The Clean - Anthology (Merge, 2004)

The Clean
Anthology
Merge
2004

Rating: 9 fuzzy kiwis out of 10

The Clean. They’re one of those bands that have been name-checked as influences time and time again by indie bands over the past number of years. This record, Anthology, is just that – an anthology of their recordings for the past 20 years. Although I had heard of these guys for years and years, I somehow managed to never really hear much of their music. When Merge released their album "Getaway" a year or two ago, I listened to a couple of tracks off of the Merge website, enjoyed what I heard, and made a mental note to pick up some of their records but never actually got around to it. With the release of this anthology, I guess I’m finally getting around to it – and I’m kicking myself for ever putting it off in the first place.

This anthology covers the entire spectrum of music released by The Clean, from their first 7 inches all the way up to "Unknown Country", the album before their 2001 release "Getaway". It includes both album tracks and rarities, with enough good stuff that I can’t imagine there’s not something on here for everyone. For me and many others, the best track is the first one on the first disc – "Tally Ho", a perfect blend of pop hooks and garage production. Put simply, this is one of the best songs of all time.

The only negative is the length - it would be pretty impressive if you could sit through both discs, as that’s well over 40 songs total. Anyone who’s a novice to The Clean might become bewildered at first with the vast amount of music presented to them. But if you just take it a bit at a time, you’ll be rewarded with some of the best and most influential music created in the last quarter of the 20th century.