Various Artists - It's Not the Size That Counts (CD)

All Music Guide

This sampler from the late, lamented I.R.S. Records is an amazingly mixed bag. The program ranges from the quirky jangle pop of Kirsty MacColl' s "Titanic Days" ("His rope, my wrists/ I never knew there might be days like this") to second-wave ska courtesy of the English Beat, who weigh in with a live version of "Tears of a Clown." There are also stopovers in the land of aggressive proto-techno (Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's "Lenny and Terence"), bhangra (Sahotas's "Hass Hogia"), and experimental house (William Orbit's "Water From a Vine Leaf -- Acid Bath Mix"). In retrospect, it's easy to see why this label went belly-up: there hasn't been room in the marketplace for a label this interesting and unpredictable in ages. Other highlights include "Bubbling Hot" by Ranking Roger and Pato Banton (a pretty blatant rehash of "Pato and Roger a Go Talk," not to mention of "Pato and Roger Come Again") and the monotonous but strangely cute "Sploosh" by Ozric Tentacles. - Rick Anderson, All... Music Guide Read more Less