Galaxie 500

AMG Review of Galaxie 500

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

Happily putting the entirety of Galaxie 500's work in one place, this truly appealing box set -- Naomi Yang did the overall design, which really looks wonderful -- is well worth the price for any hardcore fan. Besides having all three of the original albums -- Today, On Fire, and This Is Our Music -- each disc includes at least one bonus track and a video, each directed by Sergio Huidor. Rykodisc's usual quality of remastering comes through, not least because the group's regular producer Kramer oversaw it, keeping the sound right where it should be. A further bonus disc -- The Uncollected Galaxie 500 -- compiles every last one of the band's other cuts from demos and compilation appearances, along with a slew of unreleased tracks. While an uneven listen, it's still a fine treat, containing many notable numbers. The nuttiest is first -- a cover of the Rutles' "Cheese and Onions," tweaking Neil Innes' accomplished Beatles parody track into the trio's own unique style. The Beatles themselves get a similar treatment with a frenetic, speaker-shredding live medley of "Rain" and Jonathan Richman's "Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste," while the Young Marble Giants' "Final Day" takes a studio bow. Among the band originals are alternate takes of studio cuts, including a great version of "Blue Thunder" with Ralph Carney on sax. As for unheard numbers, "Them," one of the last songs the group recorded, gives a taste where the three might have gone next, with some artful guitar/feedback arrangements suggesting more complex approaches in future. In an interesting contrast, the three songs from the band's original demo tape appear, helping show how Kramer transformed the trio's strong enough work into something much more unique. A booklet with rare photos, recording details, and reminiscences from all three band members completes this truly worthy model of what a box set should be like.