Josef K emerged from the Scotland post-punk scene as one of the leading lights but yet sunk almost without trace only a couple of years later. This collection comprises their initial attempt at releasing an album which was subsequently scrapped by the band themselves and the reworking of it which was eventually re-released. As you can imagine then, there is a certain amount of overlap on this 25-track compilation. In truth it's difficult to say which version of the album is better; the first attempt contained what is probably their best song, the atypically slower 'It's Kinda Funny' (which demonstrates that though Josek K could play their guitars unspeakably fast whilst retaining melody they could make languid songs of aching beauty) plus gems such as 'Forever Drone' and 'Heart Of Song' whilst the second contains classics like 'Endless Soul' and 'Variation Of Scene'. Another point worth making is that the Josef K compilation from 1998, 'Endless Soul' contains most of the best songs on offer here and with considerably clearer production which these version seem to suffer from in comparison. However, despite this, it is a credit to Josef K's unique style that even though some chord changes are submerged in the mix the signs of intricate inventiveness still shine through.