The Sisters Of Mercy – Some Girls Wander By Mistake (1992/2017) [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

“Some Girls Wander by Mistake” is a compilation album by English band the Sisters of Mercy. The album focuses on the band’s early years, as well as their last officially released studio recordings. It collected the complete and unedited studio recording work of the band from 1980 to 1983: both sides of their first single, “The Damage Done”; both sides of their second single, “Body Electric”; the A-side of their fourth single, “Anaconda”; all tracks on their first two EPs, Alice and The Reptile House; and both sides of the 12″ EP edition of their fifth single, “Temple of Love”. Also, the Digital versions of the album feature the extended version of “Temple of Love (1992)”, in addition to the original extended version, plus several re-mixes.

For over a decade, the early singles of Andrew Eldritch’s goth crew, the Sisters of Mercy, existed only in a limited-edition vinyl format. They also went for fairly high prices, something that led to extensive bootlegging. Thankfully, in 1992 head honcho Eldritch decided to release all of the Sisters’ pre-major-label material on a single compilation CD. He was rewarded with a U.K. number one album, and the opportunity to buy himself a new Porsche. The title comes from a Leonard Cohen song, “Teachers,” which was the first song performed by the fledgling Sisters. All five early singles/EPs are here, from 1980’s “The Damage Done” to 1983’s “Temple of Love.” The material is not presented chronologically, which is fine since the band’s first two singles are the weakest on the album. “The Damage Done” might command a high price on vinyl but isn’t a particularly good song, and the 30-second B-side “Home of the Hit-Men” is entirely pointless. Follow-up single “Body Electric” is better, featuring the classic punk workout “Adrenochrome,” but it wasn’t until 1982’s “Alice” that the band hit its stride. The title track is an instant classic, while “Floorshow” became a live show staple. The Reptile House EP, featuring tracks five to ten on the CD, saw the Sisters take a turn into more overtly dark territory, featuring some of their bleakest and most anguished work. Their final indie release, “Temple of Love,” continued this trend, with Eldritch turning in an impressive vocal performance. The cover of “Gimme Shelter” doesn’t entirely work, but it’s an interesting glimpse into the band’s roots. Some Girls Wander By Mistake captures the Sisters of Mercy at their most ferocious and angry, in the years before the band became weighed down by over-produced synth-based efforts. As a look at the formative years of a still-popular band, it’s great, but as a reminder of the punk roots of the goth movement, it’s priceless.

Tracklist:
01 – Alice
02 – Floorshow
03 – Phantom
04 – 1969
05 – Kiss The Carpet
06 – Lights
07 – Valentine
08 – Fix
09 – Burn
10 – Kiss The Carpet (Reprise)
11 – Temple of Love (Extended Version 1983)
12 – Heartland
13 – Gimme Shelter
14 – The Damage Done
15 – Watch
16 – Home Of The Hit-Men
17 – Body Electric
18 – Adrenochrome
19 – Anaconda
20 – Temple of Love (1992)
21 – Vision Thing (Canadian Club Remix)
22 – Under the Gun (Metropolis Mix)
23 – Alice (1993)
24 – Under the Gun (Jutland Mix)