Galaxie 500 only released three proper albums during its short life span, so this selection of outtakes and non-album tracks is especially welcome for those who crave that unique, hypnotic sound. It took me awhile to warm up to this CD, though, and I finally realized that the track sequencing had a lot to do with it.
The songs are arranged in reverse chronological order, which is always a bad idea because instead of listening to how a band's sound developed over time, you instead have to listen to it becoming more restricted. So what I finally did was I recorded these songs in a different order, chronological this time, onto one side of a 90-minute cassette tape.
When I listened back to it, suddenly the music all made sense. I should note that I eliminated "Blue Thunder w/sax" because it is an inferior version of the excellent song that can be found in unadulterated form on another album, and I also eliminated "Rain/Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste," because it is really a crime what they did to "Rain." To fill up the tape, I added "Here She Comes Now," the extra track on the CD version of "This Is Our Music," the album which I put on the other side of the tape.
So here's my running order:
1. Walking Song
2. The Other Side
3. On the Floor
4. Oblivious
5. I Can't Believe it's Me
6. Crazy
7. Jerome
8. Song in 3
9. Maracas Song
10. Cheese and Onions
11. Them
12. Final Day
13. Here She Comes Now
And here are the advantages of that running order, compared to the CD:
1. Instead of beginning with the amusing but awkward "Cheese and Onions," the album begins with "Walking Song," a stripped-down, uptempo number that is catchy and is the only track here that really sounds like a garage band.
2. The magnificent "The Other Side," with vocals by Naomi, is now prominently featured as the second track, instead of being buried toward the end of the compilation. This is the best non-album song by Galaxie 500, and is among their best songs ever. It amazes me that such a new band could put together a song that is so dynamic but at the same time so delicate.
3. "Cheese and Onions" takes its rightful place as a bit of comic relief toward the end of the album.
4. "Final Day" is now the last song (almost). What could possibly be more appropriate? It's a great song (I've never heard the Young Marble Giants' original), but is rather dark, so my addition of "Here She Comes Now" lightens the mood.
So if you are a Galaxie 500 fan, buy the album and dust off that old cassette player so you can place these songs in their rightful order. Or maybe you can somehow record them this way onto a blank CD. (I'm unfamiliar with the technology.)
Whoever decided on this backwards running order must have been the same person who decided to put the exact same liner notes in the reissues of all the Galaxie 500 CD's. So what the heck, maybe you can print off my review and use it as liner notes while you're at it. Happy listening!
One of My Most Loved Discs
Good songs, poorly sequenced
