CHAPTERS

I'd like to think i'm the biggest ANEKDOTEN fan on this site, there are few bands who move me like these Swede's have over the years. And I think they've been very consistant with their five studio albums, there's not a lot to choose between them. In the press release for this retrospective double album the bands says it has been 18 years since the four of them got together in a small house in the village of Djuras to rehearse for the first time.There are some great pictures in the liner notes, and the packaging is all very well done.

The first disc features the favourite songs from the band members from their last three studio albums. There is also a previously unreleased track called "When I Turn" which was to be on the "From Within" album but they were never happy with the piano on it. So they got Per Wiberg from OPETH to play it the way they wanted it here.This is a song that has really grown on me. I didn't think much of it at first but this is a gorgeous track with Per, Nicklaus and Peter only on it. The vocals just melt me along with the piano. Every song on this first disc is so special to me. I'm so glad that "Ricochet" and "The War Is Over" are on here. Perhaps the two most moving songs for me from this great band. "A Sky About To Rain" from "A Time Of Day" just keeps getting better everytime I hear it. No sense in me reviewing every song on disc one since i've done many of these tracks not only from the studio albums but the live ones too.The four tunes I mentioned plus "The Great Unknown" are my favs from disc one.

Of the 8 songs on Disc two 5 are demos. "Sad Rain" is an alternate mix from the bonus track we hear on "Vemod". "Wheel" and "The Old Man & The Sea" are from "Vemod" and include OPETH's Per Wiberg on piano. The next three tracks are demos from the "Nucleus" sessions. The band says "The creative atmosphere that surrounded these recordings made them far too good to lie collecting dust in the archives". And I must say you wouldn't know they were demos. The final two songs are demos from "A Time Of Day" that were re-worked from these versions.The band notes that the versions that went on the album aren't necessarily better than these demos.

For me an easy 4 stars, too much valuable information, pictures and songs. A must for fans.