Eggs Are Funny [Import]

This album is a greatest hits compilation. Its well worth it. I have most of these songs from these albums: And the Glass Handed Kites, Frengers, and No More Stories Are Told Today.

The remaining songs; Wheels Over Me (A Triumph for Man - 1st album), Saliva (Half the World Is Watching Me - 2nd album) are rare tracks. The track "Do You Love It?" I've never heard before.

"Snow Brigade" is my all time favorite song. Its starts off with an off kilter fuzzy guitar riff, then a driving drum beat, lightning electric bass and high vocals. The songs "Am I Wry? No", "Introducing Palace Players" and "156" are other favorites. Mew changes up their sound quite a bit between the different albums, but the way the styles are mixed on this compilation is a great way to transition them.

This collection was my first introduction to Mew and admittedly, if I had written this review upon my first spin of the album, I wouldn't have rated it too high. It's not a band that I immediately took to right away. Don't get me wrong, the music is fantastic, perhaps a bit less "Progressive Rock" that what I was expecting (this is how it was described to me before I heard the music for myself). The vocals bothered me a bit, always in a high register without variation. That was my first impression anyway...

Yet I kept coming back to this CD, and within a couple more spins and I was hooked. If Mew is not "Progressive Rock" in the most traditional sense of the word then it shares much of that genre's sense of adventure to consider the songs on this collection a spiritual cousin. "The Zookeeper's Boy" must be one of the most joyous choruses I've heard this year so far! I've come to really enjoy the musicianship on this collection and I have been appreciating the nuances in the vocals I did not hear before the more I listen, so I am now a fan.

This collection draws from most if not all their releases since their debut, with Frengers and No More Stories taking a lion's share of space and & The Glass Handed Kites being oddly under-represented. I like how, that although this is a compilation, it musically flows together so well like a concept album might. There is also one new track, "Do You Love It?" (to which I said "yes!")

Now I am looking to expand my Mew collection (if I can just look past those bizarre album covers of theirs). :)

Final Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Favorites: "Snow Brigade", "Introducing Palace Players", "Sometimes Life Isn't Easy", "Zookeeper's Boy", "Special", "156"

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The packaging for the standard version comes in a traditional jewel case. The booklet contains no lyrics for the songs (only information as to what song came from which album), and an essay from a journalist/fan. There are also odd drawings inside, but no band photos than what is shown on the cover and on the back.

Heard Comforting Sounds on Spotify and it stuck in my head so I decided to grab this CD. Let me tell you, this really gets better with many listens. I'm 44, and kind of an 80's music and classic rock kind of guy but hey, if it's good then I like it. And this is good stuff. Am I Wry, No is a great start off and Comforting Sounds is just friggin' genius. Buy this and be not sorry...