5 out of 5

Label: Grass Records

Produced by: Baboon

This feels like a cheat, since two of these tracks ended up appearing on the album Secret Robot Control, and two came from Face Down In Turpentine, so this “E.P.” is more like a two track single.  Ah, but goddamn, those two tracks are fantastic, as are the cuts from the other discs…

You get the screamy side of Baboon – Numb, Master Salvatoris – the ramshackle oddball side – I’m OK If You’re OK – the singalong fun side of Give Me Something Real, and the surprisingly harmonic, emotive side, via the new Parade Ground Explosion and the still perfect Why’d You Say Die.

Compilation?  Single?  E.P.?  Maybe whatever.  Packaged with the lovable Chuck Norris quote “It’s terrible, but I guess you gotta have that kind of music, too,” thanks to a Walker, Texas Ranger appearance, Numb’s six tracks are a fantastic capture of one of the most solid rock bands of all freaking time, and even if these had all been cherry picked from other releases, it’d still be worth it.