Interesting "Little" single
wellwellwell | bog | 05/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a big fan of Harvey Danger for a long, long time, and naturally I was quite excited when they got back together and released Little By Little... in late 2005. And in that, I was also excited about possible singles (i.e., b-sides) being released soon thereafter. However, I was not very impressed with Cream And Bastards Rise, which was the first single off the album. And being that there was only one true b-side on this single, and I am often turned off by a surplus of live tracks as b-sides, I waited awhile to get it. But once I did (I needed a couple extra dollars on my order to get the free shipping), I was more than pleasantly surprised with how good the "live" tracks were--particularly "Wrecking Ball", one of my all-time favorite HD tracks.
First, it should be noted that the one supposed true b-side, "We Drew The Maps", actually features HD's bassist, Aaron Huffman, on lead vocals (The Long Winters' commander John Roderick takes over on bass). I still like the song; its focus on drums and somber style are appealing in their own right, and it's extremely catchy. However, the true gems on this single are the "live" tracks; but in fact, they were not genuinely recorded live. They were recorded in studio, which thus gives them a nice studio feel. "Wrecking Ball" and "Radio Silence"--the two closing tracks from HD's debut album--are fantastic; the cello is as beautiful as ever. I actually prefer the "Wrecking Ball" featured here (now). The other live-in-studio track is a cover of David Bowie's "Oh! You Pretty Things", a concert staple during their last tour. They do it justice and add their own, jolly kick to it...as only Sean Nelson could. And for being a live-in-studio recording, it is surprisingly well-orchestrated. And that, is a staple of Harvey Danger.
Overall, this is a great single, well worth the price it's being offered for. I applaud Harvey Danger for the time they took in, basically, re-recording "Wrecking Ball" and "Radio Silence" and for the nice Bowie cover and for the unconventional b-side. Really, though, all the tracks on this single are true b-sides; the "live" label attributed to some of the songs is not entirely fitting. They all need to be heard. Make sure that if you have obtained Little By Little... (which, of course, features the same "Little Round Mirrors" found here) and enjoyed it, that you take the time to look into the b-sides found here. Hopefully, now, Harvey Danger is here to stay. At least it looks that way."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1