''The Essential'' is a compilation album by American alternative rock band

Concrete Blonde Concrete Blonde was an American alternative rock band from Hollywood, California. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and reunited twice: first from 2001 to 2004, and again from 2010 to 2012. They were best known for their album ''Bloo ...

, released in 2005.

Critical reception

Johnny Loftus, writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, noted the compilation's similarity to the band's 2002 compilation ''Classic Masters'', but felt that like its 2002 predecessor, ''The Essential'' fails to "adequately replace" the 1996 compilation '' Recollection: The Best of Concrete Blonde''. Loftus noted the omission of tracks from the band's 1993 album ''

Mexican Moon ''Mexican Moon'' is the fifth studio album by alternative rock band Concrete Blonde. ''Mexican Moon'' takes the gothic rock of the previous albums and adds more of a hard rock edge to it. Johnette Napolitano provided the vocals, bass guitar, sa ...

'' and also the lack of any unreleased material. He concluded it was "a pretty satisfactory overview of Concrete Blonde's IRS output" and "probably OK for the casual fan". ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' described ''The Essential'' as "very good, if flawed overview of these cult darlings". They also noted the lack of any songs from ''Mexican Moon'' and also questioned whether the inclusion of "Little Wing" and "Roses Grow" can be considered essential.

Track listing

Personnel

* Frank Collura – compilation producer * Evren Goknar – mastering * Asterik Studio – design * Diana Barnes – art direction * Gerri Miller – liner notes * Paul Natkin, Chansley Entertainment Archives – band photography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essential Concrete Blonde albums 2005 compilation albums Capitol Records compilation albums EMI Records compilation albums