1979-1985 Complete Recordings

構成数 : 6枚
合計収録時間 : 00:00:00
As the re-formed and rejuvenated Monochrome Set spent the 2010s releasing albums filled with the kind of witty, hooky, and fun guitar pop they always have, it seemed like the perfect time to start reconsidering their impressive back catalog. The job was taken on by Tapete Records, the same label who released their excellent pair of albums from 2016 and 2018, and a collection of rarities (Volume, Contrast, Brilliance: Unreleased & Rare, Vol. 2.) In early 2018, they released 1979-1985: Complete Recordings, a six-disc set that packaged up all the recordings made by the first incarnation of the Set. Their four albums (1980's Strange Boutique and Love Zombies, 1982's Eligible Bachelors, and 1985's The Lost Weekend) are each on their own disc, then all the singles the band released are on two discs. It's a striking collection that makes clear how good the band was. The Set's leader Bid was (and is) a first-rate songwriter, able to craft zippy tunes with sticky melodies and words that don't stick to the usual moon/june romantic topics. Each album has its own charms and it's fun to track the band's changes over the few years the set covers. The singles collections are highlighted by their timeless classic "He's Frank," but the rest undeniably ranks with the best sophisticated pop of the time. It's great that Tapete reissued all this wonderful material, but even more impressive that they did it the same week that the Monochrome Set released Maisieworld, an album that shows they haven't lost a creative step over the many years that have elapsed since they first began recording. ~ Tim Sendra