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The Lost Tracks Of Danzig (2CD)

Danzig - The Lost Tracks Of Danzig (2CD) Audio CD

A fair review of the Danzig "The Lost Tracks Of Danzig (2CD)" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Danzig reviews here, or go back to the Danzig tabs.

Band: Danzig
Title: The Lost Tracks Of Danzig (2CD)
Rating:

Release Date: 2007-07-10
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Pain Is Like An Animal 2: When Death Had No Name 3: Angel of the Seventh Dawn 4: You Should be Dying 5: Cold, Cold Rain 6: Buick McKane 7: When Death Had No Name 8: Satans Crucifiction 9: The Mandrake's Cry 10: White Devil Rise 11: Come to Silver (Acoustic) 12: Deep 13: Warlok 14: Lick the Blood Off My Hands 15: Crawl Across Your Killing Floor 16: I Know Your Lie 17: Caught In My Eye 18: Cat People 19: Bound by Blood 20: Who Claims the Soulless 21: Malefical 22: Soul Eater 23: Dying Seraph 24: Lady Lucifera 25: Under Belly of the Beast 26: Unspeakable Shango Mix

Half Crap, Half Not: Should Have Been One Disc
I think most fans, like myself, are mainly interested in the 1988-94 era and the years preceding have seen a series of almosts and flat-out letdowns. Danzig fans seem to be as biased as any other fans, but the REALITY is that half of these songs are throwaways. So when something like this comes out we're on it like denim on a biker: we're compulsed to buy it. I count 14 great-to-good songs out of 26. That's not too bad, but the stinkers are simply TERRIBLE and should have gone straight into Glenn's private bone-rimmed trash can. Thus, this should have been a single-disc collection. Some of these cuts were clearly shelved due to their unfinished, or in some cases, retarded lyrics. Others because of their similarity to another song. As a bonus, Glenn's personal notes about each song are entertaining, if not enigmatic and brief. Considering the price, I have no choice but to give this collection 3 Stars. Ultimately, anyone who has cycled through the first four Danzig albums and the Thrall EP will want to pick this up. You have no choice.

The Rise and Fall of Danzig
It may be that you'll want this two-disc set regardless of the price tag and reviews. I suspect if you consider purchasing this collection, you are already more than a casual listener of Glenn Danzig's various projects. With that said, I find "The Lost Tracks" to be a decidedly mixed bag.

The first disc, which for the most part spans the time period of Danzig's first three albums, contains a suprisingly cohesive collection of songs that range from slow and menacing to propulsive thrash. Through it all, Glenn's voice is strong and displays its classic range. Standouts include "When Death Had No Name" (both versions), "Cold, Cold Rain", "Satan's Crucifiction", and "The Mandrakes Cry". There were only three tracks I found to be sub-par filler: "Come To Silver", "Deep", and the very awful "White Devil Rise".

The second disc deals with the later part of Danzig's career, up through "Circle of Snakes". The majority of the songs suffer from a nu-metal and industrial influence, overproduction, and weak songwriting. Glenn's vocal powers are diminished in the later songs and his voice is overly processed. The stunning exception to the overall mediocrity of the disc is "Crawl Across Your Killing Floor" which is an epic blues drenched rocker that compares well with the best of Danzig's early material. I find the other four of the first five songs on the disc to be fairly listenable, but after "Cat People" (a David Bowie cover), my interest drops off a cliff.

If Glenn had combined the best material off the two discs (taken the three poor songs off disc one and swapped in "Killing Floor" from disc two), he would have a perfect song cycle for a killer Danzig album. As it is, the product is overpriced for the overall uneven quality. However, if you can buy it from a third-party seller for around $10 or $15, it's a good purchase.

Danzig is a musician worthy of much attention
But I'll never forget the day that my friend's older brother popped "Danzig 2" into the stereo while we were hanging out, and the opening track "Long Way Back From Hell" filled my ears and infected my thoughts with Danzig fever from that day forward. I was seven years old when the first Danzig album came out, and I was in my early teens before I ever heard the band. If you're reading this, then you probably know what that feeling was like. If not, the "Lost Tracks" collection isn't for you.
I don't need to write about the appeal of Danzig's music. You either get it or you don't, but what makes Danzig such a rewarding musician to like is the sheer volume and variation of his work. Danzig is one of those rare individuals with the prowess to last through decades of trends, and attract multiple generations of fans throughout his career. This man has been making music longer than I've been alive.
So all that being said, let's get down to business. "The Lost Tracks" gives you a lot to listen to (26 tracks each with brief descriptions of the songs and why they were cut), and spans his entire body of work under the band title of Danzig. You'll find no Misfits here, but then there is a separate box set of all that stuff. Some of the early songs have a distinct Samhain flavor, but once again, if you want Samhain, there is a box set available of that as well.
The true gift of "The Lost Tracks" is reserved for the most diehard of Danzig fans. Let's face it, these songs were predominantly fat that was trimmed away from the album material, and often times it shows. These are not the best of the best, but there are some distinct gems to be found here. "Pain Is Like An Animal" and "Cold, Cold Rain" are unforgettable songs. I am at a loss as to why Rick Ruben wanted them cut in the first place. However, there are also some real stinkers. The obnoxious "You Should Be Dying", the perplexing "White Devil Rise" and the just plain laughable "Caught in my Eye" certainly weren't destined for greatness. Nonetheless, if you're the type of person who just can't get enough Danzig, and finds even his worst songs interesting, then by all means pick up "The Lost Tracks". It's rather affordable, and is something we should be glad was made available to us at all.

All Hail Danzig
The first disc is just awesome though. The only reason I didnt give this 5 stars is because the first few tracks on disc 2 aren't that great. Being the Danzig fan I am I had to get this when I found out about it. This is must for all Danzig/metal fans. Well worth the $20 for download. .

Not a New Album. This is after circle. Lost tracks is good.True Danzig.
My favorite is his cover of Bowie's Cat People(I dont care for bowie much, and this cover is better than the original) Another good one is Buick Mccain(real rock, not metal. Several versions, including some that might have been played live but never released such as when death had no name. )
and Come to Silver(different version), cd 2 is better than cd 1, not really a boxset, its two cds, a booklet and a comic(weird one of course) Wish danzig would go back to Old Danzig. But oh well. he's a shockmeister.

You can see a complete list of all Danzig discography, or go back to the Danzig tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.