Arab on Radar

This disc collects most of the stray non-album tracks released by Arab on Radar over the years, including their split 7"s with the Locust and Kid Commando, two more 7"s of their own, three early cassette-only tracks, and their contribution to the You're Soaking in It and RePopulation Program compilations on Load Records. Considering that some of the band's best songs never made it onto any of their albums and that most of these releases are now out of print or otherwise hard to find, this is a welcome compilation. It also does a good job of outlining the band's evolution over the years from a fairly straight-ahead, almost danceable no wave group to the unique (and some would say repellent) force they later became. Standouts such as "Piggin' in the Pumpkin Patch," "Miss American Hair Pie," and "3 Meals Away From a Crack Whore" show how potent their blend of helium-sucking vocals, cymbal-heavy drumming, and spastic, yet controlled guitar dissonance could be. The only complaint is that the song lyrics aren't printed, since the vocals are mixed so low in most of the songs. All in all, Soak the Saddle is still probably Arab on Radar's definitive statement, but this disc is still a must-have for fans, and it wouldn't make a bad introduction for newcomers, either. ~ William York, All Music Guide