Customer Reviews

Lost Sides

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

B-sides are usually considered songs that didn't cut the mustard, and have to be cobbled together with other B-sides. Not so with brilliant Britpop band The Doves, in their "Lost Sides" collection of rarities, remixes and B-sides. It's not phenomenal, but it's a good collection of Doves' odds and ends.

The first disc includes some good B-sides and mixes, such as the electro-psychedelic "Crunch," magnificent "Darker," piano-rocking "Hit the Ground Running" and magnificent "Valley." The second disc contains seven remixes of various "Lost Broadcast" songs; they are, thankfully, not merely adding electronic mishmashes to the existing songs. Instead, they just enhance the preexisting songs.

"Lost Sides" couldn't really be mistaken for a regular Doves album; at times you can practically hear the seams where the songs were patched together. There's no cohesion. That isn't to say it's bad, it just sounds like what it is, a B-sides/rarities album. Certainly the quality is far higher than many B-side albums, and the production is smooth and sleek.

The psychedelic edge, melancholy lyrics and sort of otherworldly sound are still firmly in place in "Lost Sides." Here and there they stray into different turf ("Crunch," for example), but always come back to their core sound. They even dabble in a some strong classical instrumentation, giving a stately spin to their alt-rock sound.

"Lost Sides" is not the place to start for non-Doves fans, but those who already love the band will devour this surprisingly solid collection of remixes, rarities and B-side versons. A nice if fragmented collection.

If all b-sides releases out there were that good we'd be close to an ideal world. Alas, it is well known that "b-sides" usually means a blatant cash-in attempt and a rip-off for the buyer.

Not the case here though with the Doves. This could easily be a "normal" album with prime material and nobody would have anything negative to mention about the quality level in it.

Generally it's a characteristic Doves LP. The dreamy passages and lyrics are there, the post-psychedelia is there (something at which the Doves are pretty adept at), their cool weirdness is there, the gorgeous melancholy is there too.

Aside from a couple of unfortunate moments when they come dangerously close to sounding like Oasis this is great stuff. Along with the Dandy Warhols the Doves represent a still fresh sounding scene and this outing here is not just "for the fans" but for anybody with appreciation for cool timeless music.

The Doves' biggest trick is that their albums offer a lot of diversity. Along with all the elements i mentioned above the Doves do rock. And when they do, you can hardly resist rocking along.

Great stuff.

The first disc centres on songs much like from the album "lost souls" - I'm not sure if they were recorded at the same time but it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case. The first cd (containing the first 12 songs) is one that can be played right through, with a fair few instrumental songs (those and the songs with singing are both terrific!). The stand-out track on this disc would have to be the last track "fall from grace".

The second disc centres on songs from the album "last broadcast". The remixes are not gross techno crap but digital enhancements on the more emotional musical notes in each song. M62 song is a little faster but stays true to the song. I love the remixes cause it's like listening to favourite songs from "last broadcast" for the first time again. "Sulphur man", "Last Broadcast" and (the best) "Satellites" are such good remixes I'd even go as far as to say I enjoy these versions more than the originals. Satellites is brilliant! Much more orchestral (the violins really amplify the core tune of the song).

This is definately worth the buy. Make sure you get the special edition cause the last 7 songs (the remixes) are very quality.

Too much great stuff on here makes up for the incidental music bits that are pretty inconsequential. But at least half of this CD is very worth having. If you like their 2 other CD's, this is a no-brainer

This is a must have for any Doves fan. The supposed "B" sides are hardly B material. Even the remixes of prior songs space out and feel like new songs all over again.

In the vast world of Britpop, like any other music sector the best-known bands are usually the most-hyped ones (read: Coldplay). But if the world were just, one of the most famed bands would be the Doves, makers of strange, eerie and melancholy rock.

And "Lost Sides" gives us whatever little tidbits didn't belong on their albums. B-sides are usually considered songs that didn't cut the mustard, and have to be cobbled together with other B-sides. Not so with The Doves, in their collection of rarities, remixes and B-sides. It's not phenomenal, but it's a good collection of Doves' odds and ends.

The first disc includes some good B-sides and mixes, such as the electro-psychedelic "Crunch," magnificent "Darker," piano-rocking "Hit the Ground Running" and magnificent "Valley." A few are not quite on the level that one expects the Doves on, but it hits the mark more often than it misses.

The second disc contains seven remixes of various "Lost Broadcast" songs; they are, thankfully, not merely adding electronic mishmashes to the existing songs. Instead, they just enhance the preexisting songs, and give them a new edge that lingers on in your mind when you listen to the originals.

"Lost Sides" couldn't really be mistaken for a regular Doves album; at times you can practically hear the seams where the songs were patched together. There's no cohesion. That isn't to say it's bad, it just sounds like what it is, a B-sides/rarities album. Certainly the quality is far higher than many B-side albums, and the production is smooth and sleek.

The psychedelic edge, melancholy lyrics and sort of otherworldly sound are still firmly in place in "Lost Sides." Here and there they stray into different turf ("Crunch," for example), but always come back to their core sound. They even dabble in a some strong classical instrumentation, giving a stately spin to their alt-rock sound.

"Lost Sides" is not the place to start for non-Doves fans, but those who already love the band will devour this surprisingly solid collection of remixes, rarities and B-side versons. A nice if fragmented collection.

But that doesn't mean everything here isn't worthwhile. These tracks are mostly B-sides and a few instrumentals that were not worked into a main album. Doves fans will appreciate it, but if you have just heard of this band, start with "Last Broadcast" or "Kingdom of Rust" instead. "Darker" is the track that really stands alone, and IS MY FAVORITE SONG BY THIS BAND. I wish they would approach a sound like this again. It's worth more than it costs... "Far From Grace" and "Willow's Song" are good, but easily forgettable. Everything else is just ok, but still worth a listen.

Been a fan of Doves for a decade, so why did I wait so long to purchase this? Shameful!

Most of it's already been said in the other reviews, so I'll be brief: For me on the whole, Doves get five stars. They're magical -- bad almost doesn't exist. Based on that honest belief, I was compelled to go with five stars here. But 1) there were some poppy moments in this collection that weren't their usual stellar, and 2) I'm SO used to Doves albums being seamless and this one was not.

These are trivial mentions, though. Oh how tough to be such a straight-A student! Sorry guys, B+ is just not good enough. (I say that with the utmost sarcasm.)

In shortest: This is a fan must-have. SO LOVE the remixes!

This should never have gone out of print. The B-sides are awesome, but for me, the real treasure here is the second disc of remixes. Buyer beware, the version of this album still in print doesn't have the bonus disc!

The remix of "The Last Broadcast" haunts my sleep: it turns what was an already great song into one of the most achingly beautiful ones I've ever heard. Doves have wowed me with every album they have released. Don't miss out on anything they do. If you are unfamiliar with their sound, I recommend listening to their ENTIRE first album. Then you'll be hooked.

A great album, considering that it is a collection of b-sides and unreleased tracks. The uneven quality is made up for by the shear
inventiveness of these Manc lads. Well worth paying import prices for.