Myrmidons of Melodrama [Import]

Shangri-Las | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Rpm Records UK
• ASIN: B0000073R4
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,562 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Remember (Walking in the Sand)

2. It's Easier to Cry

3. Leader of the Pack

4. What Is Love?

5. Give Him a Great Big Kiss

6. Maybe

7. Out in the Streets

8. The Boy

9. Give Us Your Blessings

10. Heaven Only Knows

11. Right Now and Not Later

12. Train from Kansas City

13. Never Again

14. I'm Blue

15. What's a Girl Supposed to Do?

16. The Dum Dum Ditty

17. You Cheated, You Lied

18. I Can Never Go Home Anymore

19. Bull Dog

20. Long Live Our Love

See all 31 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional tribute to girl-group greats, October 12, 2002

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Myrmidons of Melodrama (Audio CD)

The Shangri-Las, together with producer Shadow Morton, carved out a truly unique sound among the girl-groups of the early '60s. Not only were their songs darker than the rest, but Shadow Morton's production, though perhaps not up to the maniacal standards of Phil Spector's, had an unusual sense of invention. Lead vocalist Mary Weiss not only had the bad-girl lyrics and image, but the voice to put across the songs' melodrama. RPM's 33-track 1994 release (and it's re-configured, 2002 reissue, RPM 506) is far-and-away the best collection of the group's material that's ever been made available.

Included among the tracks are the group's best known hits ("(Remember) Walkin' in the Sand" "Leader of the Pack" "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" "I Can Never Go Home Anymore"), lower-charting singles (a cover of the Chantels' "Maybe," "Out in the Streets," "Give Us Your Blessing," "Right Now and Not Later," "Long Live Our Love," "He Cried," "Past, Present and Future") and superbly selected B-sides and album tracks.

Highlights include Barry & Greenwich's love torn "The Train From Kansas City" (featuring one of their best-ever lines, "I'll be back in the time it takes to break a heart," rendered by Weiss with a wrench of the heart that lingers long after the song ends), Morton's truly bizarre spoken-jazz "Sophisticated Boom Boom" (covered by ex-Box Top Alex Chilton in his solo live set), Ike Turner's fabulous "I'm Blue," and Harry Nilsson's "Paradise."

Morton's production often used sound-effects (like the train of "Train From Kansas City" and seagulls of "(Remember) Walkin' in the Sand"), though at times his arrangements sounded more like Phil Spector's work with The Crystals ("The Dum Dum Ditty," complete with castanets), or even Motown ("Right Now and Not Later," with running bassline, organ, horns and vibraphone). The variety among these tracks is all the more impressive for the short period of time in which they were created.

The songs, filled with over-the-top melodrama, could still be quite chilling. From teens driven to a grisly death by their parents disapproval ("Give Us Your Blessings") to the fractured present of an apparent rape victim ("Past, Present and Future"), the Shangri-Las lived up to this disc's title, "Myrmidons of Melodrama." RPM digs deeply into the vault to extend this collection beyond the group's well-known Red Bird releases. Also included are an alternate version of "Give Him a Great Big Kiss," along with a pre-Red Bird single ("Wishing Well"), and a quartet of radio spots featuring Mary Weiss discussing everything from good taste and dating courtesy to Revlon.

What's missing (and only because they physically wouldn't fit on the CD) are the group's other pre-Red Bird single ("Simon Says"/"Simon Speaks") and their two latter-day singles for Mercury ("Sweet Sounds of Summer" and three other sides). Unfortunately, the only way to accumulate everything is to get this disc (RPM 136), the revised version (confusingly issued in 2002 with the same title, but a slightly different track selection (including, apparently, additional true stereo mixes), a different cover, and a new stock number: RPM 506), and Polygram's "The Best of the Shangri-Las."

With its stellar track selection and detailed, well-illustrated, humorous liner notes, this disc (or the revised RPM 506 version) is the first one to buy, whether you're just interested in digging past the well-known hits, or you're starting on the road to fanatical completist. RPM's slogan says it all: "By collectors, for collectors." 'Nuff said.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drama Queens, November 4, 2001

By 

W. Davidson (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Myrmidons of Melodrama (Audio CD)

Probably more so than any other sixties girl group The Shangri-las have suffered at the hand of poor quality CD reissues that usually make their music sound like it was recorded down the end of a very long corridor. RPM promised vastly improved sound quality with this release and they deliver (well they do their best given the quality of the source material).

This CD offers a mega 33 tracks, practically everything the Shangs recorded (except for the live version of `Twist and Shout', but trust me, you'll live) and even includes several absolute obscurities such as `Paradise', `Wishing Well' and `Hate To Say I Told You So', all of which are fab. All the regular Shangri-Las favourites are here including `The Leader Of The Pack', `Give him A Great Big Kiss', `Give Us Your Blessings', `Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)' and the list goes on. I particularly like the numbers where the girls really let loose their primal wailing like on "He Cried", "Dressed In Black" and "Out In The Streets". Their brand of effect laden tragi-pop is without equal, there's so many great songs on here it's pointless trying to list them all and work out what makes them so great.

The liner notes are comprehensive and as an added bonus you also get four radio ads that lead-La Mary Weiss recorded in the sixties, and she offers "good taste" tips no teen would want to be without. But the burning question is : how do you dance to this? Answer: Close, very, very close.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Differences Between The Two Versions of "Myrmidons of Melodrama", October 5, 2007

By 

Jessica Winney (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Myrmidons of Melodrama (Audio CD)

As most buyers of Shangri-Las music have already discovered, there are two versions of the group's greatest hits collecton "Myrmidons of Melodrama," one released in 1995 that sports a color, pop art-inspired cover and one released in 2002 that sports a black-and-white cover with a photo of the group. Although both versions have essentially the same tracks on them, there are some minor differences that could influence a customer's decision to purchase one over the other. These differences are listed below:

Original version with color artwork released in 1995: This version includes the singles "Maybe," "Wishing Well," and "Hate To Say I Told You So," which are NOT included on the 2002 re-release. This version, however, lacks any stereo mixes of the songs and does not include the single "Simon Says/Simon Speaks."

2002 re-release with the black-and-white cover: This version includes stereo mixes of some of the group's singles and includes the single "Simon Says/Simon Speaks." Excluding the three songs mentioned above, the track listing is identical to the original version (taking into account the fact that the tracks are listed out of order on the back of the CD). This is a minor, albeit irritating, clerical error.

So the question really becomes one of importance. If it is more important to you to have the three songs that are included on the 1995 version, then that is the one you should buy. If having stereo mixes of the songs is what you're after, then the 2002 re-release is for you. Personally, I would rather have the stereo mixes of some of the group's classic hits than have three songs that I have never heard before, but that it merely my preference. Collectors will probably want to buy both versions.