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 (Epic/Sony)
A hits collection that sometimes misses
Incubus’s last album was three years ago and there was the suggestion that this compilation was a contractual obligation to draw a line under their career. If that didn’t augur well for this retrospective, their ignoring two of their six albums here may raise a few eyebrows. There’s nothing from the first album, 1995’s Fungus Amongus (understandable, since Incubus seems to have disowned it ages ago). But more problematic is nothing from 1997’s S.C.I.E.N.C.E., with the exception of a live acoustic version of A Certain Shade Of Green. And already fans online are complaining about omissions like Vitamin, and serious rarities like Crowded Elevator. Why pass things like that over for a cover of Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy? For all that, though, this two-disc set is still reasonably representative on the band’s output, bolstered by a few surprises. The hour-long 15-track first disc, bookended by two new Brendan O’Brien-produced cuts Black Heart Inertia and Midnight Swim, focuses on key singles like Megalomania, Drive, Pardon Me and Wish You Were Here. But disc two may delight and frustrate in equal measure. Firstly, its 11 tracks in 47 minutes means much more could have fitted in here. But then, a lot of these songs, like the Chrissie Hynde-less version of Neither Of Us Can See and While All The Vultures Feed, are previously unavailable, which will whet fans’ appetites. Okay, it may not please everybody, but there’s enough here to keep most followers happy most of the time.
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CALEB GOMAN of hard-rockers REGULAR JOHN tells JODY MACGREGOR about moving to the big smoke to make it big.
US gig site JamBase dropped the ball – posting Australian dates for Animal Collective (pictured), who are out here in December for Meredith by the looks of things. The Tivoli are nominated hosts of Avey, Panda and Geo when they sidle up for their ‘unconfirmed’ Thursday Dec 10 date.
Always ones for national touring, Something With Numbers return to the road with their latest cut 89 Freedom St. Sounds like they borrowed that from Bruce Springsteen! Hitting The Hi-Fi Friday Jul 3, The Coolangatta Hotel Saturday Jul 4 and The Sands Tavern Sunday Jul 5, these will be the last shows for Something With Numbers for 2009. Support comes from The Galvatrons (pictured) and Slow Down Honey. Tickets on sale now.
