Customer Reviews

Best of the Alarm

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

 

 

Like many of the post-punk bands to spring up in the wake of The Clash and U2, The Alarm pounded out revolutionary anthems that boiled over with angst and purposeful sounds. The sound, early on, was all acoustic, but the songs were roaring forces with big meaty choruses. They even refered to their works as recordings of "electric folklore." "68 Guns" and "The Stand" (inspired by the Stephen King book, no less), were undeniably catchy songs, and the bands' earnestness was infectious. Problem was, they were constantly walking in the shadow of U2 (try not to think of Bono and his gang when listening to "Strength"), and the comparisons were deserved. Like Bono and the boys, the best of the Alarm's work sounded out calls to arms with a questioning conscience. The albums were frequently uneven affairs, with Mike Peters' reach often exceeding his grasp. Even with that in mind, the members of The Alarm were great musicains. Drummer Twist, bassist and songwriter Eddie McDonald and guitarist Dave Sharp combined chops and energy to make The Alarm always come across as dramatic and passionate.

It's also why this collection punches harder that just about any Alarm album. With the exception of "Strength" and "Eye Of The Hurricane," most full length Alarm's efforts were madly uneven. But all these albums were worth holding on to for the extraordinary singles. The Alarm was defiantly into big statements; just listen to how many times words like hope, faith, strength and spirit pop up in the lyrics, and also note how many of these songs are about the confrontation of authority and agonizing over the potential conforming of their young lives.

The Alarm was also a killer live band. I saw them play a NYC gig on the "Change" tour, and they had a crowd lustily singing every song and pumping their fists in the air with abandon. Neil Young joined them onstage for an encore of "Rocking In The Free World" and everyone left that club soaked in feverish sweat. They were that convincing. "Standards," when blasting at full volume, will remind you about just how moving anthemic rock can be, and just how easily a great song can sweep you off to another plateau.

Recommended to fans of Big Country, Simple Minds, The Call and (naturally) U2.

I cannot believe that none of the reviews yet have commented on the audio upgrade here! I'm probably in the minority here, but if a collection has brilliant sound that stands above the rest, I'm more inclined to give it a favorable review even if the tracklisting has some flaws. Some fans are complaining about the use of edits here, but I'm actually happy to have them here since these are often the versions heard on the radio and included on the singles. If I want album versions, I listen to the albums. Keep in mind, as well, that this 2006 Capitol/EMI release clocks in at over 76 minutes of playing time with a total of 21 tracks. Perhaps another 3-minute track could have been squeezed in and yes, a number of singles are missing. Yet, how many compilations include such a generous tracklisting?

Prior to this collection I was quite unfamiliar with much of The Alarm's back catalogue. In fact, I only recognized a few songs here and there from the tracklisting -- that is, until I actually heard the songs. I discovered a number of gems that I had completely overlooked or had only heard a couple of times as a child. While I cannot comment on every track here and argue over tracks included versus those not included I can comment that the collection as a whole works very well, highlighting a number of the band's single and b-side material from 1983 - 2006.

The 24-bit remastering by Robert Vosgien @ Capitol Mastering Studios is the main reason I bought this release. It is brilliant! In fact, I wasn't going to buy this release until I saw Vosgien's name listed in the credits on an online site. The drums are loud, punchy, and crisp. The guitars and vocals are clean and soar. It's really a joy hearing these classics in this new sonic dimension, most of them for the very first time! Did I mention how wonderful "The Stand" sounds here? So much punch has been brought out of this classic single. The same holds true all across the board, with the most notable differences being the early tracks of course.

The surprise track here for me is the band's live rendition of Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door", which is, in my opinion, the best cover of this classic single. Most surprising to me, however, is the remastering punch! I cannot believe how brilliant this sounds for a live recording pulled from 1985. I swear that the drums are as crisp as any live recording of today. Originally released as the b-side to 'Spirit of '76', this live cut is probably my favorite track on the disc and a fine example of an amazing live band, a band which sounds as good in concert as in the studio.

Highly recommended!

Unfortunately, this collection suffers from the same ailment as a lot of "best of" compilations -- atrocious editing. Great tunes such as "Rain in the Summertime" and "Sold Me Down the River" are so hacked up it's hard to enjoy them at all. The latter in particular is reduced to a fade-out ending instead of the hammering guitar chord that closed out the original recording. If you really like The Alarm, caveat emptor! Personally, I'm going to go find the original CDs of the albums and trade this thing in at my local music store.

This is a terrific album from a band that many Americans have never heard of. Great lyrics, stirring guitars, and passion are served up in equal measure by Mike Peters and co. A great buy for seasoned fan and Alarm newbie alike!

In many ways, the 80s were a singles era. While it's true that great albums were being produced by people like U2, Springsteen, Jackson, Costello, et al, a lot of the great songs of the 80s came from short-lived bands that pumped out a few albums with a few great songs on each. The Alarm, as good as their album output may have been, never made much of a splash in the US, and therefore, the best way to remember them for the fan of the 80s is via this collection.

In an early profile, Rolling Stone called them 'like the Clash, but with acoustic guitars'. That's true, to some extent. There's definitely a Clash influence on tunes like the anthem "Sixty-Eight Guns." But other influences abound as well--Springsteen on "Spirit of 76," Stephen King on "The Stand," and so on. They also carve out their own sound on my own personal favorite Alarm song, "Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?"

But the Alarm isn't some cheap pastiche of 80's rock and new wave. Mike Peters and company put together a stew of the above influences, a very distinct lyrical style, and cap it all off with that distinctive 80's production sheen--big drums, echo-y background vocals, and a remarkable sincerity and earnestness that's often lacking in today's music.

These songs serve as a great reminder of what was good about 80's music--the best bands could carve out a niche for themselves, remaining distinct while staying within the 'sound' of the era. These are big songs, friends. Big anthems, big vocals, big meaning. Other highlights on this collection include "One Step Closer to Home" and "A New South Wales."

It's true that a lot of these songs are represented by the 'single version' or the 'radio edit', but that shouldn't discourage anyone but the hardcore fan, who should have all or most of these tracks already. Here's a way to remember the few Alarm tracks you heard on MTV or college radio, and be introduced to a solid selection of their other music.

Well worth your time.

I'll be precise and to the point - "WHERE IN THE HELL IS 'DEVOLUTION WORKING MAN BLUES' ???????? apparently not on this cd !!!


foxwell