Review of Chevelle's compililation album "Stray Arrows"

I spent most of Sunday sick in bed, while Em spent most of Sunday clothes shopping with her mom and aunt. A little before 11:00 I received a text from Em that read, "Hey do you want the Chevrolet steat arrows cd?" This was closely followed by a second message that simply said, "Chevelle."

Fortunately I knew what Em had intended to write, and let her know that I wasn't really interested in the compilation (I had assumed it was still marked at the full retail price), and that I'd probably order it online at a later date.

Em's response was, "It's. r10."

Not entirely sure if Em had left a zero off the price, or if Em had come across Chevelle's Stray Arrows on sale for that ridiculously low price, I asked her to pick it up for me anyway. While R100 wouldn't have been the the best bargain, it would still be about a third cheaper.

Upon Em's return she handed me the CD. It was marked as only being R10. As an added bonus, it bore another sticker claiming that the album contained an additional four tracks. I checked the Wikipedia article on the compilation to confirm if this was the expanded tracklist;

Deluxe Version Track list:

1. Jars (from Sci-Fi Crimes 2009)
2. Same Old Trip (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
3. Vitamin R (Leading Us Along) (from This Type of Thinking 2004)
4. The Red (from Wonder What's Next 2002)
5. I Get It (from Vena Sera 2007)
6. Face to the Floor (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
7. Saferwaters (from Vena Sera 2007)
8. Send the Pain Below (from Wonder What's Next 2002)
9. Sleep Apnea (from Sci-Fi Crimes 2009)
10. The Clincher (from This Type of Thinking 2004)
11. Open/ Point #1 (from Point #1 1999)
12. Envy (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
13. Hats off to the Bull (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
14. The Meddler (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
15. Closure (from Wonder What's Next 2002)
16. Fizgig (previously unreleased)

To my surprise it was. In a previous post I mentioned my relative disappointment with the selection of tracks on the collection, as there were no tracks from Chevelle's first album, and only one track from Vena Sera, while a quarter of the tracks were from the groups most recent album. The addition of the four tracks on the 'deluxe edition' at least partially addressed this, see tracks shown above in orange.

The addition of these tracks makes the compilation a lot more appealing, even to someone like me who already owns most of Chevelle's studio albums. That said, I still would have preferred the inclusion of more b-sides, covers, or live recordings of songs.

Final verdit; Stray Arrows: A collection of favorites is a worthwhile compilation to pick up if you do not own many Chevelle albums. If you have most of the recent/ popular releases, then there is no real reason to get this, unless you find it on the cheap like Em did. Lastly, if you're a die-hard collector who has to own this for Fizgig, the only previously unreleased track, then at least you wont be too disappointed, as Fizgig is a relatively strong offering, but I wouldn't consider it an essential Chevelle track.

Chevelle to release compilation album

Probably one of the most underrated bands of alternative metal, Chevelle, are set to release their compilation album Stray Arrows: a collection of favorites. While it's great that they are doing so, it is more than likely as part of the contractual agreement with their record label.

I've never really been a big supporter of buying "Greatest Hits" or "Best Of" compilations released by bands that I already own a considerable portion of their discography. I tend to see such compilations as way of money hungry record labels charging people a second time round for the same music. In addition all such compilations always tend to have a sole "previously unreleased" track thrown into the mix, in order to ensure that die-hard fans and collectors will buy the compilation.

Track list:

1. Jars (from Sci-Fi Crimes 2009)
2. Same Old Trip (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
3. Vitamin R (Leading Us Along) (from This Type of Thinking 2004)
4. The Red (from Wonder What's Next 2002)
5. I Get It (from Vena Sera 2007)
6. Face to the Floor (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
7. Send the Pain Below (from Wonder What's Next 2002)
8. Sleep Apnea (from Sci-Fi Crimes 2009)
9. The Clincher (from This Type of Thinking 2004)
10. Hats off to the Bull (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
11. The Meddler (from Hats Off to the Bull 2011)
12. Fizgig (previously unreleased)

Disappointingly there are no tracks off the group's first album Point #1, but that is probably to be expected since they were signed to a different label at the time of its release. Another criticism is that a quarter of the tracks on this compilation are taken from the bands previous release Hats Off to the Bull. This is probably another ploy by the record label. Instead of offering those new to Chevelle a chance to listen to some of the group's older songs, the songs that most listeners will be familiar with are simply being regurgitated back at us. 

Personally I would have only used three tracks of their last album, and replaced it with an additional track from Vena Sera. While the album wasn't the strongest offering, it contains plenty of excellent tracks that have gone unnoticed by the casual Chevelle listener. The release of this compilation would have been an ideal opportunity to give such singles a second chance. I would also have liked for more b-sides, or alternative versions of the songs that have already been released, and most are familiar with. Exchanging one or two of the studio versions for a live version from one of the group's three live albums would have made this more interesting to me.

Think I'll wait until I see this album in the discount section of my local record store before I buy it. Apart from Fizgig, I already have all these tracks, and I'm sure it won't be long before Fizgig winds up on the internet for free streaming and download.