Bargain Bin #1: DGC Rarities, Vol. 1

One of my favorite places in the world is the 4-for-a-$1 bin that occasionally makes an appearance at Hastings. Admittedly, as far as most of the CDs in this section go, a quarter is overpaying. Probably 90 percent of the stuff in this clearance-on-steroids section is junk, but it's the rare gems that make 15 minutes of digging and looking like a total cheapskate completely worth it.

I thought I would kick off this series of posts with one of the first CDs I dug up back in January. DGC Rarities, Vol. 1 is a 14-track compilation of B-Sides, outtakes, and other rarities by DGC Records, David Geffen's record imprint, perhaps most known as a seminal 90s alternative rock label. As such, this album includes several tracks by legendary alternative bands, as well as songs from lesser known bands. The liner notes in the CD cover, in many cases written by the bands themselves, provide some interesting information on each of the tracks.

Naturally, because the compilation consists primarily of outtakes and B-sides, it's to be expected that the album might be subpar; however, there are a handful of pretty great tracks.

Weezer's "Jamie" is one of my favorite tracks on the album (sharing that title with Posies song "Open Every Window"). In fact, it's definitely among my favorite Weezer tracks overall, if not my absolute favorite. While the songwriting and singing is unmistakably Weezer (though slightly off-form), the production and instrumentation has a sound that calls to mind the sludgy-yet-dreamy sound of some of the more radio-friendly Smashing Pumpkins songs (i.e. "Today").

Among others, Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, and St. Johnny make great contributions to the set. Murray Attaway's track "Allegory" got on my nerves at first, but upon listening to the compilation in its entirety several times to write this post, this song has started to grow on me. Nirvana fans will recognize "Pay to Play" as an early version of Nevermind track "Stay Away," with a muddier production and a few lyrical changes being essentially the only differences.

Beck's "Bogusflow" is another song worth mentioning. This seemingly nonsensical acoustic rambling, of which the title is a play on a certain Pearl Jam song, calls to mind other Beck songs such as "Pay No Mind."

Overall, this is a pretty decent compilation that will make a good addition to any 90s alternative purist's collection. While the songs themselves aren't quite up to the big names and talent behind them, fans will appreciate the step back into the vaults.

Track Listing:
1. Teenage Fanclub: "Mad Dog 20/20"
2. Nirvana: "Pay to Play"
3. Weezer: "Jamie"
4. Cell: "Never Too High"
5. Hole: "Beautiful Son"
6. Beck: "Bogusflow"
7. Sonic Youth: "Compilation Blues"
8. that dog.: "Grunge Couple"
9. Counting Crows: "Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)"
10. The Posies: "Open Every Window"
11. Sloan: "Stove/Smother"
12. St. Johnny: "Wild Goose Chasing"
13. Murray Attaway: "Allegory"
14. The Sundays: "Don't Tell Your Mother"

DGC Rarities, Vol. 1