Songs From the Other Side
Compiled by the band,Songs from the Other Side--a selection of B-sides from the Beggars Banquet years (1990-1997)--is the tardy companion to 1998'sMelting Pot: The Best of the Charlatans, which covered the same period but from the other side of the vinyl. But a 16-track collection of castoffs it's not; virtually every track confirms the band's songwriting prowess. The instrumental opener "Imperial 109" (the flipside to "The Only One I Know") is the perfect introduction to their uplifting blend of Stonesy rock and spiraling organ-fueled psychedelia. The single's vinyl run proclaimed "Good Aren't We?" not only inspiring the title to a fanzine, but also defining the band's swaggering confidence.Songs from the Other Sidetakes a journey through a checkered history that not only saw them survive being written off as "past it," but also endured the tragic death of keyboard player Rob Collins. With superb moments including "Subterranean" and "Nine Acre Dust (Chemical Brothers Remix)" capturing their developing interest in dance, and the likes of "Green Flashing Eyes" and "Clean Up Kid" reflecting their longtime love of groove-heavy shuffling rock, this collection proves without any doubt that their name really is ironic.--Christopher Barrett