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- Year: 2002
- Rating: 10/10
- Cat. No: CDV 2966
Track listing:
- 1. My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains
2. Rollercoaster
3. Corcovado
4. Each And Every One
5. Before Today (Chicane Remix)
6. Mine
7. Protection
8. Single (Photek Remix)
9. Tracey In My Room
10. Missing (Todd Terry Remix)
11. Almost Blue
12. No Difference
13. Cross My Heart
14. Mirrorball
15. A Piece Of My Mind
16. Walking Wounded
This self-proclaimed “Definitive Best Of EBTG” is the third compilation of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn‘s work to date, following Home Movies in 1993 and the regrettable cash-in by Warner Brothers in 1996. The latter, issued after Everything But The Girl had moved on to Virgin and found a new level of creative and commercial success, was a particularly horrid affair, with its sickly yellow sleeve and unsolicited, opportunistic remixes of material patently unsuitable for the dancefloor.
Six years later, the duo’s stock has fallen somewhat, with 1999’s underrated Temperamental failing to emulate Walking Wounded‘s popularity, but in artistic terms the album was a resounding triumph. Immersing himself ever deeper into club culture and mellow, intoxicating rhythms, Ben Watt established his Lazy Dog DJ-ing venture with a fortnightly West London residency and a brace of well-received mix albums.
It’s no coincidence that the clumsily-titled Like The Deserts Miss The Rain flows like a dream, intelligently and sympathetically sequenced in a way few official artist compilations ever do, since Watt’s mixing duties showcase his intuitive knack for creating and then maintaining a particular vibe with successive tracks. This compilation plays more like a personal, private EBTG tape, made with the care and considerations of a longtime fan.
Kicking off with the little-known (but highly regarded) My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains makes this collection’s intentions clear, placing the music itself before the more mundane necessities of a hits-oriented approach. As such, Like The Deserts.. may give the Virgin accountants a few headaches, but the key Todd Terry remix of Missing is included – albeit two-thirds of the way through the album.
Most of their other chart singles are present – from initial 80s bossanova breakthrough Each And Every One through to pre-reinvention Rollercoaster and the Walking Wounded releases (Before Today and Single, both in original remix form… no posthumous fiddling here, thankfully). The lack of selections from Temperamental is something of a shame; only a non-single standout – No Difference – makes the cut, so the likes of Five Fathoms, Blame, Lullaby Of Clubland and The Future Of The Future are sadly overlooked. Other non-single 90s highlights, including Corcovado and Mirrorball, make a welcome appearance however, and it’s likely the 16 tracks here were chosen for their compatibility with Like The Deserts Miss The Rain’s overall style.
The definitive EBTG Best Of then? Well, not exactly – their career has been too lengthy and diverse to simply condense into 70-odd minutes, but it makes a pretty good companion-piece to Home Movies. But remember, you’ll need Temperamental as well.
Review copyright © Liam Carey, 2002. E-mail Liam Carey
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.