Afffordable Introduction to the Early Sixpence
Greg Carpenter | Charlotte, NC | 01/26/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"If you want just once CD of the best tracks from the band's first three releases on R.E.X. Music (2 full-length albums and one e.p.) and you're short on cash, you can't go wrong with this affordably priced collection.
I would recommend, however, that you spend a few more dollars and pick up the Sixpence None The Richer Mega 3 collection which I recommended above. The Mega 3 collection has the band's first 3 releases in their entirety for the price of one CD. The artwork on the Mega 3 collection is bare bones, but the music is all there.
Early Years differs from the previous R.E.X. years collection, Portrait, in that it is more affordable and has original artwork. Tracklistings are virtually the same with Portrait having more songs, but a higher price tag and recycled artowrk.
No two Sixpence albums are alike, and their back catalog on R.E.X. label is a treasury of beautiful music. From the contemplative tone of band's debut, The Fatherless And The Widow, to the angst and energy of the follow-up, This Beautiful Mess, Sixpence never got hung up on a formula. The Tickets For A Prayer Wheel e.p. gave the fans a glimpse at This Beautiful Mess outtakes and home studio recordings that stand up with the best of their professional studio album cuts.
I can only give the release 3 stars because the tracklisting is too short, and the cover art, while attractive, is bordering on generic. Also, there is nothing new on offer that Sixpence fans do not have already. In comparison, the collection of Sixpence's Squint years, Best Of, is a far more solid collection with creative, original artwork, a generous track listing, an essay on the band's career and unreleased songs."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1