Shoes Elektrafied: Elektra Years 1979-1982 CD

Four CD box. Having created a grassroots buzz with their homemade proto-power pop classic Black Vinyl Shoes, Illinois band Shoes duly attracted major label interest, and they signed to Elektra in early 1979. Over the next three years they released a triptych of classic pop albums - Present Tense, Tongue Twister, and Boomerang - and a clutch of Wurlitzer-worthy seven-inch nuggets that should have catapulted them to fame, fortune and all manner of related excess. Sadly, however, they never quite made the leap from critics' darlings to Top Thirty success, and the band were obliged to settle for enduring cult status as power pop avatars. But while rock-star level fame and fortune never quite came their way, Shoes do have the considerable consolation of knowing that their body of work has stood the test of time far better than many of their more commercially successful contemporaries. This anthology of the band's recordings for Elektra, fleshed out with a swathe of pre-album demos, lost songs, alternative versions and live tracks dating from the same period, is a veritable smorgasbord of perfect pop from a time when Shoes were genuine contenders for rock's glittering prizes. Housed in a stylish clamshell box, Elektrafied contains a 32 page booklet that features rare photos and a new 10,000 essay on the band's adventures during their sojourn with Elektra.

1. Tomorrow Night 2. Too Late 3. HanginÆ Around With You 4. Your Very Eyes 5. In My Arms Again 6. Somebody Has What I Had 7. Now And Then 8. Every Girl 9. I DonÆt Miss You 10. Cruel You 11. Three Times: See Me/Say It/Listen 12. I DonÆt Wanna Hear It 13. Tomorrow Night 14. Too Late 15. HanginÆ Around With You 16. Your Very Eyes 17. In My Arms Again 18. Somebody Has What I Had 19. Now And Then 20. Every Girl 21. I DonÆt Miss You 22. Cruel You 23. Three Times: See Me/Say It/Listen 24. I DonÆt Wanna Hear It 25. Your Imagination 26. Burned Out Love 27. The Things You Do 28. Only In My Sleep 29. Karen 30. She Satisfies 31. Girls Of Today 32. HopinÆ SheÆs The One 33. When It Hits 34. Yes Or No 35. Found A Girl 36. Hate To Run 37. Time To Make It 38. Burned Out Love 39. The Things You Do 40. Only In My Sleep 41. Karen 42. She Satisfies 43. Girls Of Today 44. HopinÆ SheÆs The One 45. When It Hits 46. Yes Or No 47. Found A Girl 48. Hate To Run 49. In Her Shadow 50. Curiosity 51. Mayday 52. Too Soon 53. Double Talk 54. The Summer Rain 55. Under The Gun 56. The Tube 57. What Love Means 58. Bound To Be A Reason 59. Shake It Away 60. Tested Charms 61. In Her Shadow (Demo Version 2) 62. Curiosity 63. Mayday 64. Too Soon 65. Double Talk 66. The Summer Rain 67. Under The Gun 68. What Love Means 69. The Tube 70. Bound To Be A Reason 71. Shake It Away 72. Tested Charms 73. Jet Set (Manor Version) 74. Ever Again 75. Take You Away (Demo Version 1) 76. See Me (1st Demo) 77. Jet Set (Demo Version 1) 78. In Her Shadow (Demo Version 1) 79. A Voice Inside Me (Demo Version 1) 80. Take You Away (Demo Version 2) 81. Karen (Acoustic Demo) 82. Jet Set (Demo Version 2) 83. A Voice Inside Me (Demo Version 2) 84. I Wanna Give It To You 85. Too Late 86. HanginÆ Around With You 87. Cruel You 88. In My Arms Again 89. She Satisfies 90. Hate To Run