There was a period of time right after
Nirvana
's landmark
Nevermind
that the music world seemed to embrace any new band that sounded both "alternative" and "rocking." Although they bared little similarly to the
grunge
bands that were storming the charts at the time, the double-bass outfit
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame with the hit
"Grey Cell Green."
Despite being labeled a "one-hit wonder" stateside, the British group continued to record and tour in the wake of its best-known album, 1991's
God Fodder
, and in 2004 issued a three-disc set (two CDs, one DVD),
Sessions
. The quintet hadn't issued an all-new studio set in several years, yet
played sporadic shows in England, including performances at
Magic Garden Studios
in Wolverhampton during October 2001, and at
JB's
in Dudley during June 2002. It's these two shows that serve as the basis for
, while four tracks from their rare 1990 EP
Ingredients
are included as well. All the expected
Ned's
favorites are included -- the aforementioned
"Grey Cell Green,"
as well as
"Kill Your Television"
and
"Happy"
-- but with the renditions here not sounding that much different than the original studio versions,
will probably only appeal to hardcore fans. ~ Greg Prato