Reviews

Two-CD, 40-song compilation that draws from all of their albums (including the ones from the 1990s) and a couple of early EPs, throwing in eight previously unreleased live performances, demos, and remixes (as well as the 7" single version of {&"To Hell With Poverty"}). Although this is only two discs, it opens itself up to the usual box set criticisms. It's likely that anyone who has followed {$Gang of Four} has already picked up the albums they want, and will thus need to shell out more money than they want for a bunch of not-too-essential rarities. For those who just want a compilation, the single-disc {^Brief History of the Twentieth Century} is better and more economical, even though it has no '90s material. Most puzzling is the decision to present the tracks out of chronological sequence, meandering from 1979 to the 1990s and back again while visiting all points in between. All this taken into consideration, there's a lot of music here that {$Gang of Four} fans will consider among the band's most essential, and the package is made more appealing with a 52-page booklet that has a lengthy band history by noted British punk historian {$Jon Savage}. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide