This Invalid Litter Dept. single is a good item for any fan of At the Drive-In. It combines the material from the two other Invalid Litter Dept. singles for the same price as either. While some people who own Relationship of Command and Vaya may initially sneer at the prospect of buying a single that costs almost as much, as much, or more than either of the aforementioned albums, there are three songs here that are not featured on Relationship or Vaya. "Invalid Litter Department" and "Metronome Arthritis" are the same versions from Relationship and Vaya, respectively, but "Initiation" and "Quarantined" are new "Lamacq Versions." I don't know what "Lamacq" stands for, but neither song, particularly "Initiation," has ever sounded better. "Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" is a new track altogether, not found on any previous AtDI record, in addition to being a "Lamacq Version." So even if you own all the other AtDI records, you won't be disappointed by a lack of new material after buying this. Also, if you don't own any AtDI albums, this is a decent place to start; it collects songs from Relationship of Command, Acrobatic Tenement, and Vaya, as well as having a new song. Trust me, the "Lamacq Versions" are awesome.
If you have heard Relationship of Command, then you already know that "Invalid Litter Department" is an awesome song. If not, let me give you a little introduction. It is six-minute song, starting off mellow and almost happy, despite the unpleasant lyrics. After about four-and-a-half minutes, the band just explodes, blowing the listener away with a sonic assault the likes of which is not often experienced in today's music scene. In addition to the loud instruments, Cedric screams himself hoarse. The conclusion of this song, chock full of emotion, will raise goosebumps on your arms.
"Metronome Arthritis," a song originally on Vaya, is also a good track. It's fairly slow compared with the other stuff from Vaya (other than "198d"), but "slow" does not mean "bad," as some people think. It is a great song, with some very interesting and unique music and some weird, paranoid vocals. It's really good. You should definitely check out Vaya (and Relationship of Command, too, for that matter).
"Initiation" and "Quarantined" were good in their original forms, but here they are even better, in my opinion. "Initiation" originally appeared on Acrobatic Tenement, At the Drive-In's first full-length release. Because of the low-budget recording (it was recorded for ... in a single day), the sound quality on Acrobatic Tenement is not particularly good (though it is still an awesome record). In particular, the guitars sound kind of weak on Acrobatic Tenement. Here, though, "Initiation" sounds as powerful sonically as it did emotionally in its original form -- truly awesome. It starts off slow and speeds up at the end. The lyrics and music are extremely emotional, and it may be my favorite At the Drive-In song. "Quarantined" was no pushover in its original Relationship of Command form, but it sounds even better here, particular the chorus, I think.
"Take up Thy Stethoscope," while not horrible, is definitely the disc's weakest link. It definitely belongs as an extra on a single; it's just not up to AtDI standards. Still, if you are an AtDI completist like me, then you'll want to hear it. You may even enjoy it; as I said, it's not horrible -- it's just not as good as the rest of this amazing band's material.
Anyway, this single is a good purchase for any AtDI fan or prospective AtDI fan. It is the same price as "Invalid Litter Dept. Pt. 1" and "Invalid Litter Dept. Pt. 2," and features the material from both. The "Initiation" and "Quarantined" versions included on this single are worth the cost alone.
Invalid Litter Dept.
AtDI ILD
