Varukers

The reunited Varukers' debut album, recorded amid the sessions for the all-new Murder, was essentially a greatest-hits set, recut for the occasion, but losing none of the power of the blueprints therein. Cherry-picking numbers that, more than a decade on from their original incarnations, still retained the commitment and energy that had once inspired them, Still Bollox But Still Here is one of those all too rare albums that actually manages to -- if not improve on the original recordings, at least display them from an equally valid perspective. Speaking in the accompanying booklet, Varukers vocalist Tony Martin admits that "a lot of those tunes were originally recorded in a rush, at different times, in different studios, but they were great songs and we wanted to give them an up-to-date sound, a production that was consistent throughout the whole record." They succeeded, and the album's 1995 We Bite label release is now as highly prized as some of the original recordings. This reissue, however, is even more essential, as it includes four bonus tracks from the Nothing's Changed EP that announced the band's return in 1993, and made the rest of this masterpiece possible in the first place. [The 2006 reissue adds bonus tracks.] ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide