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Audio Mixers: Chris Dickie; Hugh Jones; Paul Kosky; John Hampton; Alan Thorne; Cameron Craig. Liner Note Authors: Stuart Coupe; Mick Thomas. Photographer: Alison Smith. Unknown Contributor Roles: Janine Hall; Marcus Schintler; Richard Burgman; Dave Steel; Michael Barclay; Pete Lawler; Stephen O'Prey; Mark Wallace ; Paul Thomas ; Jen Anderson. In August of 1998, Weddings, Parties, Anything announced that they were calling it a day, one month before this long-planned retrospective was to be released. The material for this best-of was compiled by allowing fans to pick heir favorite songs through the band's website -- a really good idea. It is not known how the songs were chosen for the bonus disc, "Benched," which was included with initial pressings; it's a collection of unreleased demos and assorted B-sides. The problem with any compilation is the songs left off the release. However, in this case it is interesting to note that there are no songs written or sung by former member Dave Steel, who co-wrote the first two albums and turned in an excellent performance on Paul Kelly's "Laughing Boy" (from 1988's Roaring Days), which is not included here. That said, the songs that were assembled for this release are gems. Included in the package is the brilliant "Step In, Step Out" (perhaps their finest recorded moment), "Roaring Days," "Knockbacks in Halifax," "A Tale They Won't Believe," and the sadly overlooked "Wide Open Road" (from the independent release Donkey Serenade). All great songs, all great performances showcasing the truly talented Michael Thomas. This CD provides evidence of his strong vocal performances, enthusiastic guitar playing, and the ability to mix folk, rock, and punk to create his own hybrid. Two new songs are included -- "Anthem" and "Traffic Goes By" -- which are good, but do not live up to the older material. Also, the lack of information regarding the tracks is frustrating, especially with the "Benched" CD, since there is no information about the tracks, and only collectors will know the origins of the songs. The "Benched" CD is aimed at fans, and the material is pretty second-rate and of very little significance. The songs selected are not their best B-sides. The highlight is "One Perfect Day," a sensitive, emotional song that deserves a much better fate than being buried on a B-side or a limited-edition bonus disc. Trophy Night: The Best of Weddings Parties Anything CD is an adequate, but all too brief overview of this brilliant band. They produced seven incredible albums that stand up individually. Michael Thomas should be proud of his accomplishments with this band, as should all of the assorted members. Folk, country, rock, and punk seldom sounded as good as this. ~ Aaron Badgley
