Artist: Cracker
Title: Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective (Cooking Vinyl)
You might like if you enjoy: Cracker, Old 97's, Camper Van Beethoven, Leftover Salmon
Tell me more: Cracker's exhilarating 35-year run is celebrated in spades across the wonderful Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective collection available via 3-LP vinyl or 2-CD. The far-flung material showcased on the early part of the essential title includes the alt country-flavored "Sick of Goodbyes," infectious alt rocker "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" from the band's 2006 Redux album, bluegrass-styled "Mr. Wrong" (the latter featuring Leftover Salmon), rousing roots rocker "I See The Light," fiery favorite "Low" and traditional country nugget "Merry Christmas Emily."
Late highlights on the set include the blistering "The World Is Mine," wistful "Turn on Tune in Drop Out" (recorded live on an episode of the German TV show "Rockpalast"), a reworking of "Eurotrash Girl" presented as a bluegrass waltz featuring members of Leftover Salmon, the dazzling "King of Bakersfield" that recalls the sonic spirit of the late Gram Parsons, propulsive "I Need Better Friends," and the freewheeling "Ain't Gonna Suck Itself." Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective also includes a slew of additional great live tracks and demos sure to please fans of the band as well as "River Euphrates," the latter a cut from Cracker's out-of-print Tucson EP.
Robert Kinsler
