Pop Will Eat Itself - Now for a Feast! (25th Anniversary Expanded Edition)

Not so much an album as a collection of early singles and EPs, Now for a Feast! doesn't waste any time, packing in 14 songs within 24 minutes. Though the speed and brevity of the songs would seem to suggest that early Pop Will Eat Itself would be Ramones freaks, the group actually feels a bit looser than the brothers did, at least originally. Part of the reason is the production, which, if anything, resembles the undifferentiated wash of early Jesus & Mary Chain rather than the slashing punch of classic punk. Some tunes cut through that murk reasonably well, including the band's semi-theme song, "Oh Grebo I Think I Love You," and "B-B-B-Breakdown." Songs like "The Black Country Chainstore Massacreee" and "There's a Psychopath in My Soup" show that the band's sense of humor is front and center, but Pop Will Eat Itself doesn't really feel like a joke band (certainly not in the early Barenaked Ladies sense). Clint Mansell's lyrics are downright sweet and silly at points -- thus "Monogamy," which is as merry a declaration on the subject as could be imagined -- and his singing is actually probably the clearest part of any of the individual recordings. His style is practically casual instead of declarative, which is perhaps all for the better on the one song with mean-spirited sentiments, "Sick Little Girl." The same sort of poppy, slightly drunk singalong style that the band's hometown friends/rivals the Wonder Stuff were known for defines the whole feel of the album (not surprising given how members of both were in earlier bands together). Earlier roots of another sort surface thanks to the final song, a downright giddy cover of Hawkwind's "Orgone Accumulator," which exchanges space rock for silly fun that Slade wouldn't be uncomfortable with.

In 1986, Pop Will Eat Itself burst onto the UK and European independent scene with a flurry of energetic, punk infused singles, including their self- pressed and distributed debut, ‘Poppies Say GRRrrr!’ and others released by Chapter 22. During that year they became mainstays of the UK music press and blazed a trail towards the hip-hop tinged direction they would take with their second album, ‘Box Frenzy’. Produced with full co-operation and support from the band members, and including both an essay and sleeve-notes from keyboardist/guitarist Adam Mole, as well as classic archive shots and press clippings. This package was the first in a series of Cherry Red Pop Will Eat Itself reissues which covered the band’s entire catalogue, telling their story and saw the release of dozens of unreleased, rare and never before on CD tracks. This unique band, whose influence touched the careers of acts such as The Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails, still has a large, strong following worldwide, and there is an active online community who have shown great interest in these titles thus far. Seven previously unheard recordings, Two rare B-sides, Sleeve-notes from keyboardist/guitarist Adam Mole, Archive photographs and press clippings, Packaged with reversible US/UK original artwork ,Part one of an extensive Cherry Red PWEI reissue series.

Ripped from the CD to MP3

1 I'm Sniffin With You Hoo 0:54
2 Sick Little Girl 2:29
3 Mesmerized 1:27
4 There's A Psychopath In My Soup 1:05
5 Candydiosis 1:01
6 The Black Country Chainsaw Massacree 1:43
7 Monogamy 1:40
8 Oh Grebo, I Think I Love You 1:54
9 Titanic Clown 1:25
10 B-B-B-Breakdown 1:37
11 Sweet Sweet Pie 2:12
12 The Devil Inside 1:47
13 Runaround [Bonus Track] 2:05
14 Love Missile F1-11 [Bonus Track] 2:46
15 Orgone Accumulator 1:59
16 Everything That Rises [Bonus Track] 2:31
17 Like An Angel 2:30
18 Dust Me Down (Wild And Wandering Demo) [Bonus Track] 2:51
19 Johnny Ray (Wild And Wandering Demo) [Bonus Track] 5:19
20 Apple Tree (Wild And Wandering Demo) [Bonus Track] 3:06
21 Summer Girl (Live At Birmingham Uni. 1986) [Bonus Track] 2:30
22 Inside You (Pre Beat Box Demo) [Bonus Track] 2:26
23 Picnic In The Sky (Pre Beat Box Demo) [Bonus Track] 2:38
24 Psychopath In My Soup (Early Version) [Bonus Track] 1:09
25 Everything That Rises (New Version) [Bonus Track] 2:34
26 Oh Grebo, I Think I Love You (New Version) [Bonus Track] 3:31
27 Bubbles [Bonus Track] 3:09
28 Ugly [Bonus Track] 1:34