The
Green Pajamas
- Through Glass Colored Roses: The Best Of...
A “favorites” collection
from our revered Seattle psych-popsmiths, featuring tracks
from their previous four albums selected by the band, plus
an amped-up, completely new recording of their classic “Kim
the Waitress.”
This
14 song compendium represents their finest work since their “creative renaissance”, which began with
their re-emergence in 1996 with the album ‘Strung Behind
the Sun’, followed by ‘All Clues Lead to Megan’s
Bed’ from 1998, 1999’s ‘Seven Fathoms Down
And Falling’, through ‘This Is Where We Disappear’ in
2001, and includes two tracks from their ‘Narcotic Kisses’ collection
from 2002. Revered by fans for nearly two decades, The Green
Pajamas continue to build an enthusiastic grass roots base
the old fashion way - by word-of-mouth. Best known as the composers
of Material Issue’s hit “Kim the Waitress”,
this Seattle based quintet continues its seven-year burst of
activity (four albums, a rarities collection, and several EPs
released since their re-emergence in 1996), with a new Green
Pajamas album in early 2004 on Hidden Agenda.
PJ's praise:
“Seattle's Green Pajamas can be seen as a more serious
equivalent to XTC side project the Dukes Of Stratosphear; both
bands deal in subtle twists of '60s psychedelia…the
Green Pajamas have a more earnest, folksy
sound. By backing down from overt '60s references they've
created a wonderful hybrid:
a serious, modern equivalent to '60s folk and psychedelia.” ---
ALL MUSIC GUIDE
from Entertainment
Weekly: Listen To This - What's Rocking Our World
Cult
bands, cult bands everywhere, and not one worth a whit...
Or so
it sometimes seems, especially when all you need to be
classified as a cult band is the devotion of your drinking
buddies and your mom. But just when you were ready to foreswear
obscure music altogether, along comes something that restores
your faith. Such is the case with "Through Glass Colored
Roses: The Best Of The Green Pajamas." "Green Pajamas?
Who they?" we can hear you asking. The band's been around,
in one form or another, playing coy, clever pop since the early
1980s' Paisley Underground scene. They even had a brush with
the mainstream: Their best-known song, "Kim The Waitress" (a
new version is included here), was once covered by power-poppers
Material Issue. If you're a sucker for achingly romantic tunes
with hooks that won't quit, take it from us: This is the "Best
Of..." of the season, bucko. B+
From Aversion.com: Considering that even in their Seattle hometown The Green
Pajamas are relatively unknown, and that the act puts out albums
faster than Scott Wieland can get busted on drug counts, maybe
a getting to know you style best-of compilation is in order.
After all, who in the world can say they know everything about
this insanely prolific psychedelic pop act?
Culled from its previous releases, Through Glass Colored Roses:
The Best of the Green Pajamas, doesn’t need to tip its
hat toward luring longtime fans to pick up this record with
a token new song. A rerecorded version of “Kim the Waitress” is
included, but otherwise, it’s all a history lesson.
And how much the band has to teach us! While singer/guitarist
Jeff Kelly’s solo work is a bit more complex and challenging
both lyrically and emotionally, it’s rarely as catchy
as when he’s sparking with the Pajamas. Even if cutting
out the best tunes of the band’s career shows that the
Pajamas lack a bit of depth, this compilation is still tough
for a psychedelic addict to pass up. The band moves through
everything from a fuzzed-up number that brings some of the
more ominous overtones of ’60s psychedelic rock (“Rattlesnake
Kiss”), to a song that takes light acoustic strumming
and throws it over the band’s warm, fuzzy bass lines
and vintage guitar tones (“She’s Still Bewitching
Me”). Most of the songs, save the stand-out “Downslide,” a
depressive snapshot of a suicide sung by Laura Keller instead
of Kelly, tend to run together, however, for an hour-long headtrip
that, while solid, seems a bit too scattered to work properly.
Nonetheless, it’s a perfect entry point for listeners
who are curious about Seattle’s cult band, if only because
it’s so encompassing. Between Kelly’s solo work
and the Pajamas’ output, anyone who’s plugged into
the pop world should be able to find a favorite Pajamas song
or two – most of them will be on this record.
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