Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)
2. This Is Cracker Soul
3. I See the Light
4. Low
5. Get off This
6. Sweet Potato
7. Euro-Trash Girl
8. Shake Some Action
9. Sweet Thistle Pie
10. I'm a Little Rocket Ship
11. Big Dipper
12. Seven Days
13. Been Around the World
14. Be My Love
15. Heaven Knows I'm Lonely Now
16. Eyes of Mary

Disc 2:

1. Surfbilly
2. Golden Age [Live]
3. You Ain't Going Nowhere [Live]
4. Hollywood Cemetary
5. Whole Lotta Trouble
6. I Want Out of the Circus [Live]
7. Steve's Hornpipe
8. Mr. Wrong [Live]
9. Sunday Train
10. Lonesome Johnny Blues [Live]
11. Rainy Days and Mondays
12. China

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85825 in Music
• Released on: 2000-04-04
• Number of discs: 2

Amazon.com
Cracker holds an honor as one of the most divisive bands in the history of alternative rock. While many enjoy their slightly Southern-fried rock, others think that frontman David Lowery lowered the bar after leaving the quirky Camper Van Beethoven. Garage d'Or, the two-CD retrospective of Cracker's greatest hits, outtakes, and songs that appeared on soundtracks and compilations, won't change many people's minds. Disc 1 is the stronger of the two; aside from the insipid "Get Off This," Lowery's now famous hooks ("Teen Angst," "Euro-Trash Girl," "Low") can claw into the heads of even the most jaded listener. Plus, once overlooked tracks, especially the gospel-tinged "I See the Light," get a second wind. Unfortunately, disc 2 is mostly filler. Covers of "You Ain't Going Nowhere" and "Rainy Days and Mondays" are ill-chosen and poorly executed. A live "Mr. Wrong" and "China" are the disc's saving graces. --Jason Josephes

Customer Reviews

This Cracker's anything but a Saltine...
Usually when a band gets around to releasing a greatest hits compilation, the time has come for long-time fans to mourn about the passing "golden age" (Cracker-specific pun) of their musical height, and expectation for the bandmates to spend the rest of their limelight careers rehashing old glories. Thankfully, such will not be the case with Cracker, as David Lowrey has assured us that they are not breaking up, just releasing a retrospective after the first marvelous decade of "Cracker Soul." Which is a very good thing, as I think that David Lowrey and Co.'s Camper Van Beethoven and descendant Cracker has been the best thing to happen to Rock music in the post-punk landscape. "Garaged d'Or " is a serviceable introduction for the uninitiated to the unique eclecticism of Cracker's country/blues/grunge post-alt rock hybrid career, that never loses its edge of irreverent cynicism. Cracker pundits (all 10 of us per 1 million citizens) may bicker over the selection of hits on the album, I tend to agree with Amazon.com that "Get Off This" never deserved to be a hit, and "Shake Some Action" doesn't make much of an impact, probably because David Lowrey isn't the main singer on it, but for the most part you can't argue with what's available, and for Cracker completists the addition of three new tracks makes "Garaged d'Or" worthwhile. "Be My Love" and "Eyes of Mary" play like enjoyably low-key additions from "Out Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart," and "Heaven Knows I'm Lonely Know" is worthy country-drawl material ala the latter half of "Gentleman's Blues."

The limited edition second CD of Cracker rarities and live recordings is mostly a disappointment, even for Cracker cultists. However noble David Lowrey's intentions are, he tends to let his boot-kickin' countrified roots overtake his material from time to time (a problem that proto-alternative Camper Van Beethoven never had, as it was one of many diverse influences, which is why I rate Camper slightly above Cracker in my mind), and his live tracks have a markedly UN-live sound, rendering them inferior to the studio originals. However, "Surfbilly" and "China" keep it from being a total loss, and the cover "Rainy Days and Mondays" is a solid, stripped-down melancholic ditty.

Speaking of compiled oddities, David Lowrey has recently produced a collection of the Camper Van Beethoven's answer to "Garaged d'Or," entitled "Camper Van Beethoven is Dead, Long Live Camper Van Beethoven" (Amen!). For the Camper Van Beethoven aficionado, be sure to check it out, for a uniquely surreal experience (but would you expect anything less?). It's only available at Lowrey's indie-record label Pitch-A-Tent, so check it out while you can!

Garage d'Or
Cracker's new retrospective CD is an excellent collection of some of Cracker's more commercially popular songs and the songs popular with hard-core cracker fans. The bonus CD contains some great rareties that are difficult, if not impossible, to come by any other way. I absolutely love their new songs "Be My Love," and "Heaven Knows I'm Lonely." This is a great CD to give to introduce someone to Cracker for the first time and be able to communicate the breadth of their style, but it's also great for long-time fans to have so much in one place.

A Must for Cracker Fans or the casual listener
The inclusion of three previously unreleased tracks make this worth the purchase alone, not counting the bonus disc of live cuts and rarities. While some here at Amazon.com have complained about song selection (no "I Hate My Generation", the inclusion of "Get Off This"), I feel this is like nitpicking (I would make the case for inclusion of "Dr. Bernice", "Movie Star", or "Another Song About the Rain", but I digress). Most of their well known hit songs are here, as well as some fan favorites.

A great overview of a great band, and not just an inclusion of your standard "radio hits".