Subtitled "Demos Rehearsals & Gigs 1977 - 2008"
The given track listing is as it plays on the CD, the back cover giving tracks 21 - 23 in the wrong order.
Don't be expecting studio quality on most of this - it seems to be taken off cassettes recorded at the time that have been tidied up. But it does give an insight into what I think is a great original album, albeit a little quirky.
This one has made No. 12 in the 45 Worlds Top 50 (21/08/16) which makes it the highest charting release by Jilted John of all time. Well done 45 Worlders, well the three of us that had a geek at this one anyway.
I had the original Jilted John LP for a while, it was a bit of a let-down after the single but the lyrics were still funny. However this new CD looks more promising, I visited the website and here is a quote from there:
Fellows remains ambivalent about the LP: “To be honest, I was disappointed with it - particularly that re—cut of ‘Jilted John’. It all sounds so over- arranged and overproduced. Not Punk at all. By the time we did the album, Martin's musical taste had changed...he’d decided he didn’t like John Scott's guitar after all, so he kept John's contribution to a minimum. Instead he went for a far more commercial feel, using all the keyboards...Steve Hopkins played those. Consequently, the album ended up sounding very much softer than the songs had sounded at the rehearsals.”
So if this CD has the rehearsals then it may be worth investigating.
Another mistake would be buying this CD. The best of Jilted John is in fact the single version of "Jilted John" which is widely available on CD compilations or if you're a real fan track down the actual 7" single on EMI International cat# INT 567. The quirky amateur agitpop of the single was submerged in over production for the 1978 album version on "True Love Stories" and unfortunately the other songs on the album confirmed Jilted John was a one trick pony. I just can't believe there would be a market for this outside friends and immediate family. How's it fairing in the charts?
The back cover was obviously not checked properly, There are many mistakes including spellings, Interview clip numbering problems and tracks in the wrong order. The booklet has this all corrected.