Cracker - Garage D'Or mp3 album

There are to be some very fine and well done Greatest Hits that have come out in the last ten years, seems the record companies have finally gotten the process down, or perhaps the bands themselves are having more input as to what exactly goes into making a compilation album. Regardless, this is one of the most complete double discs to come down the road in a long time. But as most people won’t be beginning here, it’s the material that was not previously on any of the other releases that commands your attention, and those songs are top notch, not throw aways for left overs from the cutting room floor ... these songs are so good that one might speculate that they were recorded just for this outing alone, “Sunday Train,” “Eyes Of Mary,” and “China,” being the standouts of the unreleased numbers.If you are new to Cracker, this is probably the very best place to start. Though the songs are not in order of their release, there is a consistent flow, and you will be getting all of the music you would desire from this under rated American band. Cracker, who much like the Grateful Dead, have different families and splitter groups, who go off and do side projects and then come back together for a full blown, “This is what we’ve learned ...” tour. The music is pure, but not simple, though at first glance will seem so. The sound is very complex and layered, thought they do not stray from their rock n’ roll roots when they mix in some country funk, blues and even flavor some songs with psychedelic overtones. The music is pure and honest, both lyrically and instrumentally, nothing is left to chance or done on the fly.Cracker does not hold back ever, they are one of the few bands who give one hundred percent, all of the time. So, long story short, if you want nearly all of their material up to the year 2000, I highly suggest that you get your hands on this disc as you’ll be getting more then you bargained for ... once here, I’m sure you’ll be going back to sample the rest of their albums, the catalog is nothing short of amazing and just a whole lot of fun.Welcome to the family ... and don’t forget the albums that have come after.Review by Jenell Kesler