ARTIST: Cracker
TITLE: Greatest Hits (Redux)
LABEL: Cooking Vinyl
GENRE: Oldies
BITRATE: 234kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 1h 07m total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-02-21
RIP DATE: 2006-02-17
Track List
----------
1. Teen Angst (What the World 4:05
Needs Now)
2. I See The Light 5:28
3. Mr. Wrong 4:33
4. Low 4:53
5. Get Off This 4:11
6. Lonesome Johnny Blues 3:09
7. Euro-Trash Girl 9:25
8. Sweet Thistle Pie 4:59
9. Big Dipper 5:43
10. The World Is Mine 3:43
11. Duty Free 5:53
12. Ain't Gonna Suck Itself 5:47
13. Something You Ain't Got 5:19
Release Notes:
Cracker may be considered a somewhat traditional rock band (almost comparable to
roots rock at times), yet singer/guitarist David Lowery's roots were anything
but traditional since he fronted the '80s alternative outfit Camper Van
Beethoven. Shortly after Camper Van Beethoven called it quits in 1990, Lowery
began demoing material along with guitarist Johnny Hickman and bassist Davey
Faragher, eventually going by the name Cracker (several of these early demos
would eventually surface under the title of David Lowery Demo Mixes). By 1991,
the newly formed band had signed a recording contract with Virgin and enlisted
the help of several drummers/percussionists (Jim Keltner, Rick Jaeger, and Phil
Jones), issuing their self-titled debut in 1992. A year later, Cracker issued
their best-known album, Kerosene Hat, which spawned the popular MTV/rock radio
hit "Low." But by the time of their third release, 1996's The Golden Age,
Faragher had been replaced with Bob Rupe, while the drum spot was occupied by a
trio of players: Charlie Quintana, Eddie Bayers, and Johnny Hott.
After the album's supporting tour wrapped up, Lowery briefly concentrated on
projects outside the band, producing such artists as Joan Osborne, Lauren
Hoffman, Magnet, Fighting Gravity, and Sparklehorse (all at his Sound of Music
recording studio in Richmond, VA), and co-producing the Counting Crows along
with former Camper Van Beethoven producer Dennis Herring. Lowery also found the
time to co-star in director Eric Drilling's independent film River Red (also
composing the film's score) and appeared in another film, director Matt
Leutwyler's This Space Between Us.
By the end of the decade, Cracker seemed to have settled on a somewhat permanent
lineup as drummer Frank Funaro and keyboardist/accordion player Kenny Margolis
joined up with Lowery, Hickman, and Rupe, issuing 1998's Gentleman's Blues.
During the early 21st century, Cracker continued to tour and even enlisted the
help of several of Lowery's former Camper Van Beethoven members on select dates
(bassist Victor Krummenacher, guitarist/violinist Jonathan Segel, and guitarist
Greg Lisher). They issued a live set in 2001, Traveling Apothecary Show & Revue,
while a year later, Cracker issued their fifth and sixth studio albums overall,
Forever (2002), and a rowdy set of country covers called Countrysides in 2003.
The group has also been the subject of a pair of compilations over the years:
1994's The Virgin Years (credited to Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker) and 2000's
double-disc Garage d'Or. 2006 saw the release of Get on with It: The Best Of on
CD and DVD.