One of the better also-rans in post-punk alt-rock ‘80s history, Gene Loves Jezebel never really captured the hearts of minds of the populace outside of their hardcore fans, simply because they sounded like everyone else. 

That was part of the band's appeal, the way in which they absorbed the influences of the popular music of the day while trying to stay true to their goth-rock-pop roots. It worked out for a while in 1986 with Discover and the hits "Desire" and "Heartache," which actually hold up pretty well in comparison to other music of the era. But that success was met with the common failing of trying to replicate it, and subsequent albums were too polished and too disjointed, trying hard to be mainstream pop and then mainstream hair rock (as on 1990's "Jealous") and not interesting many people with either approach.

Much of that lies in the production, not the songwriting; cavernous drums and a glossy sheen were the order of the day in the late ‘80s, of course, and that production could hide an underwritten song in some cases. But the band's music wasn't that standout to begin with, competent and solid but far less exciting than their stage show or twin men dressed as women shtick. Founding brother Michael Aston actually left the band during the follow-up to Discover, 1987’s The House Of Dolls, hating what the band had become. He had a point.

Here's the thing, though: now that the dust has settled, this compilation actually redeems the band somewhat. They weren't as influential as their goth rock peers, they weren't catchy enough to make it as a gloomy alt-pop dance band, but their best songs shine with the exuberance of youth and the infectious spirit of the alternative rock underground of the ‘80s. "Always A Flame," from 1985's Immigrant, is a gem of the band's early days and worth seeking out for the goth within (I'm using the original meaning of goth, not the bastardized version that disaffected youths attempted in 1998 that pissed everyone else off. Robert Smith can do it. You can't). 

Working in chronological order makes sense for this collection, and it is surprisingly strong throughout, from "Flame" to early single "Upstairs" to "Desire" and "Heartache," two examples of how dance music could rock, be a little edgy and still have some underground/college radio credibility. It's a little hard to listen to the House Of Dolls stuff without wincing or laughing, but again, that's not the band's fault. And although the times had changed in 1993, "Josephine" is a great forgotten song from that year, one that should have been a bigger hit. "Break The Chain," from the same album (Heavenly Bodies) is good too, even without Michael Aston's input. 

I would estimate that, for most people, this is all the GLJ they will ever need to own –although as with all compilations, if you like what's here digging deeper may yield some rewards. Certainly, when discussing goth-flavored alternative rock in the ‘80s, names like Echo And The Bunnymen, the Cure, Bauhaus and Siouxsie & the Banshees come to mind far more readily than these guys, whose worst moments seem like copies of the flavor of the day.

But those who love those bands would do well to check this out, and those who vaguely remember "Desire" from back in the day should give this a spin as well. The best songs here are almost as good as others from the era; it’s a shame there aren't more of them.

Rating: C

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