INFORMATION SOCIETY
"Pure Energy: The Very Best Of"
Cleopatra (CLP1368-2)
Release Date: March 30, 2004

In 2001, Information Society released Strange Haircuts // Cardboard Guitars // And Computer Samples: Information Society's Greatest Hits, which gathered up all the singles the band released on Tommy Boy from 1985's "Running" through 1993's "Going, Going, Gone." This new hits package, released on Cleopatra Records, focuses on the post-Tommy Boy material. After 1993's Peace & Love, Inc., the band broke up, and lead singer Kurt Harland retained the name. While I really liked 1997's Don't Be Afraid, 1999's Insoc Recombinant left me wanting. It didn't help that Kurt re-recorded all the vocals for Recombinant's collection of remixes (mostly done by Cleopatra acts such as Biokraft, Spahn Ranch, Leaether Strip, and the Electric Hellfire Club), which were rather lifeless. Pure Energy: The Very Best Of focuses on these two discs extensively, rounding out with two new versions of "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)", the band's signature song, both of which are somewhat sloppy and unfocused efforts, an alternate mix of yet another Don't Be Afraid song (a cover of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric" featuring Gary Numan on some guest vocals, and only really serving to undermine Kurt's strong effort on the track), and finally a cover of Madonna's "Express Yourself." Unless a die-hard fan of Information Society, this disc really should only be purchased if extremely cheap to get an overview of the Kurt Harland solo era for the band.

(reviewed by Daniel Aeschliman on November 20, 2004)