Chapterhouse

Possibly one of the more unexpected greatest-hits/archival releases ever, Rownderbowt's very existence is a surprise. Not many bands who only released two albums and a handful of singles to general public indifference would end up being the beneficiary of record company largesse in getting a double-packed-to-the-max CD release, with plenty of rarities and unreleased tracks to boot. Whether the fan base just proved more rabid than anyone expected, or if Dedicated felt that a few more units shifted couldn't hurt, Rownderbowt turns out to be that rarest of beasts, a career overview for unfamiliar listeners equally appealing to the longtime supporter. The first disc covers the hits, for lack of a better word - plenty of tracks from both studio albums, including all single A-sides (including their brilliant non-album cut "Mesmerised"), plus a generous amount of B-sides, including solid songs like the early rocker "Sixteen Years," their not-bad cover of the Beatles' "Rain," and the low-key "In My Arms." (This said, a little more room could have been made for such B-side joys as "Come Heaven" and "Precious One," but who said life was perfect?) The second disc mostly covers the hitherto unavailable goodies, including a good throb through Spacemen 3's "Losing Touch with My Mind," six demos of mostly fine tunes that never reached a final version, and one or two other random tracks. Also included: two remixes, the Blood Music bonus epic "Picnic," and the nuttiest thing Chapterhouse ever did, "Die Die Die," an over the top Stoogefest primal punk rant initially only available with the vinyl version of Whirlpool that single-handedly demolishes the bloodless shoegazer image the bandmembers had. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide