Customer Reviews

Death Club: Best of Rozz Williams 1981-1993

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First, the CD. Yes, it's a "best of " of sorts and not a bad one at that. There are some tracks that are rare and hard to find which gives it some credibility. I would suggest this more for the collector than the first time fan. Only Theatre Of Pain is THE album. It stands not only as the best Christian Death album but one of the best albums of all time. If you don't know Christian Death, and you want to, start there.

The DVD. The fact that you get a DVD with the CD for about $17 is a great deal. The interview with Rikk is cool, the two or three songs they did on some public access station actually sounds really good while the video quality, as can be expected, is poor but can be overlooked. The 1990 reunion show in Phoenix is, well, ok. It's great to see the band playing all of Theatre Of Pain and a couple extra tracks as well. However, the club is really small, the sound is so-so and the fact is, it's not 1982 anymore. Rozz's voice has changed, drugs have taken hold and it makes a huge difference. Rozz and Eva O look like they're just going through the motions to get paid and score dope. It's almost sad in a way because the edge they had is gone, the sense of rebellion is over and they're reuniting solely because they know people will show up to hear the early material; their best. But that's far better than dropping out and into mainstream society.

It was hard watching it because I kept thinking that in 8 years, he'd be dead. And the years in between were mired in addiction, alcoholism and increasing despair. At one time Rozz was an artist who dabbled in drugs. Then, he became an addict who dabbled in art. While a lot of his material was sub-par, he did leave behind a legacy. Christian Death was death rock. The first and the best. It didn't last and it never could. But the impact of his early work is eternal.

"Death Club" is essentially to Christian Death/Rozz fans what "Crackle" is to Bauhaus devotees---a sampler of the band's best years with Rozz as frontman, plus some extra little goodies to make this album worth buying to anyone who already owns all of the albums highlighted here.

The only album cuts NOT included are those from "The Iron Mask"(understandably, as it's only re-recordings of most of these songs anyways), "The Rage Of Angels" and Christian Death's various live releases, which weren't particularly good anyways. Included though are the semi-hard to find "Invocations" studio cuts,which include "Haloes", "This Mirage" and the rarer "Spectre(Love Is Dead)" as well as plenty of DVD extras including video clips from a live show, their appearance on "Media Blitz" and interviews with both Rozz and Rikk Agnew from the band's early days.

For the uninitiated, buy this album and think of it as Christian Death footnotes. Then go buy the albums you can find still. For established Rozz fans the rare inclusions and DVD extras make this a must have to complete the Christian Death history and should be accompanied with a purchse of the new Shadow Project DVD "...And Then There Was Death".

Let's start with the greatest hits part aka the compact disc. It is all Rozz Williams era songs so their is no Valor stuff like "Lake of Fire" or "Heresy" but their is varios compilations for Valor era Christian Death. The rare songs "Haloes" which I love alot excellent vocals and the violens nice touch. and "Brother of a Low Degree" Too cabaret for me but never the less it shows off Rozz Williams Diverse Qualities not a very "Christian Death" song tho. The chosen tracks for Deathwish ep was ok but too bad it was missing "Desperate Hell" and they chose excellent songs from "Only Theater of Pain" Album. As for Catastrophe Ballet I would of liked "Sleep Walkers" and "Electra Descending" but at least it had "Drowning" The greatest hits part is ok but the main reason I bought this was rare songs, the DVD, and the interviews. The DVD is neat it has a concert of the "Only Theater of Pain" album in it's entirity and is sung better without that gay lisp souding voice he used on the original album and has a rare song meant to be on that album but was never released. The DVD also has a interview with The Guitarrist explaining how he got the band together for the reunion concert featured on the DVD. It also has a interview with the band when Valor was guitarrist and two live songs featuring a outfit Marylyn Manson would wear ripping Rozz Off Later. The interview with Rozz is on the disc with the songs. Not visual but interesting. I don't buy hits with good bands only halfway decent bands like Alien Sex Fiend but this had rare songs and a DVD with a few interviews and a booklet with many pictures an essential for any fan small or big this cd is definitely worth buying but not perfect but the greatest hits of good bands never usually are. Led Zeppelin for example too many good songs too fit on a disc the same goes for Christian Death.

If your new to Christian Death, than this is an excellent place to start. This album takes the listener through the various incarnations of Rozz Williams (originator/vocalist/ and creator of the band), and exposes him in an exclusive interview that shows just how misundersood, intelligent, and gay he truly was. It's tragic that Rozz killed himself, nevertheless, his brand of Christian Death enthralls the deathrock/Goth/ and Punk scene to this verry day!!! Anybody who listen's to the song 'Romeo's Distress' will become an instant fn...as long as they are inclined to listen to this type of music. Obviousley, CHRISTIAN DEATH is not intended for fan's of Britney Spears.