Slow Hole to China: Rare and Unreleased

Clutch

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 2009)
• Original Release Date: April 28, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Weathermaker Music
• ASIN: B001W63E04
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,813 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. King of Arizona

2. Slowhole to China

3. Nickel Dime

4. Sea of Destruction

5. Oregon

6. Easy Breeze

7. Hale Bopp Blues

8. Four Lords

9. Rising Son

10. Guild of Mute Assassins

11. Willie Nelson

12. Equinox

13. Hoodoo Operator

14. Day of the Jackalope

15. Ship of Gold (West Virginia)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 2002 rarities collection now including three additional tracks. Slow Hole To China features 15 remastered rarities straight from the West Virginia and Maryland vaults of Neil Fallon, Jean-Paul Gaster, Tim Sult, and Dan Maines! Includes Clutch's dynamic cover of John Coltrane's 'Equinox'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very solid album.. particularly for a collection of rare tracks, June 13, 2009

By	Eric H (Pittsburgh) - See all my reviews

I don't usually write reviews, but I figured I'd add this rating as a counter to the reviewers that feel gouged. (Note: I think the album description is inaccurate, the one with the brown cover background and 12 tacks is "Rare and Unreleased", the 2009 one with the green background I picked up is called "Rare and Re-Released")

First, I'll agree with Ian's comments that any of these tracks could have been on a standard album and are not cutting room floor fodder. Second, there are new Clutch fans being created all the time (such as myself) who didn't yet have the prior album. If you feel slighted at having bought the first one, you can get the 3 new tracks from this one as MP3s for $0.99 each... hardly going to break the bank.

Finally, the music business is just that... a business. According to wiki, the prior album was released by two labels I've never heard of... this time it's being released by Clutch's own recording label Weathermaker. I had yet to see the older version in stores, so this re-release is more of a replacement to the prior version, which made it much easier for me to get it... and if it puts more money in Clutch's pocket, well that just helps them to keep making new music.

Consider the bands that release a string of largely redundant "best of" albums... this is not nearly that blatant.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great album - Lousy practice., May 4, 2009

By	Ian C. Fitzpatrick - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Absolutely great album focusing on some of Clutch's tunes. Hardly a B-side album, any of these songs could have very easily been in previously released albums.

Now the part that grinds my gears...

I don't like the whole re-releasing scheme... Add three songs to an album that most all Cluth fans already have, and expect them to buy it again. I'm sure they wouldn't have to look very far to find another eight or nine songs, and they could have an entirely different "Rare and Unreleased" album, not one that has been out for seven years.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just 3 new tracks!, July 14, 2009

By	Will Mindspin (I commute between Central Ohio and the Center of the Universe) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Yes, it's true. This rerelease has only 3 new tracks compared to the original version. If that's all you care about, then just download the new mp3's at $0.99 each and skip buying the whole album.

But a very important fact that no one else has yet to mention is that this release is digitally remastered. If you have a half-way decent stereo and the original version, then you already know that the original release is very poor quality. If you don't have a half-way decent stereo, then you haven't really heard Clutch at their full power.

So my suggestion? Get this rereleased version if you have a good stereo. If you don't have a good stereo, then get a new stereo and then get this rerelease. You'll thank me later.