Garage D'Or

Cracker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 4, 2000)
• Original Release Date: April 4, 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00004R8TU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,803 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Cracker's anything but a Saltine..., April 4, 2000

By 

Guy Wheatley (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garage D'Or (Audio CD)

Usually when a band gets around to releasing a greatest hits compilation, the time has come for long-time fans to mourn about the passing "golden age" (Cracker-specific pun) of their musical height, and expectation for the bandmates to spend the rest of their limelight careers rehashing old glories. Thankfully, such will not be the case with Cracker, as David Lowrey has assured us that they are not breaking up, just releasing a retrospective after the first marvelous decade of "Cracker Soul." Which is a very good thing, as I think that David Lowrey and Co.'s Camper Van Beethoven and descendant Cracker has been the best thing to happen to Rock music in the post-punk landscape. "Garaged d'Or " is a serviceable introduction for the uninitiated to the unique eclecticism of Cracker's country/blues/grunge post-alt rock hybrid career, that never loses its edge of irreverent cynicism. Cracker pundits (all 10 of us per 1 million citizens) may bicker over the selection of hits on the album, I tend to agree with Amazon.com that "Get Off This" never deserved to be a hit, and "Shake Some Action" doesn't make much of an impact, probably because David Lowrey isn't the main singer on it, but for the most part you can't argue with what's available, and for Cracker completists the addition of three new tracks makes "Garaged d'Or" worthwhile. "Be My Love" and "Eyes of Mary" play like enjoyably low-key additions from "Out Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart," and "Heaven Knows I'm Lonely Know" is worthy country-drawl material ala the latter half of "Gentleman's Blues."

The limited edition second CD of Cracker rarities and live recordings is mostly a disappointment, even for Cracker cultists. However noble David Lowrey's intentions are, he tends to let his boot-kickin' countrified roots overtake his material from time to time (a problem that proto-alternative Camper Van Beethoven never had, as it was one of many diverse influences, which is why I rate Camper slightly above Cracker in my mind), and his live tracks have a markedly UN-live sound, rendering them inferior to the studio originals. However, "Surfbilly" and "China" keep it from being a total loss, and the cover "Rainy Days and Mondays" is a solid, stripped-down melancholic ditty.

Speaking of compiled oddities, David Lowrey has recently produced a collection of the Camper Van Beethoven's answer to "Garaged d'Or," entitled "Camper Van Beethoven is Dead, Long Live Camper Van Beethoven" (Amen!). For the Camper Van Beethoven aficionado, be sure to check it out, for a uniquely surreal experience (but would you expect anything less?). It's only available at Lowrey's indie-record label Pitch-A-Tent, so check it out while you can!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Garage d'Or, April 4, 2000

By 

Jessica (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garage D'Or (Audio CD)

Cracker's new retrospective CD is an excellent collection of some of Cracker's more commercially popular songs and the songs popular with hard-core cracker fans. The bonus CD contains some great rareties that are difficult, if not impossible, to come by any other way. I absolutely love their new songs "Be My Love," and "Heaven Knows I'm Lonely." This is a great CD to give to introduce someone to Cracker for the first time and be able to communicate the breadth of their style, but it's also great for long-time fans to have so much in one place.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Cracker Fans or the casual listener, July 30, 2000

By 

Zepplyn "music fanatic" (Rushville, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garage D'Or (Audio CD)

The inclusion of three previously unreleased tracks make this worth the purchase alone, not counting the bonus disc of live cuts and rarities. While some here at Amazon.com have complained about song selection (no "I Hate My Generation", the inclusion of "Get Off This"), I feel this is like nitpicking (I would make the case for inclusion of "Dr. Bernice", "Movie Star", or "Another Song About the Rain", but I digress). Most of their well known hit songs are here, as well as some fan favorites.

A great overview of a great band, and not just an inclusion of your standard "radio hits".