The Mighty Lemon Drops - Rollercoaster- The Best of The Mighty Lemon Drops (1986-1989) (1996)

This 19-track collection only covers the group's 1980s recordings, though that's not likely to bother too many listeners, since that period's usually considered their best. Comparisons to Echo & the Bunnymen creep into most reviews of the Mighty Lemon Drops, but even if they're unavoidable, you can tell the difference, particularly in the Rickenbacker guitar lines and the less affected, humbler vocal delivery. Songs from each of their first four albums are accompanied by a healthy share of cuts from singles, B-sides, and EPs, including the original version of "Like an Angel," which came out on the independent Dreamworld label. The inclusion of so many ephemeral tracks might water this down in the view of some who would have liked it to focus more avowedly on what might be considered their strongest songs. Yet on the other hand, it does broaden the appeal of this anthology to both collectors and those looking for a reasonably thorough overview of their peak recordings, which this certainly provides.~Review by Richie Unterberger