The Dropkick Murphys -Singles Collection Volume2 - 1998-2004 - B-sides,Covers, Comps & OtherCrap

Mon 2nd May, 2005 in Music Reviews

The Dropkick Murphys may have formed in 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts, but they sound straight out of the 70’s punk rock scene, and a bit Irish to boot. Their first collection of b-sides was released in 2000, and was the best of their earlier material (1996-1997). Now, on the eve of the release of their new studio album, The Warrior’s Code, they’ve released a new set of b-sides and rarities entitled Singles Collection Volume 2 – 1998-2004 – B-sides, Covers, Comps & Other Crap, covering their time from 1998-2004.

B-side compilations are a risky proposition. It’s hard to imagine a casual or new fan taking the long shot on a purchase, but then the diehard fans will already have most or all of the material anyway. Instead, B-side comps are aimed at that group of fans in the middle, who have all the albums, but never really bothered getting every single thing that was released. The Dropkick Murphys might not be about to change any lives with this particular set of songs, but they know their role - to rock hard and fast - and they definitely do that here. The album is 23 songs long and only fourof them go past the 3 minute mark, so if you find a particular song isn’t quite making the grade, relax; it’ll be over soon.

It’s all guns blazing right from the word go with a cracking cover of Andre & The Press’ punk anthem 21 Guitar Salute. The album is a bit of a homage to some of their favourite bands as there is a wide range of covers on the album, from a reasonably straight forward version of It’s a Long Way To The Top, to a speedy version of John Fogarty’s Fortunate Son that is sure to make your heart smile. As with most real punk music, it’s all about fast guitar riffs, faster drums, and screaming vocals, not to mention more than a fair share of shout-and-response choruses. The Dropkick Murphys might not be breaking down any barriers, but by combining punk with some hardcore elements, they make music that is certainly never boring.

The only problem with this album is that there aren’t enough special moments to raise it from the level of most B-side compilations. This isn’t exactly essential listening for the general music public, or even necessarily punk fans. However, Dropkick Murphys get instant points for NOT recording any new tracks specifically for this release; if you have everything from the band already (and I do mean EVERYTHING - there’s some pretty obscure stuff on here) then you won’t be forced to purchase this CD just to have that one track you would otherwise be missing.

The liner notes are also pretty special as the band provides a list of all the tracks and a bit of a commentary on each one; where it came from, and if it’s a cover, how the band came to be interested in covering that song. This is particularly helpful if you don’t have wide punk background knowledge.

It’s almost impossible to single out many of the songs as being a cut above the rest, but if punk music is your thing, you’re going to love this album, and it may just whet your appetite exactly the right amount for the new Dropkick Murphy’s album due in just a few short weeks.