Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1985-2003 [3 disc] [Extra tracks]

Yo La Tengo

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2005)
• Original Release Date: March 22, 2005
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B0007MANWG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,556 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Shaker

2. Sugarcube

3. Barnaby, Hardly Working

4. Little Eyes

5. Stockholm Syndrome

6. Our Way To Fall

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. River Of Water, The

2. Autumn Sweater

3. Big Day Coming

4. Pablo And Andrea

5. Drug Test

6. Season Of The Shark

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Stay Away From Heaven

2. Pencil Test - (previously unreleased)

3. Almost True - (previously unreleased)

4. Tom Courtenay - (acoustic)

5. Big Day Coming - (previously unreleased, demo)

6. Dreaming

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

What's the meaning of this double-disc anthology? Literalists will note that it's called Prisoners of Love, and while songs like "Our Way to Fall" and "The Summer" are pretty enough little ditties, neither "Drug Test" nor their cover of Sun Ra's "Nuclear War" are liable to be featured in a Meg Ryan romance anytime soon. Those handy with a calendar will note that the album was released to coincide with the band's twentieth anniversary, and while it's not explicitly stated anywhere on the cover, this is most likely the reason for this lovely little mix tape of the best band to ever spring forth from the Garden State. They may have the snobbiest record collections around, but Yo La Tengo's dreamy drones, garage funk, country pop and wailing jams somehow comprise the most utterly compelling and literate pop music of the past two decades. Don't believe me? Dude, just press play. This version includes a separate bonus disc with unreleased demo and acoustic versions of songs as well as limited-edition 7" and EP tracks, including Kevin Shields' brillian remix of "Autumn Sweater." --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

42 songs spread over 3 CD's 'Prisoners Of Love' is a sprawling, enthralling summation of the career-todate of Yo La Tengo. It isn't their place to call themselves The Greatest Band On Earth but it's ours. The first two CDs cram together previously released highights from YLT's pre-Matador tenure along with the mostsizzling moments from their 2nd decade in show biz. The 3rd disc is the sort of rarities collection that will have you wondering why we bothered to do a two disc version. Beautifully packaged (by our packingdepartment), liner notes from Byron Coley and Joe Puleo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of a brilliant and dynamic band, May 27, 2005

By	Ludwig J. Pluralist "avantepopgospeler" (Beacon, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Yo La Tengo is my favorite band. I own their first LP, Ride the Tiger, on vinyl (the rest of my collection is on CD). I've also seen them live about six times, and each show is different from the other (one show, in fact, was of them playing improvisational background music for a psychedelic light show). In fact, with Yo La Tengo, while some things - like the overall quality of their music, well demonstrated on Prisoners of Love, stays constant, other things - particularly their pioneering and experimentation-prone spirit - show constant growth and dynamism. Great musicians - be they the Who, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Miles Davis, the Kinks, and Elvis Costello - all showed this dualistic quality. Just like Yo La Tengo.

What to say about this compilation? Essentially, it represents all the different phases of the band's career, from their start in the mid 80s as a slightly folky, sort of bouncy and quirky post new-wave rock act (along the lines of such bands as the Feelies, Bongoes, and DBs), to the bliss of their early 90s shoegazer phase (somewhat reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine and others), to various later melodic/sound experiments. What's also cool is that the songs are in no particular stylistic or chronological order. They're just there, and if the listener doesn't necessarily like the order, s/he can rearrange it (for me, though, it works just fine). Anyway, listening to these tracks, one hears various songs (Sugarcube, Big Day Coming, Lewis) in which the band rocks out. Others (Did I Tell You, Our Way to Fall, Autumn Sweater, etc.) are softer and quieter, and nicely balance things out.

As far as the Title - Prisoners of Love - I've thought about what it means, and I think that it is quite apt. It shows the kind of quirky, ironic humor the band is known for (their very name - associated with the haplessness and miscommunication of the 1962 NY Mets - is another example of this). However, there is also something more serious. Yo La Tengo is very much about love - for one another, for music, and for life. They must then see themselves as "prisoners" to this love, i.e., simply accepting it, warts and all, and going with it, allowing themselves to see where it takes them.

One last comment; The outtakes and rarities disk is really worth having. Much of it is of alternate takes on various songs they've recorded and released elsewhere, and in listening to these, one gets an even further sense of the pioneering and experimental spirit of a truly dynamic band. It also shows their willingness to cover everything from well known rock icons (like Stevie Nicks) to bands much more obscure than themselves (the Dead C anyone?) and to give their coverage that unique Yo La Tengo touch.

May they keep leading a path for indie rock for 20 more years!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro to Band / Better Liner Notes Would Help, April 12, 2005

By	Robert E. Burns "robbybee" (Collinsville, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For a newbie to YLT (myself included), this Collection is a great sampler (at a Great Price!) of the Band's Indie-Rock genius. However, given Ira's well documented Music Critic/Record Geek credentials, how come there's no notes in the accompanying booklet as to which tracks belong to which Lp's? Surely the folks at MATADOR could've kidnapped some slovenly Intern from Sub-Pop or Drag City to help out with some more Fleshed-Out Background Info for us, the uninitiated.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for the bonus disk alone!, March 25, 2005

By	Jim C. "Jim C." (North Bendo, WA) - See all my reviews

Worth it for the bonus disk alone! The third disk of rarities plays as good as any of Yo La Tengo's best albums (do we still call them albums anymore?). It flows from one song to the next, each song a standout on their own, the sum of it's parts (tunes, instrumentation, slow songs, fast songs, and a large dose of guitar blasts) works so well. My only complaint is the cardboard slipcase enclosing the three disks is so tight I could barely get the CD cases out, even more difficult to get the CD's back in the darned thing! The two CD best of plays just as well - this could be as much a contender for Desert Island Disk as Hear The Sound of Two Hearts Beating.