While
The Singles Collection (1992-2011) is not as essential as Tepid Peppermint Wonderland, it is a nice alternative that delivers a wide spread of
Brian Jonestown Massacre material. The band’s music will always be overshadowed by
Anton Newcombe’s debauchery and tantrums (seen throughout the 2003 documentary Dig!), and the sheer number of albums makes it difficult to dive right in (although, the five albums from 1996-1998 are all excellent), but this compilation provides a nice starting point. The 22 remastered tracks are taken straight from vinyl 45s and cover a range of styles, from ‘60s-influenced psych to gnarled garage rock, and in later work, shoegaze -- including two drone-based songs that
Newcombe released under the name Acid. Fourteen of the tracks were previously unavailable on CD, and some suffer from fidelity issues, but that doesn’t make them any less appealing. ~ Jason Lymangrover