CD Review: HIM - Uneasy Listening Vol. 2

This is a collection of rarities, live cuts, and remixes, none of which I am terribly familiar with. I became acquainted with the band primarily through their Dark Light album, and more recently with their And Love Said No greatest hits compilation. So now I have taken a turn from their main studio work, took a tour of the past hits, and am now checking in with the stuff that is usually a treat for the long time fans. So, while this may be a treat for some, it is just another look at the enigma that is HIM.

This is the second release of such material for the band that calls Finland home. It is an intriguing mix of energy and high production. There is definitely a different feel to the versions offered here than the sound I became familiar with on the other albums I have listened to. Although I am unsure as to where the "uneasy listening" part of the title comes from, as I found the album, for the most part to be rather easy to listen to. I guess it could just be a clever play on a phrase to tie in with the smooth darkness they offer in their music.

Being unfamiliar with most of the songs here, I cannot compare them to the original versions, save for two. The original versions of "Buried Alive by Love" and "Right Here in My Arms" appear on the And Love Said No compilation. Here we get the 616 Version of "Buried Alive by Love" and it has a distinctly edgier sound, though it still has that smooth production values I have come to identify them with. This version amps the guitars up and turns up the fuzz, it is a good alternate take. "Right Here in My Arms" is a live recording, and it features the unfettered charisma of Ville Valo, and gives the song a slightly rougher edge that can be had in the live environment. Both songs are quite good in these versions, each offering something that the original recordings don't.

One thing I like about the remixed versions is the roughening of the edges. All of the regular studio tracks I have heard have a very finely produced, smooth feeling to them, as if they took sandpaper too them to get rid of any grit that could be left over. The remixes go back and add a little more of that stuff to the edges, mixing it into the song proper with the resulting sound being a little fuzzier. It just works. In particular "The Beginning of the End (Sad Damn Version)" and the techno'd take on "Soul on Fire (Erich Zann's Supernatural Mix)."

The remainder of the album is made up of live tracks which go a long way to showing that enigmatic charisma of frontman Ville Valo. There is something eerie about his voice, not exactly like, but he has an emotional quality that is reminiscent of Jim Morrison. I can almost see him on the stage getting taken away by the sounds of his own band as he sings. Believe it or not, this is very evident in the two cover songs included. The first cover is Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and the other being Black Sabbath's "Hand of Doom." Both of them are strong outings that pay respect to the source material without being slavish to it, they do make it their own. Now, if only they would come to my town.

Bottomline. Not what I would recommend as an introduction to HIM, but something that longtime fans and those who have a couple of albums under their belt may wish to check out to see a different side of the band. This is a good collection, and one that is worth spending a little bit of time with, though I do prefer the albums proper.

Recommended.