Search - Golden Smog :: Stay Golden Smog: Best of Golden Smog (Jewl)

Breathe Deeply and Enjoy the Smog

Robert Walsh | 11/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a decent sampler of a truly great band, and it's only the blaring ommisions that make this a four star album for me.



First of all, fans of the JAYHAWKS (specifically Hollywood Town Hall), UNCLE TUPELO (Anodyne), or WILCO (Being There)- you may not have heard of Golden Smog, but you're gonna love 'em. Certain tracks on this album- Glad & Sorry, Won't Be Coming Home, Radio King, Until You Came Along- are as good as anything on any of the aforementioned albums, and I say this even though these albums are three of my favorite all time. The group is like some sort of music capsule that fell, perfectly preserved and without ever having had any airtime, out of the 70's in an alternative universe. The songs are perfectly fresh, but it's easy to imagine having heard them a million times on the radio.



That being said, for the price, you're better off picking up Down by the Old Mainstream and Weird Tales.



I can almost forgive the ommision of Yesterday Cried, which somehow benefits from the echo of the Beatles' Yesterday that you can't help hearing in the background (hey, great artists steal outright...), and how that transitions into the very Idiot Wind-esque intro to Glad & Sorry on Down by the Old Mainstream. I guess I can overlook including the jokey and quickly tiresome Pecan Pie and He's A Dick instead of Where He Walked and Keys, which are also kind of jokey but far superior. But hey- no Friend? No Fear of Falling? These are flat out two of the best songs anyone anywhere has ever recorded, and any best of without them seems hugely incomplete.



As far as the later Smog- since I'm on the subject- definitely check out Louris singing Bowie's Starman on Blood on the Slacks. He manages to inject so much pathos and humanity into the song that he own it about three verses into it."

This band is nearly perfect

Matthew Sahlgren | Kalamazoo, Michigan United States | 10/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I found their last release somewhat lacking, this collection represents some of the best Golden Smog thus far. If you've never heard `em, get this, it's a great introduction. If you can imagine a cocktail of Wilco, Big Star, Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks, The Byrds...well, that's essentially what this is. For fans of Rickenbacher guitars, lush harmonies, and great songwriting. Golden Smog, and their other component bands, represent a logical progression of what had been called "folk-rock" 30 years ago. If you have any reservations check them out on Pandora.com radio. This is essential stuff."

Why? (please note - review is of concept, not content!!)

Howlinw | California, USA | 04/24/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Golden Smog is often my favorite band. I say "often" because their music is soothing in a very particular way, and whenever I reach for one of their albums I always find myself saying to myself "ahhh, this has got to be the best music I have ever heard." The Smog captures all that is good about American rock n roll in a warm, kind package. I cannot praise their music highly enough.



The above is why I unfortunately have to give a Golden Smog disc one star. It comes down to this - each album they recorded during the Ryko years has a unique dynamic and pacing that flows so naturally that the songs seem like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly in place. In an effort to grab some extra dough (although I don't see how - Golden Smog is hardly popular), Rykodisc has released a compilation spanning one EP and two full-length discs. For the same price as this compilation, you could probably buy used copies of all of their albums. However, now that this compilation exists, many listeners won't do that. As a result, they will miss out on appreciating Golden Smog as the band was meant to be heard, in the original album formats. This is music out of context. Still good songs, but missing something.



Has this compilation done a service to the band? Will it draw in listeners who would not otherwise approach Golden Smog albums? Will people buy the albums after shelling out for a compilation that contains most of the album tracks? These questions are, of course, rhetorical.



What's here is great, although I knocked it down from my planned 2-star rating (for the overall concept) since there is a distinct lack of bonus material. By comparison, the Josh Rouse comp which Ryko released right around the same time as this Golden Smog disc contained an extra CD of bonus material and rarities that made it worthwhile for someone like myself who owns all the Ryko-era Josh Rouse albums and EPs. But here, the token bonus cuts are just a lure for suckers who own the three Smog discs and might feel tempted to shell out for the few measly tracks tacked onto this comp. Why not include a live show as disc 2? Then you'd have my attention and money, maybe even a three or four star review.



So in summation, great music but stick with the albums. This is nothing but a record label's attempt to milk Golden Smog fans of some extra cash.



For reference, here are links to the actual Smog albums so you can check 'em out for yourselves and hear what I'm talking about:



1. On Golden Smog

2. Down by the Old Mainstream

3. Weird Tales"