Customer Reviews

A-Sides From Buffalo Tom: 1988-1999

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If you are relatively new to Buffalo Tom, before you buy their "A-Sides" compilation you will want to know that there are two competing schools of thought on the band's merits. One group sees them as a major force in early 90s indie rock who lost their way and "sold out" in search of the big hit single. These folks see the Buffalo Tom debut album and the BirdBrain album - which was produced by Indie God J. Mascis, as the band's rawest (and therefore best) work. Their third album, "Let Me Come Over," is seen as a capitulation to a more MTV-friendly sound, and it's mostly downhill from there.

The other school of Buffalo Tom thought, which is closer to my own, is that Buffalo Tom's first two albums, while hinting at their potential, are the signs of a band searching for a sound and identity of their own. That identity was then found in spectacular fashion on Let Me Come Over, which represented a quantum leap in songwriting and ushered in an era of unforgettable compositions that have put Buffalo Tom on many people's short lists of the great undiscovered bands of the nineties.

These two perspectives are important to your purchase of the A-sides CD, because if you are one of those people who liked Buffalo Tom better as J. Mascis proteges and indie rock stylists, you won't want to buy this compilation, as the first two albums are not well represented here. On the other hand, if you heard a couple of their later songs on the radio, and you're wondering if there's more where that came from, then this compilation, which is one of the most thoughtfully-selected best-of compilations out there, is a great starting point for you.

The most memorable Buffalo Tom songs can be roughly categorized into two separate groups - melodic rockers ("Soda Jerk" being the most famous of this group), and edgy, almost-tragic ballads, of which "Taillights Fade" is the most well known example, along with "Late at Night" from the My So-Called Life soundtrack. The big problem with this A-Sides CD is that one of Buffalo Tom's classic ballads, "Would Not be Denied," a standout from the Big Red Letter Day album, is not included on this compilation. So if you like the songs on this CD, you have to get your hands on "Would Not Be Denied" at once. And then one of their very best rockers, "Porchlight," from Let Me Come Over, is also missing here. So you have to pick up that album as well, which is probably worth your trouble anyway since many people see that as their best and most consistent album. But once you own both of those albums, you already have almost half the songs on this compilation. So the question is: what good is this album if you have to buy two others anyway? The biggest benefit from buying the A-Sides CD is that you also get the two best songs from their two last albums, "Summer" and "Wiser." These last two albums, Sleepy Eyed and Smitten, while interesting, are not essential purchases for the casual fan once you have already accounted for the crucial song on each of them. If you are interested in more background on Buffalo Tom, I am also writing a longer retrospective that I can email to you if you'd like. Send me an email at jonreed@mediaone.net.

Several reviewers have lamented the song choice on this CD, apparently blind to the fact, despite it being crystal clear in the title (go figure), that it is a collection of A-sides (read: singles). Thus, any complaints about songs being left off should be directed to the band, label, and/or whomever decided what tunes were going to be singles on each album. That said, this CD is a strong compilation from a great singles band (which is not to say their albums are weak), though it offers nothing new to the already initiated, besides the awesome and enlightening liner notes. So if you are new to BT, this is a nice, cozy welcome to their sound and its evolution. If you arent new, buy it for the notes and glean some nice nuggets o' information straight from the horses mouth(es). peace out.

Several reviewers have lamented the song choice on this CD, apparently blind to the fact, despite it being crystal clear in the title (go figure), that it is a collection of A-sides (read: singles). Thus, any complaints about songs being left off should be directed to the band, label, and/or whomever decided what tunes were going to be singles on each album. That said, this CD is a strong compilation from a great singles band (which is not to say their albums are weak), though it offers nothing new to the already initiated, besides the awesome and enlightening liner notes. So if you are new to BT, this is a nice, cozy welcome to their sound and its evolution. If you arent new, buy it for the notes and glean some nice nuggets o' information straight from the horses mouth(es). peace out.

Let's get a few things straight at the beginning. If you're a Buffalo Tom fan, you probably have these tracks already. The only one that was new to me was their version of "Going Underground." But here on one CD you have an excursion into each of the Buffalo Tom eras. The liner notes answer so many questions. What does the band think of the excessive use in commercials of the riff from "Sodajerk" to why "Larry" signified the band's coming into its own. Even indirectly we go into the Dinosaur Jr., Jr. criticism of their first two albums. The notes walk us through how they were able to break into their own sound, and how the extra budget of "Big Red Letter Day" let them do some new things, to the chagrin of some fans. I'll never understand why Buffalo Tom isn't the biggest band in the U.S. If you listen to this album, you'll hear some of the most literate hard-rockers and pensive ballads ever to come out of the American rock experience. Cheers to Buffalo Tom. Let's hope this "A Sides" album isn't their way of saying, "Goodbye."

One can't help but listen to the collection of tracks on this album and do a few things. Be it smile, because the tracks are enjoyable, laugh because of some of the lyrics that are genuinely humorous, or cry because it has connections to some event in your life or rings true in some part of your soul. This is the power that is Buffalo Tom.

And now the very best of Buffalo Tom is available on a single album.

It should be noted, that this album in my opinion should actually be a STARTING point for those people interested in Buffalo Tom. Although it is a collection of absolutely wonderful songs, it is only a very small sample of their incredible work.

My only (very, very) minor complaint about this album is the absence of 2 tracks from their past album (see: smitten, and Let me come over. Both are very good albums): and that is "Knot In It" and "Frozen Lake." But make no mistake, this album is definately one of the most worthwile purchases you will ever make.

A friend of mine recommended BT to me years ago. GodBless him wherever he is now. I have all their albums so was reticent to acquire a 'Best Of' album but was intrigued by the array of songs included on this one, especially the cover of the Jams, 'Going Underground'. Didn't think any band could render it that well. They do so the right way, by placing their musical fingerprints on it with respect. Paul Weller must be flattered. This CD is a tremendous way to dip into BT's sound. I'm a huge admirer of this band, they can do little wrong and are vastly under-rated.

Special tracks include, but aren't limited to; "Summer", "Taillights Fade", "Enemy", the very brilliant "Larry", "Rachel", "I'm Allowed", "Velvet Roof" and the magnificent "Wiser". Truly A-sides. Get it!

I was introduced to Buffalo Tom as a freshman in college in 1991. Nine years later, I am still scooping up every bit of new material they put out. Buffalo Tom was THE defining band that changed the way I felt about music forever. This compilation has some excellent selections from each album; 'Larry''Enemy' and 'Taillights Fade' are some of their very best recordings.

Buy this album and don't look back! Buy all of their albums! And while you are at it, catch them on their current tour--they are excellent live performers!!

From noisy rockers like "Sodajerk" to gentle acoustic ballads with haunting lyricism like "Postcard," this album is perfect for anyone who has missed Buffalo Tom over the years. If you like the Jayhawks, Pete Droge, or Afghan Wigs, you'll love Buffalo Tom!

This is a great collection, spoiled only by the fact that it offers nothing new or particularly hard to find. Buffalo Tom long has been one of the most delightful bands in modern rock, and this album culls all but a few of their singles. "Mineral" is tender but never saccharine; "Sodajerk" is both catchy and wistful. Those who know the group only from radio airplay will be overwhelmed by "Postcard," which would have been a smash hit with even the slightest promotion. Curiously, the best known song by Buffalo Tom is by most accounts "Late at Night," which never was a true single but enjoyed exposure on the television series "My So-Called Life." Whoever thought to include it here was very wise. That said, this collection may disappoint seasoned fans, but for anyone else, it makes a wonderful introduction to a very talented group.

Your basic hits CD. You like the band, you'll like the album.