The Speedways - Triple Platinum

Today The Speedways celebrate five years as a band with the release of their first best-of compilation. In a nod to KISS, they've titled it Triple Platinum. I am happy to report that none of these tracks have been remixed to capitalize on the disco craze, although the four cuts culled from the band's second album Radio Sounds have been remixed. The approach to this compilation was very straight-forward. The band picked four songs from each of its three albums to represent the story of The Speedways so far. The selling point for fans is that the songs off the debut album Just Another Regular Summer (essentially a Matt Julian solo record) have been re-recorded with the full band and sound amazing. I'm sure everyone will question the track selection and exclaim, "How dare they leave _____ off the record!" But that is the curse of filling your albums with nothing but hits. At least in this case, it was the band and not a bunch of corporate suits deciding which songs best represented the first five years of The Speedways. Honestly, this is a bulletproof collection of songs. I suppose I can say that because my favorite Speedways song ("In A World Without Love It's Hard To Stay Young") did make the cut. 

If you're wondering why in the hell you need this album when you already own the entire Speedways discography, I will say that the new recordings of the Just Another Regular Summer songs ("Seen Better Days," "Tonight You'll Find Love," "In Common With You," and the title track) are worth the price of admission. In particular, the new version of "Just Another Regular Summer" is stunning and truly epic. It might have been overkill if these guys had re-recorded the entire album, but having four full-band cuts that fully realize the potential of the original versions is a real treat. If you're familiar with The Speedways but have never made the commitment of buying a record, Triple Platinum delivers a satisfying cherry-pick from all three albums for the single price of £15.00. I think a lot of people will buy it simply because it's a cool package. And it's pretty neat that The Speedways are crossing the pond and touring the U.S.A. in support of this release. The tour kicks off in Brooklyn on November 2nd and takes the band up-and-down the Mid-Atlantic over a week. 

Obviously I am going to urge anyone reading this to check out The Speedways, who are one of my top two or three favorite bands. If you've been living in a cave since 2018 (and who could blame you if you have been?), Triple Platinum will give you the essence of one of the finest bands in modern-day power pop. If you're already a fan, the four new recordings on this release are a must-hear. Even with me already being familiar with all these songs, I've listened to this album frequently in recent weeks. I find it interesting that I'm this self-identified power pop geek, yet my favorite tracks on Triple Platinum are the widescreen anthems "In A World Without Love It's Hard To Stay Young" and "Just Another Regular Summer" — songs that transcend genre. I look forward to reviewing the next Speedways best-of in 2028!

-L.R.

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