Track Listing

1. They don't know
2. There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
3. New England
4. He's on the beach
5. Fairy Tale Of New York
6. Miss Otis regrets
7. Free world
8. Innocence
9. You just haven't earned it yet baby
10. Days
11. Don't come the cowboy with me Sonny Jim
12. Walking down Madison
13. My affair
14. Angel
15. Titanic days
16. Can't stop killing you
17. Caroline
18. Perfect Day

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15234 in Music
• Released on: 1995-03-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Galore is a collection of cuts from MacColl's fine first solo album, Kite, and its patchy successor, Electric Landlady, filled out with earlier singles, duets and collaborations. It's no less than MacColl deserves, on balance--though employed to the point of ubiquity as a backing vocalist, she has struck out under her own name relatively rarely. The duets include two with The Pogues ("Fairytale Of New York" and "Miss Otis Regrets") and one with Evan Dando of The Lemonheads (a cover of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day"). There are a few judicious cover versions (The Smiths' "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby" and Billy Bragg's "A New England", which contains an extra verse Bragg wrote for her). Her otherwise unobtainable early singles are also neatly rounded up ("They Don't Know", "He's On The Beach", "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis"). --Andrew Mueller

Customer Reviews

Simply Brilliant
I remember first purchasing this album when it first came out, and have never stopped listening to it. The mixture of music styles and MacColl's lyrics and vocals illustrate her talent quite brilliantly. What's more, one can see the development of MacColl's song writing through the album. There's definitely a song in there for everyone, from the excellent cover versions of Days and Perfect Day to the fast-paced Free World and There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis.

If you've never listened to Kirsty MacColl before and are curious to find out what myself and the other reviewers are on about, then get hold of this fab album NOW !!

A most under rated female singer
Kirsty was a daughter of the great folk singer Ewan MacColl and his influence inevitably shows in her music, but she was very much of her time. Kirsty was always keen to experiment and the results were not always brilliant, but the best of her music is to be found on this outstanding collection. Apart from experimentation, Kirsty's success was limited by her desire to lead life to the full and raise a family as well. She died in a high-speed boating accident while still in her early forties.

Most of the songs on this collection were written by Kirsty, often but not always on her own, including They don't know (a song which provided Tracey Ullman with her first hit), There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis, He's on the beach, Free world, Don't come the cowboy with me Sonny Jim (a song covered by Kelly Willis on her Easy album) and Walking down Madison.

Kirsty was also well capable of recording distinctive covers of other people's songs. Their diverse sources show that Kirsty was not a lady that anybody could typecast. They include A new England (Billy Bragg), Miss Otis Regrets (Cole Porter - one of two duets with Irish rockers The Pogues), You just haven't earned it yet baby (The Smiths), Days (The Kinks) and Perfect Day (Lou Reed - a duet with Evan Dando of the Lemonheads).

Her biggest UK hit was the other duet with the Pogues - a Christmas song titled Fairytale of New York. It can be found on several British Christmas compilations and is not really typical of Kirsty's music. I would describe Kirsty's music as sixties pop rock updated for the eighties with a little folk and country added into the mix.

If Kirsty had pursued her career with single-minded dedication, some say she could have been a world megastar. Maybe, but she wanted a life outside music. As a consequence, her musical legacy is limited, but the quality more than makes up for that.

Superb singer and composer
Kirsty MacColl had her first hit in 1981 with the humorous There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop ... and in 1984 she scored with her interpretation of Billy Bragg's A New England. In 1987 she had a UK number 2 with Fairytale Of New York, the duet with Shane MacGowan, in 1989 she placed her version of Thank You For The Days on the charts and in 1991 she scored big again with the haunting Walking Down Madison. Throughout the 1980s Kirsty also provided backing vocals on recordings for Talking Heads, the Smiths, Rolling Stoners, Simple Minds and Van Morrison amongst others, while comedienne Tracey Ullman had a hit with MacColl's They Don't Know.

This brilliant album showcases her considerable talent as composer and singer. Besides the aforementioned highlights, it includes a stirring version of Lou Reed's Perfect Day, her own version of They Don't Know and the poignant Don't Come The Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim. Kirsty had a distinctive voice with a natural country flavour, very special and recognizable. Other great tracks on Galore include Miss Otis Regrets, You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby, Caroline and Angel. Galore is the best album for exploring this obscure but highly talented singer, although her solo albums like Kite and Electric Landlady should not be neglected.