A Bestiary of (Spectrum)

The early Creatures material had fallen out of print in most locations for quite a while before Bestiary made its long overdue appearance. Only Feast had made a regular appearance in certain record stores thanks to Japanese pressings; Bestiary topped that by including the contents of the Wild Things and Right Now EPs as well as "Hot Springs in the Snow," the B-side from "Miss the Girl." The result collects everything originally put out in the first phase of the Creatures' existence, making for a convenient and very well remastered collection. No previously unreleased tracks or unexpected bonuses are included, but that's quibbling in comparison to finally having all the cuts available again. Full lyrics are included, as well as recording details, a brief series of informative liner notes, and even release dates and U.K. chart positions. Another bonus is the inclusion of all the original sleeve art for the various releases, including the notorious wet T-shirt in the shower shots for Wild Things (an alternate image from that session is the cover for the collection as a whole). The lovely cover for Feast, featuring Sioux wearing a striking native Hawaiian costume, appears in such a way that one can refold the booklet to make it the front cover, a nice option.