Myrmidons of Melodrama

by

The Shangri-Las

Edit

As most buyers of Shangri-Las music have already discovered, there are two versions of the group's greatest hits collecton "Myrmidons of Melodrama," one released in 1995 that sports a color, pop art-inspired cover and one released in 2002 that sports a black-and-white cover with a photo of the group. Although both versions have essentially the same tracks on them, there are some minor differences that could influence a customer's decision to purchase one over the other. These differences are listed below:

Original version with color artwork released in 1995: This version includes the singles "Maybe," "Wishing Well," and "Hate To Say I Told You So," which are NOT included on the 2002 re-release. This version, however, lacks any stereo mixes of the songs and does not include the single "Simon Says/Simon Speaks."

2002 re-release with the black-and-white cover: This version includes stereo mixes of some of the group's singles and includes the single "Simon Says/Simon Speaks." Excluding the three songs mentioned above, the track listing is identical to the original version (taking into account the fact that the tracks are listed out of order on the back of the CD). This is a minor, albeit irritating, clerical error.

So the question really becomes one of importance. If it is more important to you to have the three songs that are included on the 1995 version, then that is the one you should buy. If having stereo mixes of the songs is what you're after, then the 2002 re-release is for you. Personally, I would rather have the stereo mixes of some of the group's classic hits than have three songs that I have never heard before, but that it merely my preference. Collectors will probably want to buy both versions.

While the Myrmidons of Melodrama has probably the definitive Shangri-Las greatest hits tracklisting, the stereo mixes of the group's biggest singles are absolutely horrible. Songs like "Leader of the Pack" and "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" were never intended to be heard in stereo when they were recorded, and the manufacturers of this disc took absolutely no care in remixing the original mono recordings of these singles. Both of these songs sound very flat and lifeless compared to the stereo originals. While there are a lot of rare gems to be found on this CD, consider purchasing another with the original mixes before you waste your money on this shoddily-assembled compilation.