Elektrafied : The Elektra Years 79-82 = 4 CD Box = (CD)
Four CD box. Having created a grassroots buzz with their homemade proto-power pop classic Black Vinyl Shoes, Illinois band Shoes duly attracted major label interest, and they signed to Elektra in early 1979. Over the next three years they released a triptych of classic pop albums - Present Tense, Tongue Twister, and Boomerang - and a clutch of Wurlitzer-worthy seven-inch nuggets that should have catapulted them to fame, fortune and all manner of related excess. Sadly, however, they never quite made the leap from critics' darlings to Top Thirty success, and the band were obliged to settle for enduring cult status as power pop avatars. But while rock-star level fame and fortune never quite came their way, Shoes do have the considerable consolation of knowing that their body of work has stood the test of time far better than many of their more commercially successful contemporaries. This anthology of the band's recordings for Elektra, fleshed out with a swathe of pre-album demos, lost songs, alternative versions and live tracks dating from the same period, is a veritable smorgasbord of perfect pop from a time when Shoes were genuine contenders for rock's glittering prizes. Housed in a stylish clamshell box, Elektrafied contains a 32 page booklet that features rare photos and a new 10,000 essay on the band's adventures during their sojourn with Elektra.
01 Tomorrow Night 02 Too Late 03 Hangin' Around With You 04 Your Very Eyes 05 In My Arms Again 06 Somebody Has What I Had 07 Now And Then 08 Every Girl 09 I Don't Miss You 10 Cruel You 11 Three Times: See Me/say It/listen 12 I Don't Wanna Hear It
13 Tomorrow Night (demo) 14 Too Late (demo) 15 Hangin' Around With You (demo) 16 Your Very Eyes (demo) 17 In My Arms Again (demo) 18 Somebody Has What I Had (demo) 19 Now And Then (demo) 20 Every Girl (demo) 21 I Don't Miss You (demo) 22 Cruel You (demo) 23 Three Times: See Me/say It/listen (demo) 24 I Don't Wanna Hear It (demo)
Disc 2
01 Your Imagination 02 Burned Out Love 03 The Things You Do 04 Only In My Sleep 05 Karen 06 She Satisfies 07 Girls Of Today 08 Hopin' She's The One 09 When It Hits 10 Yes Or No 11 Found A Girl 12 Hate To Run 13 Time To Make It (demo) 14 Burned Out Love (demo) 15 The Things You Do (demo) 16 Only In My Sleep (demo) 17 Karen (demo) 18 She Satisfies (demo) 19 Girls Of Today (demo) 20 Hopin' She's The One (demo) 21 When It Hits (demo) 22 Yes Or No (demo) 23 Found A Girl (demo) 24 Hate To Run (demo)
Disc 3
01 In Her Shadow 02 Curiosity 03 Mayday 04 Too Soon 05 Double Talk 06 The Summer Rain 07 Under The Gun 08 The Tube 09 What Love Means 10 Bound To Be A Reason 11 Shake It Away 12 Tested Charms 13 In Her Shadow (demo) 14 Curiosity (demo) 15 Mayday (demo) 16 Too Soon (demo) 17 Double Talk (demo) 18 The Summer Rain (demo) 19 Under The Gun (demo) 20 What Love Means (demo) 21 The Tube (demo) 22 Bound To Be A Reason (demo) 23 Shake It Away (demo) 24 Tested Charms (demo)
Disc 4
01 Jet Set (manor Version) 02 Ever Again 03 Take You Away (demo) 04 See Me (1st Demo) 05 Jet Set (demo) 06 In Her Shadow (demo) 07 A Voice Inside Me (demo) 08 Take You Away (demo) 09 Karen (acoustic Demo) 10 Jet Set (demo Version 2) 11 A Voice Inside Me (demo) 12 I Wanna Give It To You 13 Too Late (live) 14 Hangin' Around With You (live) 15 Cruel You (live) 16 In My Arms Again (live) 17 She Satisfies (live) 18 Hate To Run (live)