Spin Doctors - Pocket Full Of Kryptonite (20th Anniversary Edition)

Spin Doctors - Pocket Full Of Kryptonite (20th Anniversary Edition)
2011, Epic/Legacy Recordings

If you were a denizen of commercial radio, circa 1991, you'll remember how wonderfully new and vibrant the Spin Doctors sounded.  Songs such as "Jimmy Olson's Blues", "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" and "Two Princes" were an instant party.  Twenty years later it's hard to stand still when one of these songs comes on the radio.  The Spin Doctors were an organic rock n roll collective from Vermont, captured up in the major label machine, but never really belonging in the board rooms of NY or LA.  Still, their album Pocket Full Of Kryptonite was pure gold, and the labels couldn't walk away from such a musical gem.

Jump to 2011, and Epic/Legacy Recordings gives Pocket Full Of Kryptonite second life with a 20th Anniversary Edition release (due August 30, 2011), featuring a brand new disc that includes the original demos Can't Say No (1989) and Piece Of Glass (1990), which were only available at Spin Doctors' gigs before they were signed by SONY/Epic in 1991. 

The set is a gem.  Pocket Full Of Kryptonite never seems to get tired as an album, and the demos are vibrant and full of the rough and early life of a band on the precipice of that perfect sound.  Long time fans will be thrilled with two tracks not previously available anywhere.  A number of the tracks presented on disc two were later reworked for Pocket Full Of Kryptonite or one of the Spin Doctors' subsequent recordings, but "Can't Say No" and "Turn It Upside Down" make their appearance on an official recording for the first time.

Yes, it's a cynical attempt by Epic/Legacy Recordings to make more money on a classic album by expanding and re-releasing it rather than working on artist development, but it's hard to argue with this particular edition of Pocket Full Of Kryptonite.  The sound is crisp and clear on the re-mastered album, and the verve you hear on disc two is priceless.  If you're a hard core Spin Doctor's fan, this is a must have.  If you're a bit young, junior, and don't really know the Spin Doctors, then you need to become familiar with one of the bands that nearly saved the grunge generation from itself.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Spin Doctors at www.spindoctors.com or www.myspace.com/spindoctors.  Pocket Full Of Kryptonite - 20th Anniversary Edition  drops on August 30, 2011.  You can pre-order the album from Amazon.com as a 2-CD Set or Download.