15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
That rare thing..., March 9, 2000
The title of this review refers to the seldom-encountered phenomenon of the 'best of' collection that is exactly that: a perfect selection of the finest work of this cruelly unrecognised genius. If the last sentence sounds a little wordy, a little pretentious, it's intentional; Lloyd is wordy, sometimes pretentious, and that's his great charm, along with some of the most beautiful songwriting of the last twenty years. From the magnificent guitar introduction of the opening track, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken, through the tragic and hypnotising accordion-like synth of Brand New Friend, to the wrenching sadness of That Boy, these songs represent the voice of a decent soul tormented by the bittersweet tension of love and accompanying doubt. Cole is a first-rate songwriter and lyricist, and a surprisingly good guitarist and live performer. Buy this collection, then buy all the back catalogue (all superb, with one exception), and track him down so you can see him in concert before you die. Dylan meets Cohen with a touch of Reed, with a crucial difference: Lloyd can sing.
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