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Only fans should visit "Anthologyland"

arnienuvo | Jackson, MI United States | 06/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Collections of outtakes, demos, and live performances can be fun and can also reveal some excellent unheard moments. But for the most part, they are simply gifts for true fans of the artist. "Anthologyland" is one for the fans. It's a mixed bag of items that include some gems along with some moments that should have remained in the vaults. Martha Davis is an amazing vocalist and an excellent songwriter. However, like most songwriters (me being an amateur one), along with the great songs that get recorded there are a handful of songs that are cringe-worthy. It's not until some time has passed before you dig those up and ask "what was I thinking?" "Anthologyland" has some of those moments along with some nice revelations.Disc one is the star here with the live tracks proving that the Motels were a great live band along with the best of the outtakes like "Boys" and "Amigo." Listening to these tracks makes you wonder why these never made it to the completed albums. Although not new, it was great to hear the excellent and underrated "Slow Town" included here as well. Disc two starts out positively with the outtakes of "Surrender" (which, unfortunately, suffers in the arrangement - they should have really rocked out on this) and "Mystery D.J." The live version of "Remember the Nights" is a nice addition from an SNL show and the demo version of "Take My Breath Away" is a keeper. With Martha's aching voice, the lyrics take on a different meaning and adds depth to a song that she should have had the hit with instead of Berlin. Other than those and a pleasant "bonus" track of "Coco and John", the second disc suffers from songs that are just not up to the best that Davis and the Motels have to offer. Most of these, especially the cliched, sappy "I Can't Believe," probably should have stayed lost. The duets and film songs just don't make the grade.This set would have made an outstanding single disc with some good editing. But what remains is still a good collection for completists. If you are a casual fan or just discovering the Motels, I suggest the "No Vacancy" collection as a great starting point and then follow that up with their two best albums, "All Four One" and "Little Robbers." In addition, listening to this collection makes me long for some new tracks from Davis. I love that voice and when she writes a great song, it's amazing."

IT'S TIME TO RECHECK INTO MARTHA'S MOTEL WITH ANTHOLOGYLAND

Jay Siekierski | STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. USA | 05/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Talk about a surprise for new waver rockers. Remember The Motels? Why of course you do. After all, somebody checked into the Martha Davis quarters and bought some of they're records. With most of The Motels CD catalog out of print once again, this new 2 CD set Anthologyland (Oglio) is a blessing for the fans. 31 tracks make up this CD set that is packed with demos, alternate takes, outtakes, unreleased live tracks, and officially released songs by both the band and Martha Davis solo outings. Though the sound quality varies on most of the tracks, this beats any bootleg by them out there. Now a few high points that make this set worth getting. All the soundtrack recordings released & unreleased by the band & Martha solo are here. The unreleased live tracks are far from vacant and they show that the band had spunk on stage. The demo of "Shame" has been endlessly in my CD player on repeat and is brilliant. The booklet folds out into a poster with Martha adding the notes on every track. This could just be the time to check back into Martha's Motels. A."