14 Iced Bears - In the Beginning (2001, Slumberland)

14 Iced Bears association with Sarah Records may have spanned the arc of one 1988 single, but the band's catalog (particularly the early portion) suggests their involvement with that coveted British imprint should have been a lot more enduring.  With a sonic aptitude that bridged the not-so-gaping divide between nascent Primal Scream and the Wedding Present, the band (Sarah Records or not) manged to pump out more than half a dozen singles and two albums between 1986-91.  The currently out of print In the Beginning compilation reprises the first three of the Bears 45s, which many longtime fans regard as their halcyon recordings.  As if those ten ditties weren't sufficient, ...Beginning is fleshed out with two stellar Peel Sessions, a pair of not-so-hot live cuts, and just as many demos originating from 1985.  Not as consistently saccharine as their C86 brethren, 14 Iced Bears weren't shy about upping the dissonance ante, especially on their premier single, "Inside."  As mentioned, in addition to short form vinyl releases, the group is survived by a couple of albums, a 1988 self-titled effort, and 1991's Wonder, both of which are available for purchase on iTunes and Emusic.   

01. Inside
02. Blue Suit
03. Cut
04. Balloon Song
05. Train Song
06. Like a Dolphin
07. Lie to Choose
08. Come Get Me
09. Sure to See
10. Unhappy Day
11. Balloon Song
12. Shy (-) Like You
13. Train Song
14. Cut
15. Miles Away
16. Spangle
17. Hay Fever
18. If I Said
19. Jumped in a Puddle
20. Gave You My Overcoat
21. Ring the Far Bell
22. I Don't Know Why

01-10: singles 1986-88
11-14: Peel Session 11/26/86
15-18: Peel Session 7/27/87
19-20: live at The Enterprise, London 1986
21-22: demos 1985

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