Greatest Hits

by

Better Than Ezra

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Since the early 90's Better Than Ezra has been around and making good music that, for the most part, has flown under a lot of people's radar. They have definitely gathered a cult following that has allowed them four terrific albums (excluding artifakt), a live album and now finally a Greatest Hits package.

On this release fans can find many of the favourite songs the band is "known" for. Such songs include the mega-hit "Good", along with other crowd pleasers "Desperately Wanting", "At The Stars" and the song some people know due to a McDonald's commercial, "Extra Ordinary". Included are also some of the more rare releases that could formerly only be found on web-site-avalible "artifakt" album; "Tremble" and "Wallflower".

This Greatest Hits package couldn't be complete if it weren't for some revamped songs and a new release. On this note, the band has re-recorded two songs from the debut album "Deluxe" for the listeners enjoyment. Here, they have included the version, that could previously only be found live that has been dubbed by BTE fans as the "Voodoo Remix" of "Porcelain", which is much more savvy and blues driven. Also they have updated a concert favourite in "This Time of Year", which here is also including part of the song "Get You In". A cover of the James song "Laid" is the newest offering on the album, which starts off sounding like they have fused together that song with AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)".

This Greatest Hits package goes from start to finish with some of the best songs Better Than Ezra have recorded over the span of their careers. Instead of just taking the songs off of the original albums, they have also included several "single versions" of songs that mix things up a bit. The only draw backs to the album, however, are that the songs don't flow as well as they could due to the order they are put in. Also being redundant is small problem; most of these songs are also included in the recent release of the "Live at House of Blues" album. Those, along with an aparent technical problem on the song "Rosealia" that leaves a terrible scratch sounding noise in the right track, are the only problems with this album.

If a person remembers the wonder years where "Good" was played time and time again on the radio and wonders what happened to the band, this is for you. Also, if someone has told you about BTE and you're wondering what they're all about, this is also for you. Or, if you're simply a huge fan and want to own anything by the band that you can get your hands on, this is undoubtably for you.

I like Better Than Ezra, I really do. I own CD's of "Deluxe" and "Friction, Baby", and if you don't yet have any BTE cd's, I'd recommend you buy those two instead of springing for this disappointing-sounding comp. There's a lot of good music on those two CD's that you'll be missing out on by going the 'greatest hits' route, plus a couple of the remixes on this CD are WORSE than the original versions! Cases in point:

- Porcelain: Take a sensitive, well-arranged piece of music as it appears on "Deluxe", and trash it up beyond recognition with an arrangement that's so out of character with the lyrics it's sadly funny - you have the "voodoo remix" that appears here. Pretty pitiful.

- "In The Blood": What's with all the extra noises here? The original song (again on "Deluxe") is much less cluttered and simply works better than the version on this comp.

You get the idea. My opinion is this: If you like BTE, make sure you at least have "Deluxe" and "Friction" in your collection. And if you just want one CD of theirs, then choose whichever of those you like. But don't cheat yourself by making this the only collection of BTE's music you own - they're really much Better Than This.