songs, but they are relatively comatose samplings of Callahan and his guitar. They do come off as being a little self-indulgent due to their slowness and lack of accompaniment.

This album is basically a compilation of imported 7 inches / CD singles from the past decade plus some BBC tracks and a new song. I'm torn on this album. The new song 'White Ribbon' doesn't do anything for me. But, 'Wine Stained Lips' makes the whole purchase worthwhile. With lines like 'some people shouldn't drink wine at parties / some people shouldn't have woke up this morning' it's hard not to chuckle a little. 'Chosen One' is another classic Smog song. Then you have 'Just Like Napoleon', which sounds like a bad high school metal band with a pasty white boy talking really fast about something he heard during his History period earlier in the day.

I guess my main problem is the questionable song selections and sequencing. Here are some b-sides that I think would have fit better, or could should have been tacked on:

Grey & Castles
Be Hit
Duckpond Blues
37 Push-Ups

But that's just me. I'm glad Drag City released something, although a bit incomplete and inconsistent. For the people new to the world of Smog, I would have to say go with 'Kicking a Couple Around' or 'Doctor Came at Dawn' and come back to this later. There's nothing wrong with this, it just sounds a bit bipolar.