‘Alternative’ compilation holds up well after 10 years

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 | 8:41 a.m.

We all have them in our collections. Compilations, usually purchased for that one elusive, non-album track by a favorite artist.

Never mind that the rest of the CD is usually complete garbage. True fans don't let that stand in their way.

Of course, if you're anything like me, excitement over owning that rare song fades quickly. Then the disc winds up gathering dust at the bottom of your racks, rarely to be heard from again.

"No Alternative" happens to be one of those extremely rare compilations that actually retains considerable value 10 years after its release. And not just the track for which I originally bought it, Pavement's "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence."

Released in 1993 at the height of the "alternative" rock movement, the album benefited the Red Hot Organization, which continues to fight the spread of AIDS today.

Nearly all of the disc's 19 tracks are unavailable elsewhere, making it an essential piece for fans of several artists on the roster.

Of particular note: Matthew Sweet's distortion-laden "Superdeformed," the Smashing Pumpkins' atmospheric "Glynis" and Uncle Tupelo's twangy "Effigy."

"No Alternative" is also home to several fine live cuts: the Beastie Boys' "It's the New Style," the Breeders' "Iris" and Patti Smith's "Memorial Song."

To top it off, the disc ends with an unlisted Nirvana bonus track, titled "Verse Chorus Verse" (according to savvy online fans of the Seattle trio).

No compilation is perfect, but this one is remarkably short on duds. The only track I routinely skip over is the Goo Goo Dolls' unlistenable stab at the Rolling Stones' "Bitch." The album's other cover, Soul Asylum's take on Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," works far better.

I have to admit, after all these years, the Pavement song -- a bizarre tribute to R.E.M. -- remains my favorite track on the disc. But it's simply the best track on one of rock's most surprisingly consistent compilations.

Apparently, "No Alternative" has gone out of print during the past few years. But you shouldn't have any trouble finding it in cheap used record bins or online at eBay or Amazon.com.

Artist: Various Artists.

Title: "No Alternative."

Year of release: 1993 (Arista).

Tracklisting: "Superdeformed" (Matthew Sweet); "For All to See" (Buffalo Tom); "Sexual Healing" (Soul Asylum); "Take a Walk" (Urge Overkill); "All Your Jeans Were Too Tight" (American Music Club); "Bitch" (Goo Goo Dolls); "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" (Pavement); "Glynis" (Smashing Pumpkins); "Can't Fight It" (Bob Mould); "Hold On" (Sarah McLachlan); "Show Me" (Soundgarden); "Brittle," (Straitjacket Fits); "Joed Out" (Barbara Manning); "Heavy 33," (The Verlaines); "Effigy" (Uncle Tupelo); "It's the New Style" (Beastie Boys); "Iris" (Breeders); "Memorial Tribute" (Patti Smith); "Verse Chorus Verse" (hidden Nirvana track).