Many Parts (1988)

This collection is a bit of a ringer, surfacing only as part of the Product box set, but it is handy nonetheless, compiling the remaining tracks recorded by the band during its first lifetime along with a previously unreleased eight-song concert snippet. The title refers to the original Parts 1, 2, 3 compilation of the band's final six singles, which appear here in the order of original release. "Are Everything" is a standout, featuring full string orchestration, the first and only time the group tried that, and quite ... Read More

This collection is a bit of a ringer, surfacing only as part of the Product box set, but it is handy nonetheless, compiling the remaining tracks recorded by the band during its first lifetime along with a previously unreleased eight-song concert snippet. The title refers to the original Parts 1, 2, 3 compilation of the band's final six singles, which appear here in the order of original release. "Are Everything" is a standout, featuring full string orchestration, the first and only time the group tried that, and quite successfully, too. "Strange Thing" is another winner, with a sharp speaker-to-speaker guitar arrangement and a weird, sheet-metal sounding main melody, while the horn-driven "What Do You Know?" is a bit off the mark but still has the unique touch of Shelley aiming for a soul falsetto. Diggle's brisk "Why She's a Girl From the Chainstore" is a fine number with an attractive mid-song break, but more impressive is his sweetly soaring, synth-touched "Running Free," with Shelley on a good counterpoint backing vocal. As for the concert, it's a crisp and clean document of the band's on-stage abilities, generally favoring the more direct crunch-and-bash side of their existence than the more fragile or nervy elements, musically if not lyrically. Two old Spiral Scratch/Devoto-era nuggets, "Breakdown" and "Time's Up," get enthusiastic blasts here, Shelley easily equaling Devoto's original singing. The remaining tracks range from some of their legendary singles -- the fun "Noise Annoys" and a fine one-two punch of "What Do I Get?" and "Whatever Happened To?" -- and equally strong album monsters like "Fiction Romance" and "Moving Away From the Pulsebeat." Shelley's amusingly lackadaisical countdowns for a number of the songs are an extra bonus. Closing everything out is the jaunty rarity "I Look Alone," originally appearing only on a multi-band compilation. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi Read Less