The Ballad Of Ric Menck

'A much-needed and well-assembled compilation of the artist's non-Velvet Crush material, The Ballad of Ric Menck collects 11 sparkling indie single sides, all of them rendered with master pop craftsmanship. Perhaps most notable are the half-dozen cuts Menck recorded with Paul Chastain and friends under the name the Springfields for the legendary Sarah Records label, among them beautifully jangly originals such as Sunflower and Wonder, as well as covers like the Hollies' Clown and Matthew Sweet's Are We Gonna Be Alright. As with the pair of Choo Choo Train tracks leading off the disc, this is all essential material that has been out of print for far too long -- a tip of the hat to Summershine for finally making it available again. [In 2004, Menck's own label, Action Musik, reissued the album with improved sound, expanded liner notes, and five bonus tracks, one of which -- the demo for Scatter Good Friends -- was previously unreleased.]'~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide