I've been a fan of the Ladies ever since the original release of "Gordon". Their quirky wit and sense of humor have always been enjoyable, and the evolution of their musical style has been just as entertaining as the tunes themselves.

Nearly all of their best songs are here, from "If I Had $1000000" (the first song of theirs that I ever heard), to the hammering "The Old Apartment", to the daydreamy "Pinch Me". In the interest of keeping this review reasonably brief, I'll refrain from commenting on each of the tracks; suffice it to say I love them all! Unfortunately, one of my personal favorites, the heartwrenching ballad "Break Your Heart", is absent from this disc. Anyone who enjoys a good ballad must hear that song (which is, by the way, on their "Born on a Pirate Ship" album, which I highly recommend as well).

While this collection doesn't match up perfectly with my idea of their greatest hits (but then, does any artist's "best of" list ever jibe completely with yours?), it is an essential part of my Barenaked Ladies library. Not only does it contain two new songs -- the jaunty "It's Only Me" and the melancholy but engaging "Thanks That Was Fun" -- but also a pair of hard-to-find tracks: a cover of the Bruce Cockburn tune "Lovers In A Dangerous Time", and "Get In Line", another favorite of mine which is lifted from the "King of the Hill" soundtrack.

Although I could recommend any of Barenaked Ladies' albums, if you buy only one, make this it. You might be surprised at how many great songs are on this disc! Definitely worth the money!

...from fringe-dwellers mocking 'Greatest Hits' collections on their first album ('Disc One, it's where we've begun/It's all our greatest hits/And if you are a fan then you know that you've already got 'em' from 'Box Set') to Big Stars putting out a collection of their own. As the title indicates, they're well aware of the irony; what this traditional-style CD really celebrates is success for a band that has never sold out.
The lush (19-song!) selection is excellent, covering the obvious highlights ('Brian Wilson', 'If I Had $1 000 000', and, yep, 'One Week' - be prepared to be driven crazy all over again) as well as less successful or harder-to-find treats ('Call and Answer', 'Shoe Box', 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time'). The only track I'd disagree with is a live version of 'What a Good Boy', an essentially intimate ballad that isn't at it's best with several thousand people singing along.
The two new tracks are a toss-up; 'It's Only Me' is frenetic New Wave stuff, funny but maybe a bit too busy, and 'Thanks That Was Fun' is the gentle, nicely rueful story of a break-up that (in patented BNL fashion) isn't proving nearly as satisfying as the narrator had hoped.
The liner notes include two admiring (but thankfully not gushy) 'how-they-dunnit' essays and track-by-track annotations from Steven Page. In other words, everything you wanted to know and some stuff you maybe could have lived without but will enjoy anyway.
All told, a hugely satisfying Barenaked Ladies experience. (Although they'll hopefully drop the 'Box Set' references while they're ahead. Otherwise...'Disc Three/Well this is really me/In a grade school play' and 'Disc Six/A dance remix/to catch the latest trend...')

As Steven Page says in the liner notes about "Get In Line," calling some of these songs "greatest hits" may be stretching the definition of the term. Perhaps a better title would be "The Best of (And Then Some)."
And among the band's best these are. Besides the expected hits ("Brian Wilson," "One Week," "Pinch Me"), this collection includes the hard-to-find cover of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," and "Get In Line," which was only available on the "King of the Hill" soundtrack. Plus you get the superior live version of my personal all-time BNL favorite, "What a Good Boy."
Of the new songs, "It's Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland)" reminded me a little of The Knack (one of Page's favorite albums was that band's debut album) and has a exciting New Wave kickiness to it, while Ed Robertson's "Thanks, That Was Fun" is a little more mournful. Neither of them (sad to say) is likely to conquer U.S. airwaves, but they're welcome additions anyway.
For the casual BNL fan, this collection is a great way to get deeper into the band's catalog. For the BNL fan who already has all their albums (like me), it's a way of hearing these favorites in a new context, plus two new great tracks. What are you waiting for?

I've been a fan of BNL ever since a friend of mine asked me if I wanted "...this annoying CD I bought off the bargain table - but I think it's your type of thing." The CD was 'Rock Spectacle', and I was hooked immediately. When they toured, I jumped to buy tickets (word to the wise: even if you're only a slight BNL fan, you MUST go to one of their concerts - it's the most fun you'll have all year). So I was thrilled to hear a couple of the newer songs I'd heard performed live ('The Wizard of Magicland', 'Falling for the First Time') on this CD.

The Ladies are very funny, a little strange, and very smart. The lyrics are never cheap, and you'll find yourself catching more and more in the songs, the more you listen. The songs on this CD range from the more "made for radio air-time" hits like 'One Week' and 'It's All Been Done' to the sadder 'Call and Answer' and 'What a Good Boy'. They even sing love songs...of a sort. What girl wouldn't want to be a guy's Yoko Ono? Right....don't answer that.

The point is, this CD is the perfect soundtrack for a cynical but hopeful generation of kooks. It has a place of honor in my CD collection, and never gets old or fails to cheer me up.

With all those "Greatest Hits" collections out there that contain one or two good songs followed by a bunch of unknown filler, it's nice to see one where every song is a winner. I'm basically a BNL newbie (I listened to "One Week" when it started getting airplay and said, "I like these guys!"), so I bought this CD because, simply put, it packs ALL of BNL's major hits onto one CD... yet it still leaves room for their lesser-known work, which I discovered and loved. Barenaked Ladies' true talent, it seems to me, is the ability to write seemingly light pop music that, upon reflection, camouflages a deep, pensive point. The selection of songs presented here highlights that talent, leaving the listener to stop and think after each song. As well, although BNL has a distinct musical style, each song presents a different facet of it, leaving a new surprise around every corner. (Speaking of surprises, it was nice to note that the two new songs on this CD are as fun--and as deep--as their earlier efforts.) I don't know what else I can say, except that the producers of this CD have packed as much value into it as possible. Other reviewers say this CD is even a good buy for diehard fans who have every BNL CD as it is. I just know that for a new fan such as myself, this was definitely the right place to start.