40 Seasons: The Best Of Skid Row
Boosters of Skid Row singerSebastian Bachmay not find this 1998 CD to be a truly objective best-of Skid Row. The 16-song disc, compiled by bassist Rachel Bolan after Bach's departure from the band, leans toward Bolan-penned hits, leaving out a couple of the band's best in the Bach tunes "Wasted Time" and "In a Darkened Room." For a casual fan, though, the expected trademark anthems, including "Youth Gone Wild," "18 and Life," and the bass-heavy "Piece of Me," are there, as are the beautifully produced power ballad "I Remember You" and requisite rockers "Monkey Business" and "Slave to the Grind." A demo, remixes, and a live track included here may be interesting to the faithful, though they also highlight the biases that color the song selections. The previously unreleased 1988 rocker "Forever," however, is a rarity worth having.--Katherine Turman