Throbbing Gristle's Greatest Hits (Remastered)

Designed to look like a 1950s exotica lounge record, Throbbing Gristle's Greatest Hits offers a condensed look at Throbbing Gristle's earlier output, though just the idea of anything by this group of avant-garde art noise terrorists being a "hit" is a bit ludicrous. The LP takes several tracks from D.O.A. and 20 Jazz Funk Greats and adds in the singles "Adrenalin," "Subhuman," and "United" and a backwards version of the ICA take on "Slug Bait" from Second Annual Report. It makes a good introduction to the group, mixing in some of their more abstract and visceral industrial tracks like the harrowing "Hamburger Lady," "What a Day," and the backwards "Slug Bait," retitled "Tiab Guls," with the devious synth pop pieces with primitive electro beats like "United" and "Hot on the Heels of Love." The record alternates between the more pop-oriented and the more experimental on every other track, which will make this one of the easiest ways to take Throbbing Gristle for the uninitiated, though certainly not easy listening in the manner of Throbbing Gristle idol Martin Denny. Though it's a good place to start, once you own the other records, since the singles have been added to the CD reissues as bonus tracks, this album will become redundant.