East Side Beat kicks things off with a nice gritty modern version of the the classic rude boy story. All the Toasters trademarks are present, but I'll get to that later.
Since the band has such a tightly defined style, any variety must be found in subtle variations. So Talk is Cheap's point of difference is that the organ is driving the groove instead of the guitar. Also, the lyrics are nicely poignant, a rarity for a ska song.
Weekend in L.A. features a great horn line. I also dig the the chord progression and the sharp breaks in the solos. Its similarities with New York Fever run much deeper than both have an American city in their title! Musically, they are also very similar, which makes New York Fever is another hit for me.
At first, the horn line in Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down seems to be taking the cheesiness too far. But it actually works well alongside the anarchy-inducing chorus. The lyrics are again a highlight- this time its important life lessons, delivered with the tongue firmly in cheek.
Moving away from their upbeat ska formula, Thrill Me Up's 80s jive-reggae style does not appeal to me at all. Nor does Shebeen, History Book Version or Mona.
Thankfully, Dub 56 brings us back to the successful recipe of bouncy rock-ska. Similar is Underground Town, with a great depiction of all walks of life squeezed together on a train. Just because they are similar to many other Toasters songs, does not dampen their appeal for me at all. In my opinion, they're all great fun.
2-Tone Army isn't a successful execution of this style, though. The chorus is a major letdown, and somehow feels tacked on. On the other hand, the horn line is fantastic. Conversely, The Recimination is sub-par in many aspects but features a great chorus (reminding me of early Area 7).
Havana brings about great change of pace, which works a treat. Also, the double entendres are very funny. This is a great example of James Bond ska. Meanwhile, Dog Eat Dog's reggae opening is brilliant.
Ska Killers has a really tough sounding intro. While the rest of the song is good, I wish the horn line and the verses followed through with a bit more aggression.
Pirate Radio is an awful dogs breakfast attempt at a pop song, like a Madness tribute gone wrong.
Hard Band For Dead is a great execution of the traditional ska style. Simple, catchy, fun. It shows where the bands influences lie, and- despite the reduced tempo- it has the same feelgood quality in spades.
A quick note on the recording quality- being a compilation, it varies a bit through the album. In general, it's a bit saccharine, but it never really puts a foot wrong.
I'm Running Right Through the World has a few good points worth mentioning: the lyrics, the chord progressions (especially in the bridge), the backing horn lines and the chorus... hang on, that's most of the song! And all the "usual" Toasters characteristics somehow shine even brighter in this song. It turns out I've saved the best for last, because this compilation CD does. This song is my favourite Toasters song, which makes it one of my all-time favourite songs, ska or otherwise. The ultimate feelgood pick-me-up.
To sum up, the Toasters are a 3rd wave ska machine! Some may say it's quite cookie-cutter (especially the verses), but I don't think this matters. Every horn line is a classic. The groove is rock solid and infectious. The guitar and keyboard perfectly complement each other. When it's executed this well, the small amount of variety present is enough to make each song highly enjoyable. (Yet, a live Toasters show somehow manages to be even better than this.)
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