A Slight Case Of Overbombing (Greatest Hits Vol. 1)

The Sisters Of Mercy

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 1993)
• Original Release Date: September 21, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B000002HBT
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,200 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a good disc to get, June 18, 2003

By	N. P. Stathoulopoulos "nick9155" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A while back I had given this album a sub-par review, based not on the music but on the selections featured.

However, serious listening has forced me to reconsider for a number of reasons.

A lot of fans don't have use for a Greatest Hits since they own all of the albums. Of course, bands throw on an extra song or two and subtly force you to pick it up. Every band winds up doing it. Or now you can just download those two extra songs.

In the case of Overbombing (apprently the name of an aborted album from one of Sisters guitarist Adam Pearson's old bands) they've at least released the hits on the album in slightly different versions to give the disc more value

In other words, yes these are the same songs from First and Last and Floodland, etc.,however, the versions are indeed different.

It's definitely welcome. Unless you want to hunt down way out of print 12" vinyl singles orway out of print CD maxi-singles or shoddy bootlegs, these versions are not available anymore.

Just old fashioned singles-remixing, nothing radical. These are good alternatives:

Under The Gun - The last "new" thing the Sisters have released. A metal-ish ballad that took a little time to grow. Excellent duet with Terri Nunn of Berlin fame, the song starts with such an un-Sisters-ish tone only to build into an Eldritch lyrical coup de grace that ends with "under the gun...under the gun...under the gun."

Temple Of Love (1992) - probably what Eldritch originally envisioned Temple as, a less sped-up, louder, more powerful and driving number with amazing backing vocals by Ofra Haza.

Vision Thing - This is the Canadian Club remix, though it's not referred to as. It's addictive--way longer than the album; inludes the Apocalypse Now sample played backwards

Doctor Jeep - Odd that they would release this version of the song on here. It's butchered down to three minutes. Meanwhile there's an Extended Version that is way more satisfying

Lucretia My Reflection - This is a highlight. This version is nearly twice as long as the Floodland version, so you get a long instrumental extension, including the legendary bassline and fine guitar work. Very, very welcome. Unless, of course, the Sisters 'jamming' offends you

This Corrosion - Slightly shorter than the album version, it cuts out a few "ooh ooh ohh"s without harming the song. Still over 10 minutes long

No Time To Cry - I found the main difference between the FALAA versions and Overbombing to be a more powerful, louder production on the singles versions (apparently produced by Eldritch himself). Dr. Avalanche seems louder and heavier and it gives a boost to the production of that album (which isn't too hot)

Walk Away - Same here, Dr. Avalanche thumping away, very nice

Body And Soul - Courteous to include this here, unavailable anywhere else on CD. (Some Girls only covers up to '83, so the '84 Body and Soul was in limbo). For some reason, I think the single version is colder and nowhere near as loud as it should be. Do yourself a favor and get a bootleg from 1985 to hear this song played with more oomph

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The beautiful, yet rocking side of Gothic/Industrial, February 13, 2000

By	J. Kollmer (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While "Lucretia, My Reflection" will always call to mind clove cigarettes, black lace and Doc Martins, elements of this collection go far beyond a single scene or narrow categorization, such as this media-influenced notion of "Goth".

The Sisters of Mercy sound is motorcycle guitar meets Bach, and it works. Lead singer and frontman Andrew Eldritch's voice is quintessential Gothic, a la Peter Murphy, carrying all the edginess you'd expect to come with the black-leather, pale-skin look, but soothing in its own right. Lyrically, the songs hit a mark that eludes today's wannabe Goth/Pop tunes. When's the last time anything in the top 40 approached the sharp complexity of "I hear the roar of a big machine/Hot metal and methedrine"? What's more, these lyrics dare to have haunting depth, as the chorus of probably their best-known song, "More," pleas for what we all want: "And I need all the love I can get/And I need all the love that I can't get, too."

This CD is a must for anyone who's ever worn black lipstick, as well as for anyone who's ever wondered why someone might want to.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Milking It, December 28, 2000

By	"emeraldavatar" (Jersey City, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

If you are reading this because you keep hearing how great the Sisters are (were) and want to hear it for yourself, DON'T buy this album. Go buy Floodland instead. That, and parts of Some Girls Wander, is what most people are raving about. This compilation is, for some strange reason, dominated by songs off the horrible Vision Thing album instead, which will give you a completely false picture of this once-great band. For Sisters collectors, this collection is an even worse choice. You lot should be buying Some Girls. Yes, I know it's more expensive, but it has all the tracks you need. The original Temple of Love! Alice! Gimme Shelter! Body and Soul! And the entire Reptile House EP! Give this collection a miss. A Slight Case of Overestimating Your Own Importance, Andy.