The first official release of their 1966 live-in-the-studio
Capitol
demo, in considerably better sound quality than when it appeared on a French import of dubious legality. This has a very high reputation in collector circles, but it is not
the Remains
at their best, principally because they record only one original ("Why Do I Cry"). The rest of the seven demos are high-energy run-throughs of typical live standards of the era, like "Hang on Sloopy," "I'm a Man," and "Johnny B. Goode." The CD is fleshed out with five previously unreleased demos of group originals (different versions of all of these appear on the
Epic
reissue), and a previously unknown demo of "Walkin' the Dog." Most listeners will be satisfied with
's excellent
Remains
retrospective, but this is a useful supplement for collectors who want a little more. ~ Richie Unterberger