Details : A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box - Disc 1 of 3\n2006 Rhino Entertainment Company\n\nOriginally Released September 19, 2006\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: By the gods, here it is, the much vaunted "definitive" Gothic rock compendium from the packaging and licensing elves at Rhino Records. A Life Less Lived will certainly be a candidate for the best packaging award at the Grammy Awards for 2006. As unlikely and as unsettling it is -- for those who live by the black rose of Goth and wish to remain underneath their sad rock in the dark garden of marginality -- without even considering the music or video inside it, this box set stands out as something that perhaps might be sold at your local S&M pleasure palace emporium. Why? Well, for one, it's all assembled inside a black vinyl corset. Only the sticker reveals its contents as it boasts those band names sure to offend every parent who shops at the local mega mart that insists on labeling a CD's contents; names such as Alien Sex Fiend, Christian Death, Fields of the Nephilim, and more adorn the red, black and white sticker. Pasted, of course, in prominent view. Musically, this is a mixed bag. Liz Goodman produced this set and for the most part, she did an excellent job. There are some problematic selections, and of course the stuff that's not here is just as troubling, but then that's what themed various artist box sets are about. Disc one kicks off with Joy Division's "Dead Souls." While it's true that the overwhelming majority would look to JD as one of the penultimate Goth progenitors, it's still an argumentative choice. What about Bauhaus? (Yep -- but with a caveat later). The Sisters of Mercy? Uh huh. March Violets? Of course. Danse Society? You bet. Virgin Prunes? OK, but that's only part of what they were about as a band. The point is, so many of these selections may have been embraced by those who love Goth music, but weren't bands that necessarily tried -- or even wanted to -- appeal to that gloom and doom rock & roll subculture. Another instance: the Misfits "Halloween" is here, but nothing from former frontman Glenn Danzig's Black Aria project -- which is overtly Gothic music. The Misfits, the Damned, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Echo & the Bunnymen, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, the Birthday Party, Ministry, and the Chameleons U.K. just don't belong here. The Cure is deeply arguable as well. And then there's the sheer volume of post-Bauhaus projects included here. You get the original, but was it necessary to include Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, Dali's Car, or Peter Murphy's (or "Blitz" as he was known to the late John Peel) and Daniel Ash's solo properties? There are some genius choices here too, though, such as Kommunity FK's "To Blame," .45 Grave's "Party Time," the Cranes' "Starblood," and Rose of Avalanche's "Dreamland," are just a few. There are some rather interesting choices in London After Midnight's "Kiss," Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's "Walking on Your Hands," and Ghost Dance's "The Grip of Love." Much of the standard fare is here as well: "Bela Lugosi's Dead" is here on DVD, as is "She's in Parties," "Snake Dance" by the March Violets, the Cocteau Twins' "Blood Bitch," and tracks by Flesh for Lulu, Gene Loves Jezebel, Xmal Deustschland, Sex Gang Children, and Southern Death Cult. It's great as far as it goes. But what about all the bands on the Projekt label, the longest running, willfully Goth project out there for almost two decades? These are the most obvious omissions, but there certainly are others. Where is Mass and the other half-a-dozen 4AD bands who most certainly were Goth? It appears that Goodman was too selective in places and not subjective in others. The DVD is killer, however, with its video selection, even if some of them don't necessarily belong in Goth terrain. Seeing Fields of the Nephilim here with Moonchild, the Sisters of Mercy's "Lucretia My Reflection," and the Mission U.K.'s "Deliverance" all in a row is brilliant. Love and Rockets' "Ball of Confusion," and the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On" are great even if they don't belong here. The Cult's live "Spiritwalker" (before the band became some kind of headbanging biker "Steppenwolf Jr" or something) is also a nice pick. Ending with Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Cities in Dust" is another great choice. The Nick Cave video is great, but again, it just doesn't belong here and the same goes for Ministry's "Stigmata." The booklet in this package is a thing to behold in and of itself. It's gorgeous in terms of design and presentation -- it's stitched, not just glued. There are essays by Goodman, Goth maniac Mick Mercer, Dave Thompson did the track by track, Alternative Press' Jason Pettigrew has a very entertaining essay called "The 'G' Word: Artists Address the 'Goth' Tag," and Sue Lott and former Big Chief guitarist Phil Durr wrote a very fine "Hiss and Hearse: Two Tales from the Goth Side. There is also a section entitled "The Lighter Side of Goth," with essays on "How to Dance Gothic" and "Ten Essentials for Running a Proper Goth Night." There is an arguable discography at the back, as well. A Life Less Lived is most likely of interest for those fans who already have all this music anyway, but are interested in (A): seeing it one place in a lush and very handsome package, and (B): feel that they've finally been vindicated by the mainstream. As for being a cultural document of stature, history will decide that, but this is the first thing of its kind that's actually been worth the fuss. -- Thom Jurek\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nYes, I was one of those kids: big, messy hair; black clothes; makeup on the weekends; surly demeanor with everyone but my friends. But my friends were legion. And what bonded us all? Goth music--dark, arty, dramatic, epic, apocalyptic. It gave us focus and refuge during those formative years. Now, it appears some of those kids have grown up and started working for Rhino. A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box hones in on the territory started by their expansive Left of the Dial box set and gives it a smear of red lipstick and a down-turned glance. And in usual Rhino fashion, it's lovingly designed (the slipcase is a faux-leather corset!), with an extensive booklet that will answer all of your questions about goth, and this box set in particular. It will be needed. One can already hear the cries of "What about...?," "Why that song?," and "Is that goth?" These questions are addressed and gotten out of the way in quick succession. Rhino has the cachet to pull together artists that wouldn't normally be part of such a box set, so they rightly concentrate on including the biggies (the Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy). Also present less well-known bands, such as Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, the March Violets, and the Virgin Prunes. What about the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Misfits, and Echo & the Bunnymen? Are they goth? Not strictly, but every goth I knew loved them. There's even an "instructional" essay for those new to the scene, and a cover of the Cure's "The Hanging Garden" by new-schoolers A.F.I. to bring in the uninitiated. Go on, break out those velvet vests and pointy boots and put this on--it's still amazingly vibrant stuff. --Robert Arambel \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nFive hours of mood-lowering music & video from the foremost names in gloom. \n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Liz Goodman \n\nAlbum Notes\nRhino is known for their lovingly selected and packaged box sets, but they've completely outdone themselves with LIFE LESS LIVED: THE GOTHIC BOX. It gives a bird's-eye view of the antecedents, offshoots, and major practitioners of Goth rock, attempting--and in large part, succeeding--to provide a definitive overview. Die-hard Goths may quibble over who truly belongs here, but with a track list that includes Joy Division, Bauhuas, Gene Loves Jezebel, Throbbing Gristle, Siouxie and the Banshees, the Sisters of Mercy, and almost everyone else whose music caused listeners to don black eyeshadow, it's difficult to really complain. \n\nIn addition to three discs worth of music, there is also an extensive, sumptuous booklet and an excellent DVD featuring 12 tracks.\n\nDVD Features:\nDVD includes videos for:\n1. The Cure - Lullaby\n2. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead\n3. The Sisters of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection\n4. Fields Of The Nephilim - Moonchild\n5. The MIssion UK - Deliverance\n6. Love & Rockets - Ball Of Confusion\n7. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Head On\n8. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon\n9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Where The Wild Roses Grow\n10. Ministry - Stigmata\n11. The Cult - Spiritwalker (live)\n12. Sioxsie & The Banshees - Cities in Dust\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNot all it's cracked up to be, February 13, 2007 \nBy The Ox "The Ox"\nThis box really falls short of the genre and does not do it much justice. Anyone remotely familiar with this material will already know the obvious ones.... Joy Division, Bauhaus, Nick Cave, Cure, etc. Come on already! \n\nThere's some stuff that really shouldn't be on here and lot's of mediocrity, bands that may have been included due to the presenter's lack of knowledge on the topic in an effort to fill space with numbers. \nRhino should have delved deeper into bands like Christian Death with their off-shoots like Mephisto Waltz. Or into acts like The Names, Durutti Column, Pale Fountains and even My Bloody Valentine or The Sound. I'd also go with Samhain over the Misfits if Danzig has to be polled into the mix. \n\nNo doubt that there's some great music here but in terms of the comp it's supposed to be I'd have to say it's a bust. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNice to seem them all in one place, but...., January 24, 2007 \nBy mss\nGoth is a tag that's been retroactively applied to many of these bands. It means very different things to different people on different sides of the Atlantic. The folks at Rhino have done a really great job assembling this collection along thematic lines, and despite what some people have said in their reviews, there's no denying the relationship between industrial and "goth," just like there's no denying the close relationship between punk and goth. Too many of the great bands that we now associate with the goth movement feel much more strongly tied to punk (see: Sisters of Mercy, and listen to their old stuff next to the Ramones - you'll see what I mean), and rightfully so. American bands loosely associated with goth (Misfits, Ministry) happen to have arrived at a goth-esque place through very different means, but that doesn't make their inclusion here any less suitable. And industrial groups like Skinny Puppy and Ministry and Throbbing Gristle and Die Einstuerzende Neubauten were very much part of the same scene, even if they approached their dance music with a more or less performance artsy bent. And Jesus and Mary Chain, who could rock out with the best of the cheesy, vampy, 80's pop bands, made an album that couldn't have sounded much more like early Sisters (Psychocandy). The problem, for me, with this collection, is that it's clearly marketed to an American fanbase, one which puts altogether too much stock in labels (the packaging doesn't help either). \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGothic 101, January 16, 2007 \nBy John Bowman "You're a slave to money, then yo... (San Francisco Bay Area)\nI really love this box set. I grew up in the age of goth was around for it's birth. Of course at the time I never considered myself a goth in anyway and I wouldn't have looked the part either. But the music is another thing altogether and I truly loved the music that became known as GOTH. This is great example of some great songs from the goth age and well represented across the genre and through time. Although I owned most of these songs already, either on CD or Vinyl, there were some gems in the mix that I didn't have. I also liked the DVD, which features some videos for songs that didn't make it onto the music CD's themselves. My friends and I had a great laugh as well when we read the instructions on how to dance goth. As funny as it read, it was dead on with my memory of how "goths" danced at the clubs I visited in my youth and maybe, just maybe, it rubbed off on how I danced at the time as well. All in all a Life Less Lived is a great box set for those who love goth or for those who wish to get a definitive initiation into the goth music genre. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNeeds more music, December 4, 2006 \nBy overcomebyfumes (lying quietly in the corner)\nThree stars because I mostly enjoyed what was on here - and found more than a few tracks that I never heard before and enjoyed a lot - but not five stars because there's not nearly enough music. \n\nI would have much preferred a fourth disc of music to a DVD. And the DVD only has twelve videos - maybe an hour long, if that. A DVD can easly hold, what? 2 1/2 to 3 hours of material? There's a LOT of wasted space there. \n\nThe first two discs are good. (I don't understand the need to include an Ian Astbury (Southern Death Cult, Death Cult, The Cult) track on each of the three discs, but other than that, good stuff.) Kudos for NOT including "Bela Lugosi's Dead", which we've all heard waaaaay too many times. \n\nThis set was worth it for me because of bands and songs I had never heard before. Revelations for me were Nick Cave and The Birthday Party, Alien Sex fiend, The Mission UK, The Creatures, The Cranes, Fields of the Nephilim, and (surprisingly for me) Echo and the Bunnymen. These bands are probably old news for you long-time Goths out there (I can hear you snickering!!) , but I didn't get out much back then. Poor me. \n\nI bought this expecting to find bands and songs I hadn't heard before, and the third disc had too much familiar (and as many here have pointed out, arguably non-gothic) material. The Misfits I've listened to since high school (too long ago). Ministry and Skinny Puppy, I got those when they came out. \n\nAnd the only bum tracks for me were on the third disc - The Virgin Prunes I didn't like at all and Throbbing Gristle is just completely annoying. So the third disc was, for me, largely useless. \n\nIf you're a brand new Goth, this is a good place to start in your quest to get into some new/old music. (If you are an old hoary Goth, you're giggling into the back of your hand at the very idea of this box set, so what are you reading my review for, anyway?) \n\nIf there had been a fourth CD instead of a DVD, I'd have given this four or even five stars. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAnnoying., November 18, 2006 \nBy Staunch Character (Brooklyn, New York)\nNothing annoys me more than articles written by smug music critics who don't fact-check and apparently don't care. Yes, I am talking about the know-it-all liner notes in this product, in particular those pertaining to Christian Death. Anyone knows that the original lineup wrote one, ONE, album together - "only theatre of pain." This joker claims that the original lineup wrote three albums together and THEN R. brought in Valor and crew. Wrong. And this person claims to have written 80+ books on rock, including biographies on the Cure and Joy Division. Let's hope he paid more attention to detail in those. \n\nWhile we're at it, we'll move on to the musickal selection. \n\nWhy are the following bands on this compilation? \n1) THROBBING GRISTLE. Industrial, not goth. \n2) Ministry. Crap, not goth. \n3) The Cult. Umm... \n4) Cocteau Twins. So. Totally. Not. Goth. \n\nWell, there's more, but I've wasted enough time already. \n\nThis was given to me as a gift. I wouldn't have reviewed it at all had the liner notes not made me furious. Don't waste your money. L-a-m-e. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nTurning on the light in a dark room, October 17, 2006 \nBy Stephanie Travitsky "Keeper of the Zoo" (brooklyn, new york United States)\nThe liner for this compilation pretty much sums it up. Goth music was created in the UK by people who watched the late night creature feature and who read Shelly, Stoker,etc. Some of these artists were romantics and some wanted to be like Alice Cooper (Nik Fiend). \n\nThis is a great introduction to what truly defined the Goth music movement and how it intertwined with Punk, New Wave, and EBM. However, I must argue that AFI really is not goth and never will be. Plus, while Flesh for Lulu was technically concidered a Goth band, "� Go Crazy" is not a Goth song. I would have eliminated AFI and used "Reptile" by The Church. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nRhino knows Goth..., October 16, 2006 \nBy slug bait\nRepackaged Goth music courtesy of Rhino. Thank you for telling us what goth music is and what artists are goth. The masses no longer have to think, we only have these record companies to decide for us what category a certain genre of music belongs to. \n\nAnd what the hell is the no talent, severely lacking in originality act like AFI doing on this compilation? What A F_cking Insult! \n\nI suppose the next compilation would target the Industrial crowd. Oh! Oh! I can't wait for Linkin Park to be in that compilation!\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nwonderful set, September 23, 2006 \nBy Derek Ruthven "Derek" (Tennessee, USA)\nRhino has really pulled out the stops with this release. The packaging is quirkily cool, and they have gone above and beyond with the overall presentation. People are naturally going to argue about the track list - but that's the way things go with compilations like these. "A Life Less Lived" is probably the best primer for gothic rock - REAL gothic rock - that we are likely to see. The DVD of music videos is a nice touch as well. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe humble opinion of a ex-Goth :-|, September 20, 2006 \nBy T. Dorman (South Africa)\nWell, No matter what the last person said ... I think it's a great compilation ... Great songs, great music vids. Could have had more Sisters on it though.... But over all there is nothing wrong with the selection. If you are new to Gothic music.... I mean REAL Gothic Rock... not NuGoth, Scary-Trans, Darkmetal, Black Polka, Doom-yodelling or any of the other weak spin-offs of the '90's and 2000's... than this Little Black box of "inner-morbid-heartaches and boo-hoo's" is as great a place to start as any. \n\n5 skeletal thumbs up. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nCould sap the pep of a popular cheerleader, September 20, 2006 \nBy Jonathan Green "defrocked cultural anthropolo... (Los Angeles, CA USA)\nAll the goth kids in my neighborhood are so horrified that mundane ol' Rhino has so nailed their musical ethos that they are donning bright polyester seperates, growing out their natural hair color, and tossing their Tim Burton DVDs in the trash. Nice work Rhino! \n\n
