Marking the 20th Anniversary of their seminal singles collection Shed Seven release a deluxe expanded edition of their greatest hits album, Going For Gold. Re-issued on Gold coloured vinyl, the compilation is a victory lap of the band’s historic Britpop years, delivering the very best of the band’s first three studio albums (Change Giver, Maximum High, Let It Ride), plus the twelve Top 40 singles clocked-up from their formation up to 1999. This deluxe two-vinyl set also includes 'The Parr Street Sessions'; four fan favourites exclusively reimagined and recorded for the 1999 special edition CD version of Going For Gold and now available on vinyl for the first time. The 2019 re-issue also features two previously unreleased live tracks from the band's Live at The Forum performance (recorded in London, 15.11.1996)...

Those of us who fondly remember Shed Seven's output during the Britpop era will probably not have followed the band's progress, or even realise that they released an album in 2017. Going For Gold, the band's "Greatest Hits" compilation album was released in 1999 and collected their most notable hits.

I have to admit that I'd pretty much forgotten about Shed Seven and while I remember buying A Maximum High (1996) which included arguably the band's most notable single, 'Going for Gold', I thought I wasn't that familiar with the band's other output. However, listening to this album, I realise now that I pretty much knew almost all of the songs inside out.

While this 20th anniversary re-issue has the gimmick of being released on double 180g gold coloured vinyl in a gold gatefold sleeve, it has a couple of bonus tracks: live versions of 'Chasing Rainbows' and 'Bully Boy' recorded at The Forum in 1996. The release also features a 12×12 art print, plus a digital download code.

While the majority of tracks have aged remarkably well, it's shocking to hear that 'Chasing Rainbows' is more off-key than I remembered. The original single is bad enough, but the live version is truly cringe worthy.

I'd never really noticed it before, but there's a definite The Smiths / Morrissey vibe on tracks like 'On Standby', 'Bully Boy' and 'Mark'.

If you fondly remember this album from its original release, this vinyl re-issue is worth adding to your collection...

Track listing:

01 - Going For Gold (04:24)
02 - Disco Down (03:49)
03 - Getting Better (04:13)
04 - Chasing Rainbows (04:22)
05 - Speakeasy (03:20)
06 - She Left Me On Friday (03:29)
07 - On Stand By (03:52)
08 - Dolphin (03:50)
09 - High Hopes (04:04)
10 - Bully Boy (03:12)
11 - Devil In Your Shoes (05:24)
12 - Where Have You Been Tonight (03:43)
13 - Ocean Pie (04:47)
14 - Mark (03:40)
15 - The Heroes (05:40)
16 - Disco Down (Parr Street Studios, Liverpool) (03:49)
17- Going For Gold (Parr Street Studios, Liverpool) (04:17)
18 - The Heroes (Parr Street Studios, Liverpool) (04:18)
19 - Missing Out (Parr Street Studios, Liverpool) (03:22)
20 - Chasing Rainbows (Live at The Forum 15.11.1996) (04:28)
21 - Bully Boy (Live at The Forum 15.11.1996) (03:17)

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Nick Smithson