Throughout rock history, from ?OK Computer? to ?War? to ?London Calling,? third albums have defined careers. With the bombastic, breathtaking CITIES, Anberlin?s cohesive and adventurous new album, the
Throughout rock history, from ?OK Computer? to ?War? to ?London Calling,? third albums have defined careers. With the bombastic, breathtaking CITIES, Anberlin?s cohesive and adventurous new album, the
for the dedicated Anberlin fan this is an awesome treat, featuring b-sides, cover songs and rarities from 2003-2007. Here they cover Dylan's "like a rolling stone", the 80's new wave classic "the promise" (you know the song from from Napoleon Dynamite), as well as an exciting rendition of the Smith's hit, "there is a light that never goes out." we are also treated to demos (readyfuels), acoustic versions (cadence), and AOL sessions (Inevitable, Unwinding Cable Car). check out also, their interesting acoustic take on Radiohead's "creep" and their faithful rendering of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence". so for the big fan, you have to have this in your collection, and well, if you are new to Anberlin, it's a nice overview of the band's style. For an example of their best work, then move on to their 2007 CD, "Cities".
CD Reviews
Maybe a year or two too soon
D. Vishnesky | Chicago | 12/23/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I love Anberlin, but this album might have come a little too early to be worth the full price. For die hard fans, nothing on this album is new. It's nice to have a real copy of tracks that previously were only heard through internet sites, but you're also paying for tracks you already bought from download services, on B-Sides, or on special edition CDs. For casual listeners, the album takes the band sideways rather than forward and generally is less entertaining than the studio albums. It definitely feels like the record label was trying to put a final stamp on the Anberlin brand and make a few more dollars before the band heads off to greener pastures.
All that said, Downtown Song is probably the best track on here. It's a great track from the Never Take Friendship Personal era that was previously unavailable outside of an internet bootleg. The acoustics give us some new spins on some old favorites... the best of these is the new "A Day Late" version. However, it's hard to give it more than a cursory nod given the greatness of the original track.
Bottom line: The material is thin and there are a lot of tracks here that you could have bought elsewhere. Buy this to round out your collection, but don't expect it to blow you away."
Nice Work On the Album
Baseball Fan | Hollywood | 11/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"2007 has become the year to gather up all the songs that have been laying around not making any money for a band and put them all together on a record to sale. "Lost Songs" is a collection of b-sides, demos, covers, and acoustic songs that the band has collected over the years.
The acoustic songs are fantastic and may very well be worth the cost of the album for a lot of people. The quality is very good, both on the AOL session tracks and the other acoustic songs. "Dismantle. Repair." is one of the best acoustic tracks on the album which may simply be because it's one of the band's best songs to date but it may also be because the acoustic version gives the song a different perspective from the original.
Some of the B-sides such as "The Haunting", "Uncanny" and "Downtown Song" are terrific and will probably make you ask why they didn't appeared on the record that they were recorded for.
The cover songs which are scattered through out the record are another thing that this band has almost perfected. "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" is a song however that could have even been left off this rarities album and I would have been just fine with it. The song is skip-able and the worst of the bunch. The band does do a fairly good job of making the covers their own but not losing the appeal that the original had.
All in all this is pretty solid release one that may be geared more for current fans of the band but should not leave new comers wanting their money back.
4.6 out of 5
"
Found something else
Derrick Jenkins | Hampton VA USA | 11/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"to love about Anberlin. Having already purchased all of their cds thus far. When i heard this was coming out i went ordered asap. I like the fact that they wanted to give their fans a chance to hear some songs that didnt make it on their previous releases. I like even more is that they describe what the mood was when they were doing the songs, how it came about and also why a certain song didnt make it on a particular album.
I just love it in general whether its a cover song "There is A Light" or an acoustic version of Naive Orleans or Creep. The guys do it and make the most of it in each track on Lost Songs. I'm glad the guys were able to get out some of their work that didnt make it before. It will be pretty well received by fans new and old. Its something to tie Anberlin fans over til their next cd release and its also something to give you a new spin on some of your favorite songs by a band that will only continue to gain popularity and success.