Re: (TV) The Waitresses compilation -- my review

[Phil Obbard <pobbard@yahoo.com>]

And of course, speaking of their second album BRUISEOLOGY, the guitar solo in
"Make the Weather" is a homage to Tom Verlaine (Butler mentioned this in the
liner notes of a previous best-of).  http://youtu.be/wb_yF9S63w0
 
--Phil
________________________________
 From: Phil Obbard <pobbard@yahoo.com>
To:
Marquee Moon Mailing List <tv@obbard.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2013
10:19 PM
Subject: (TV) The Waitresses compilation -- my review
 

The long
long LONG awaited Waitresses compilation, "Just Desserts: The Complete
Recordings", was released yesterday. I got my copy today. I'm really enjoying
it.

(As a reminder, the drummer for the Waitresses was Billy Ficca --
originally recruited to re-record drums on "I Know What Boys Like" after the
one-off track Chris Butler did became a hit).

Here's the quick review I just
posted elsewhere:

"I got my copy today. A really nice set. Sound is good
throughout; a side-by-side comparison of tracks with the 1990 best-of CD makes
the two look pretty even. (Though the debut is a big step-up from the digital
version you can buy on Amazon.com right now, which is not only sourced from
vinyl but -- as I realized today -- has the stereo image flipped).
The
alternate, previously unreleased "Bruiseology" has vocals by Tracy Wormworth;
seems like this was done when it wasn't clear that Patty Donahue would return
to record her own vocals for the track (which she did). The booklet, while
unfortunately not including lyrics, has lengthy notes on the story of the band
and new interview content with Chris Butler. Like the liners to the 1990
best-of (or most interviews with Butler on the topic of the Waitresses), it's
a bit poignant and sad; Butler mentions that he had demo'd a whole album of
material right after BRUISEOLOGY for the final entry in a Waitresses "trilogy"
that would never get made.

One new detail (to me): Butler attributes part of
the band's disintegration to the fact that lead singer Patty Donahue became
romantically involved with drummer Billy Ficca.

If I have any gripes about
the set, it's that the liners commit one my irritants in compilations: Talking
about tracks that aren't included on the set. In this case, it's several early
recordings the band made before signing to Ze (and later Polydor). In fact,
while the set is subtitled "The Complete Recordings", the sticker affixed to
the shrinkwrap more accurately refers to it as "The Complete Polydor
Recordings". Anyway -- this is as much Waitresses (probably more) than most
people will ever need -- both albums, their sole EP, and a few b-sides/remixes
-- but seems like there are a few rarities out there that would make a good
single disc. Maybe in another 30 years?

I know the debut album and subsequent
EP well, but not so much the second record. For example, I just today noticed
the "Aladdin Sane"-esque piano solo in "Everything's Wrong If My Hair Is
Wrong"! Clearly, the second album was encouraging some real experimentation.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing this whole lots in coming
weeks/months/years. An unjustly forgotten band finally given decent catalog
treatment."

--Phil
--------------
To post: Mail tv@obbard.com
To unsubscribe:
Mail majordomo@obbard.com with message "unsubscribe tv"
--------------
To post: Mail tv@obbard.com
To unsubscribe: Mail majordomo@obbard.com with message "unsubscribe tv"