Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4/5 Released: September 20, 2005 Reviewer: David Coats |
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge at the start that I have always been a fan of Matthew Good. In my teenage years I would be hard-pressed to name anyone who more influenced my thinking. And so it is strange, and all at once satisfying, to go through In A Coma, Good’s ten year retrospective, because it is such a powerful reminder of who we were and who we are, Good and the fans alike.
Three discs are included in the package: the first basically covers the singles in reverse chronological order, and also features two new songs (including the catchy Oh Be Joyful, maybe Good’s most radio-friendly effort since Hello Time Bomb), and also Pony Boy, a long-lost track from the Audio Of Being sessions. Most of the hits are represented here, and the likes of Apparitions, Strange Days, and Weapon are still striking. Unfortunately, the singles from The Audio Of Being (Carmelina, Anti-Pop) are not included here, offering further proof that because MGB dissolved in the process of making that record, the label, personnel, and fans didn’t give it the credit it deserved. On disc two Good reworks nine previously released songs into a solo acoustic format, with varying degrees of success. As a carrot for the fans, also included are Loser Anthems and the Lo-Fi B-Sides, two long-since out of print EPs, in their original formats. Finally, disc three features the complete Matthew Good (Band) video catalogue, with commentary from Good and longtime director Bill Morrison. While some videos were disposable (listen to Good and Morrison try to blame each other for Rico), the classics, such as Strange Days, and, of course, Apparitions, remain relevant and affecting. As a complete package, though the second disc can be hit-and-miss, In A Coma is generous, and a must-have for die-hard fans, while it also serves as a thorough primer for newcomers.
Prior to the 1999 release of Beautiful Midnight, Good was asked what would make him satisfied with the record. It might, Good responded, never sell a million copies, but what he’d like is for, ten years later, a fifteen year old kid to walk into a used record shop actively seeking out a copy. After ten years, the enduring potential of the songs on In A Coma to inspire and to challenge suggest that Good can be satisfied with his contribution to Canadian rock. It’s been quite a ride, and regardless of wherever Good goes next, he owes us nothing.
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