Josh Rouse - The Best of the Rykodisc Years (2008)

Link CD 1

Link CD 2

tracklist:
cd1
01] late night conversation 03:54
02] dressed up like nebraska 03:25
03] invisible 03:34
04] laughter 04:43
05] directions 03:26
06] 100m backstroke 03:32
07] 65 03:30
08] under cold blue stars 04:26
09] nothing gives me pleasure 03:16
10] feeling no pain 04:19
11] ugly stories 05:26
12] 1972 03:49
13] love vibration 04:52
14] comeback (light therapy) 04:38
15] rise 05:10
16] winter in the hamptons 03:09
17] it’s the nighttime 04:05
18] my love is gone 04:19
19] streetlights 04:24

cd2
01] miserable south 05:38
02] a night in 05:01
03] a song to help you to sleep 03:24
04] sad eyes 04:33
05] sunshine 03:15
06] michigan 03:38
07] suburban sweetheart (demo) 04:13
08] flair (demo) 04:05
09] be on the lookout (demo) 03:15
10] cannot talk (dressed up like nebraska outtake) 05:49
11] christmas with jesus (demo) 03:55
12] camping in copenhagen (demo for summer kitchen) 03:52
13] princess on the porch (1972 outtake) 03:58

“The first-ever anthology from alt-pop/rock singer-songwriter Josh Rouse collects 32 songs from his Rykodisc years including seven previously unreleased tracks. Spanning 1998-2005, the material spotlights the artist’s poetic and keenly observed lyrical bent and his evocative roots and folk-flavored, guitar-driven melodic pop sensibilities. THE BEST OF THE RYKODISC YEARS distills the essence of what Rouse calls his “first stage,” and he was instrumental in hand-picking his best songs, personal favorites and rarities including demos and outtakes.

Rouse released five albums and two EPs for Rykodisc beginning with Dressed Up Like Nebraska, a striking 1998 debut that Rolling Stone colorfully noted, “lands Rouse smack-dab in the company of some of rock & roll’s contemporary songwriting giants. Think late-model, but still-in-the-Replacements Paul Westerberg crossed with a moody, youthful Tom Petty and, um, Morrissey.” Rouse’s style evolves and flows through his subsequent releases, including: Home (2000), Under Cold Blue Stars (2002), 1972 (2003) and Nashville (2005) - the latter two made with producer Brad Jones -as well as Chester, his 1999 EP collaboration with Lambchop mastermind Kurt Wagner and the limited edition, out-of-print EP Bedroom Classics Vol. 1 (2001).

Throughout Disc One, the conversational ease of Rouse’s singing and his unerring melodic gift connect and inform diverse standouts including “Late Night Conversation,” “It’s The Nighttime,” “Feeling No Pain” and “Comeback (Light Therapy).” Highlights also include “Directions” - a cut from Home that also appeared on the soundtrack for the Cameron Crowe film Vanilla Sky and is perhaps Rouse’s best-known song - and “65,” which refers to the highway running through Nashville, where he and Wagner recorded Chester when they were neighbors there. Disc two opens with the complete six-song sequence from Bedroom Classics Vol. 1, and closes with seven previously unissued rarities including a demo for the 2003 single “Christmas With Jesus,” an outtake from Dressed Up Like Nebraska (”Cannot Talk”) and more.”