New Miserable Experience: Rarities Edition (Spec) [Special Edition]

Gin Blossoms (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 5, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Special Edition
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B002WHT1N6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,095 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2010 stand-alone single disc release that contains all the bonus tracks featured on the second disc of the Deluxe Edition release of this album (ie: does NOT contain the original album, only the rarities associated with that release). Perfect for collectors who may have missed the double disc version or for those who are in search of all the great tracks that were initially exclusive to the Deluxe Edition. Compiled with the band's participation, this 'Rarities Edition' features alternate takes, tracks from the Shut Up & Smoke and Up And Crumbling EPs, the rare Big Star cover 'Back Of A Car,' and the recordings of the band captured live in Solana Beach, CA, in 1993, performing 'Hey Jealousy' and Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison Blues.'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Wonderful Experience, January 25, 2010

By 

Virgil Urp (AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: New Miserable Experience: Rarities Edition (Spec) (Audio CD)

If like me you missed the apparently brief 2002 appearance of the NME Deluxe Edition and have balked at paying the outlandish prices of those offering copies of the Deluxe Edition for sale, relief is at hand. And what a relief it is! There is just about everything to enjoy about this NME Rarities Edition if you are a fan of the Gin Blossoms. The contents are well-described above and and well worth owning and hearing.

RIP Doug Hopkins, long live the Gin Blossoms!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Misery" loves company (in your CD cabinet, that is)..., March 5, 2010

By 

whipitgood "whipitgood" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New Miserable Experience: Rarities Edition (Spec) (Audio CD)

The Gin Blossoms came to my town back in 2007 to perform a benefit concert for the relocation of the historic Blodget house-one of the stops on the "underground railroad" during civil war times. Everything about the show was great!

I've been a music fan all of my life, but in recent years I've grown disheartened by the decidedly caustic tone of some of the stuff coming over on the radio, not to mention the lack of musicianship. I had been wanting to take my daughter to her first concert, but I was having trouble deciding what show to take her to. There's always the well-sanitized Disney stable of artists, but my daughter seemed saturated with Disney already and I didn't want her brainwashed any further..

Then I saw the flier for the Gin Blossoms' show. The price was right. The location was perfect. The cause was admirable. And I knew the music would be solid, rootsy, melodic pop drawing heavily from the Beatles(or Rutles?), Beach Boys, Alex Chilton/Big Star, the Byrds, etc. As expected, they played great. There was a distinctly positive vibe in the air that night, and the crowd got into it. Then, to top it all off, Scott and Robin stood by the side of the stage after the show to meet the fans and sign autographs. I bought a copy of "Major Lodge Victory" which Scott & Robin both signed. My daughter (aged 5 at the time) got a poster and was thrilled. It was truly a night to remember.

After the show, I started wondering what happened to these guys. Did they just get buried under a pile of grunge and hip-hop in the 90's or what? I started shopping around for more material and discovered that there just wasn't very much to be had...I DID find the "Deluxe Edition" of New Miserable Experience on the web, but it was already out-of-print and selling for $50-$60!!! Fortunately, the group and/or the record company decided to release the 2nd rareties disc of the out-of-print "Deluxe Edition" as a stand-alone product. The price is affordable, and the songs are GREAT!!!

This disc is more than a collection of odds & ends. There are some truly great songs & performances on here. In some ways I actually like it better than NME because the production is less linear-many peaks and valleys. Highlights include: a rousing live rendition of "Movin' On Up" which even George & Weezie could dance to, Doug Hopkins' self-deprecating boogie "Blue Eyes Bleeding", "Angels Tonight" and "Christine Irene". It would have been nice to see "Girls Can't Wait" from the difficult-to-find "Dusted" EP on here as well, but that song was from an earlier era. If you like the band, add this to your collection.

3 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Disappointing.., January 31, 2010

By 

K. Jensen "power pop connoisseur" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: New Miserable Experience: Rarities Edition (Spec) (Audio CD)

A collection like this is a bit disappointing to fans that 1) purchased the Deluxe edition 2) have been fans for awhile. I think that because this rarities disc has appeal that is limited to Gins fans, most would be better off purchasing the New Miserable Experience Deluxe Edition. That product has the remastered New Miserable Experience, the nice packaging, as well as the tunes from this disc. This seems to be just another random excuse to re-release what people already have in the pursuit of making a bit more money off this old gem. (And calling this a essential collectors track album is humorous, when clearly NME Deluxe has more appeal in that regard.)