Treat Her Right

During the late '80s, Treat Her Right was a minor college-rock sensation, even if they didn't sound like anyone else. Their minimalist, modernist bluesy roots-rock did loosely fit into the post-R.E.M. weirdness of '80s alternative rock -- after all, their were folk-rock, garage rock and psychedelic revivals underway, all of which opened doors for a cerebrally strange rock group like Treat Her Right. They never quite became stars, but two members -- bassist/vocalist/co-leader Mark Sandman and drummer Billy Conway -- went on to form Morphine, whose moody guitarless rock became a great cult success in the '90s. Morphine's success, ironically, pushed Treat Her Right into the netherworlds of history, but it also led to the 1998 release of The Anthology: 1985-1990. Featuring 16 tracks, the record is neatly divided between Sandman and David Champagne's songs, with a couple of Jim Fitting tunes thrown in for good measure. Almost every one of the group's best songs have been selected for the compilation -- seven songs apiece from the first two records, two from the last album -- making it not only an ideal choice for casual fans, but also a definitive overview of one of the best overlooked bands of their era. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi