Whittling Stereolab's impressive (in terms of both size and quality) discography down to a single-disc retrospective is a daunting task, but Rhino's collection handles it well enough that only the fussiest completists could complain. Granted, Serene Velocity -- a title so apt it feels like it was borrowed from some long-lost, limited-run 'Lab 7" -- gets a head start by concentrating on the band's output during their time with Elektra, but that's still 13 years, seven albums, and several EPs worth of material to choose from. Nevertheless, the collection hones in on each release's definitive tracks with lock-groove accuracy: "Jenny Ondioline" and "Crest" capture Transient Random Noise-Bursts with Announcements' bracing, droning sound, while "Ping Pong" and "Wow and Flutter" reflect the more overtly pop direction of Mars Audiac Quintet. Emperor Tomato Ketchup is the only album to have three tracks culled from it ("Cybele's Reverie," "Metronomic Underground," and "Percolator"), all of which show how the group incorporated jazz, funk, hip-hop, and chamber pop into what many consider their masterpiece. The more abstract, aloof feel of Stereolab's work from Dots and Loops to Sound-Dust is well-represented by "Brakhage," "Infinity Girl," and "Double Rocker," while "Vonal Declosion" and "...Sudden Stars" mark Margerine Eclipse's return to poppier terrain. Indeed, the whole collection is so even-handed that it may bore long-term fans (the inclusion of Sound-Dust's "Space Moth" instead of its lead single, "Captain Easychord," is the only remotely controversial choice here), but it works very well as a primer for new listeners. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Douglas McCombs (Bass (Acoustic)), Simon Jones (Group Member), Sean O'Hagan (Clavinet), Jim O'Rourke (String Arrangements), Sean O'Hagan (Piano), Paul Tipler (Engineer), Fulton Dingley (Original Mix), Sean O'Hagan (Slide Guitar), Rebecca McFaul (Strings), Sean O'Hagan (Organ), Maureen Loughnane (Strings), Sean O'Hagan (Guitar (Acoustic)), Phil Wright (Original Mix), Sean O'Hagan (Flute Arrangement), Fulton Dingley (MIDI), Mary Hansen (Percussion), Phil Wright (Engineer), Brian G. Wright (Strings), Fulton Dingley (Mixing), Cory Frye (Editorial Supervision), Fulton Dingley (Engineer), Andi Toma (Electronics), Duncan Brown (Group Member), Paul Tipler (Original Mix), Katharine Gifford (Group Member), Andy Ramsay (Percussion), Simon Jones (Bass), Andy Ramsay (Drums), Sean O'Hagan (Electric Harpsichord), Sean O'Hagan (Marimba), Matt Abels (Product Manager), Andy Robinson (Brass), Andi Toma (Electronic Percussion), Mary Hansen (Vocals), Mary Hansen (Group Member), Paul Mertens (Brass), Paul Tipler (Original Engineering), Sean O'Hagan (Vox Organ), Meg Gates (Strings), Andi Toma (Engineer), Shelly Weiss (Strings), Sean O'Hagan (Percussion), Andy Robinson (Brass Arrangement), Nick Webb (Remastering), Sean O'Hagan (Farfisa Organ), Danielle Barnard (A&R), Sean O'Hagan (String Arrangements), Fulton Dingley (Synthesizer), Vera Daucher (Violin), Paul Mertens (Bass Harmonica), Dirk Slik (Discographical Annotation), Tim Gane (Group Member), Jim O'Rourke (Percussion), Phil Wright (Original Engineering), Jeb Bishop (Brass), Jeb Bishop (Trombone), Katharine Gifford (Instrumentation), John McEntire (Percussion), Simon Johns (Bass), Laetitia Sadier (Vocals), Fulton Dingley (Percussion), John McEntire (Mixing), Richard Harrison (Group Member), John McEntire (Keyboards), Steve Woolard (Project Assembly), Jim O'Rourke (Electronics), Sean O'Hagan (Wurlitzer), Jim O'Rourke (Original Mix), Phil Wright (Producer), Marcus Holdaway (String Arrangements), Laetitia Sadier (Group Member), Sean O'Hagan (Fender Rhodes), Jan St. Werner (Electronics), John McEntire (Tambourine), Sean O'Hagan (Instrumentation), Alan Carter (Flute), Steve Waterman (Brass), Xavier "Fischfinger" Fischer (Piano), Mary Hansen (Guitar), Jim O'Rourke (Engineer), Fulton Dingley (Original Engineering), John McEntire (Marimba), Sean O'Hagan (Group Member), Jim O'Rourke (Keyboards), Tim Gane (Bass), John McEntire (Vibraphone), John McEntire (Original Mix), Laetitia Sadier (Guitar), Tim Gane (Guitar), Marcus Holdaway (Strings), Lindsay Law (Trumpet), John McEntire (Analogue Synthesizer), Jim O'Rourke (Guitar), Jacqueline Norrie (Strings), Laetitia Sadier (Keyboards), Tim Gane (Keyboards), Sean O'Hagan (Guitar), Sean O'Hagan (Guitar (Electric)), Mary Hansen (Instrumentation), Colin Crawley (Brass), Sean O'Hagan (Bass), Sean O'Hagan (Vibraphone), Paul Tipler (Mixing), John McEntire (Electronics), Morgane Lhote (Group Member), Sean O'Hagan (Keyboards), William Hawes (Strings), Tim Gane (Instrumentation), Sally Herbert (Strings), Andy Ramsay (Keyboards), Maxx Stamm (Engineer), Fulton Dingley (Drum Machine), Andi Toma (Mixing), Andy Ramsay (Instrumentation), John McEntire (Guitar), Ross Reed (Brass), Scott Webber (Art Supervisor), Sophie Harris (Strings), Sean O'Hagan (Tack Piano), Laetitia Sadier (Instrumentation), Sean O'Hagan (Brass Arrangement), Phil Wright (Mixing), Richard Harrison (Instrumentation), Rob Mazurek (Cornet), Duncan Brown (Bass), Poppy Branders (Strings), Duncan Brown (Guitar), John McEntire (Maracas), Katharine Gifford (Keyboards), Tim Gane (Percussion), Laetitia Sadier (Percussion), Jim O'Rourke (Mixing), Alan Carter (Sax (Tenor)), Mark Bassey (Brass), John McEntire (Original Engineering), Paul Mertens (Flute), Mike McGonigal (Liner Notes), Andy Ramsay (Group Member), Duncan Brown (Instrumentation), Jan St. Werner (Engineer), Jim O'Rourke (Original Engineering), Morgane Lhote (Instrumentation), John McEntire (Drums), Andy Robinson (Trombone), John McEntire (Engineer)
