Stands for Decibels/Repercussion [Collector's Choice] (CD - 1996)

Although it has already been released once before by Line Records, this one CD version of the first two dB's albums is a wonderful collection of what is arguably the band's finest hour. Featuring some gorgeous hooks and wonderful playing, there are few lulls in this excellent package. Fans may complain about pairing two albums that are strong entities when separate, but this is an inexpensive way to purchase both releases and should be viewed as the alternative to hunting down rare, out-of-print vinyl. ~ Bradley Torreano

Essentially a more straightforwardly named reissue of Neverland, Stands for Decibels/Repercussion collects the dB's first two albums onto one disc. By gathering such seminal tracks as "Black and White," "Dynamite," "Big Brown Eyes," "Living a Lie," and "Amplifier" in one convenient package, this two-fer is perfect for listeners just discovering the group's wonderfully quirky, hooky pop. ~ Heather Phares

In the early 1980s, when New Wave was giving Big Star-loving power-poppers a new lease on life, the dB's emerged as leaders of the pack. While bands like the Knack were content to sport skinny ties and come off like a postmodern Fab Four, the dB's combined the lessons learned from '60s popcraft with a skewed perspective a la Alex Chilton (with whom some of the dB's had previously played) and a contemporary feel energized by the post-punk era. The two albums recorded by the band's original lineup (before co-singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Stamey departed) are among the most brilliant power-pop gems of the era, and are conveniently combined here on one disc. Stamey and partner Peter Holsapple play off each other perfectly; with Stamey's songs and singing alternately dreamy and insouciant, and Holsapple's consistently warm and resonant. With chiming guitar hooks, Everly Brothers-go-New Wave harmonies, and the truly effervescent rhythm section of bassist Gene Holder and drummer Will Rigby, the dB's were the band to beat in the world of smart, snappy pop-rock, even if their sales never matched their soaring talent. minimize