CD1 gets you a version of Fiction of Life. And a good one it is, too. It's all bouncy energy and soaring melodies, and China Drum are very good at that sort of thing. It makes you wish that the summer was still here :o(. Forgive my complaining, it's just that I got covered in hailstones earlier today. I know, it's good for me really. B-side Pull sees Adam's vocal distorted and with decidedly groovy drumming in parts. "You can see their minds ticking, while they walk through the crowd thinking, I better choose wisely, I don't want a fight." Bubble Gum Buzz is a lighter track, with some nice vocal harmonies, and CD1 is completed by an acoustic version of Baseball in the Dark (the original of which appeared on the Wipeout single).
CD2 gets you another version of Fiction of Life, which is, funnily enough, the same as that on CD1. Here, the B-sides have much more appeal - Fall at Your Feet is an instant classic, full of feeling and more of those delicious melodies. Jack is another captivating listen, albeit with a slightly less punchy chorus. There's another acoustic version to end the CD, this time of Down By The River, which works quite well.
Somewhere Else
This was described by China Drum's press office as a 'slowburning epic.' And that's about all the description it needs, really, except it's not all that slow. More medium-paced, but then that would sound too run-of-the-mill, right? Not a chance. Fans now have the chance to get hold of Sleazeball, which was previously only available as a dance remix on the Wipeout single. Don't Throw It (It's a Rock) lacks neither life nor energy, yet it does lack the vital ingredient that makes a song compelling. Which is a shame, as it is the only weak track on the single - the mostly acoustic alternative version of Somewhere Else works brilliantly.
