Album Results
Album Reviews
Released for the British market, Hits and Rarities combines a good basic Sheryl Crow hits compilation with a collection of rarities that are either not that rare or interesting. The first disc is the stronger of the two, containing almost all of her big hits, not presented chronologically but presented entertainingly and not leaning too heavily on any particular era. Here, there are a few minor rarities -- the alternate Corrs version of "C'mon C'mon," soundtrack contributions to the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, the film Home of the Brave ("Try Not to Remember"), and her unfortunate cover of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine" from Adam Sandler's Big Daddy -- which actually seem rarer than the stuff on the second disc. Seven of the 12 tracks there are live, many taken from the 2003 Live at Budokan, then there are two alternate takes, the B-sides "Chances Are," "Subway Ride," and a 1996 cover of Derek & the Dominos' "Keep on Growing." Nothing bad here, but hardly a worthy collection of Crow's stray tracks and certainly not worth seeking out, as it's neither complete nor really compelling. But the hits disc is good and if you're in the home territory, or find this at a bargain price, it's a nice -- if not necessary -- package overall. [A single-disc edition of Hits and Rarities was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Track Listing
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Never Miss A Beat Kaiser Chiefs |
| The kings of chorus repetition strike again with this good intentioned look at the state of our youth and the failure of the education system. Don't panic! As serious as this may sound, these are neither deep lyrics nor they reflect any worrying shift towards U2-like social analysis. "Never Miss A Beat" does not desperately try to be as popular as "Ruby", which makes it more enjoyable, and although it cannot compare with the Chiefs' best moments (namely, their debut singles) many want to see some sort of getting back to form, fuelled by their collaboration with new Britpop king, Mark Ronson, who was called to produce their forthcoming effort. His Midas touch is expected to rescue the band from the typical disappointing effect of that difficult second album. This new single, though, lacks of the shock and awe effect a different sound direction would have provided; instead Ronson respectfully brings the band back to the familiar sonic frame where Kaiser Chiefs used to feel at home, but a few surprises may be unveiled when "Off With Their Heads" gets a release. | |
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