Album Review: No Use For A Name – Rarities Vol. 2: The Originals

If you are already a fan of No Use For a Name then the fact this is called “Rarities Vol. 2: The Originals” already tells you pretty much everything you need to know, and there’s a good chance you pre-ordered this and are currently spinning it on repeat. Whilst the four year wait since the release of “Rarities Vol. 1: The Covers” has probably tested your patience to breaking point, the long wait is finally over as Fat Wreck Chords have finally released the second instalment of rarities from the much missed band that is now available on CD, vinyl and digital formats.

The press release indicates that this album is a result of a labour of love, with those fine people at Fat Wreck Chords trawling through every No Use For a Name recording they could get their hands on, that has resulted in a collection of fifteen tracks of rarities and previously unreleased demos. As any diehard fan of a band knows there are rarities compilations and then there are rarities compilations, this is the former, or is it the latter, anyway this is not a cash in on a the memory of a much loved band containing lacklustre versions and material that never saw the light of day for a very good reason, rather this is almost like hearing a new album, almost.

The alternate takes, in particular the versions of ‘Justified Black Eye‘ and ‘Dumb Reminders‘, make “Rarities Vol. 2: The Originals” worth picking up on the medium of your choice, although this compilation is not perfect, and as this is a collection of unreleased recordings this really shouldn’t surprise you, there are enough flawed gems on here to keep any fan happy. Since the unexpected death of Tony Sly in 2012 hit there has been a void that No Use For A Name used to occupy as the band correctly decided they couldn’t carry on without him. “Rarities Vol. 2: The Originals” is a worthy posthumous addition to their legacy and, especially when combined with Volume. 1, it reminds you just how good No Use For A Name were, and just how much we miss them.

“Rarities Vol. 2 – The Originals” can be purchased here