AMG Review of Greatest Hits, Vol. 16

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

The joke is, of course, that Greatest Hits, Vol. 16 is not the Donnas' 16th collection of hits, nor is the album even a collection of hits. Instead, it's a hodgepodge of new songs, alternate versions, B-sides, and live and re-recorded versions of songs they originally recorded for Atlantic, plus a remix -- a collection of odds and sods that by its nature would seem to hold interest only for diehards, but there's a smidgeon of truth that this, like other albums called Greatest Hits, can be used as an introduction to the Donnas because it captures their reckless roar as well as any of their other albums. Arguably, it captures their sound better than their glossy major-label platters for Atlantic -- certainly, "Take It Off" sounds more aggressive here than it did on Spend the Night -- or even the somewhat leaden thud of their 2007 return to the minors, Bitchin', giving as good a dose of thunder as the band ever has.