Superficially, female rock duo Shakespear's Sister resembles a new-wave tribute band, sounding like the Pretenders here, looking like Lene Lovich there. But their sense of humor and faux-Hollywood fantasizing make their best clips -- the otherworldly 'Stay' and the catty 'I Don't Care' -- enough fun that they showcase the spunkiness of the songs rather than the sources they're lifted from. The five-clip collection bogs down in the final stretch; the way they exhort their audience to clap along in the live video for 'Catwoman' almost betrays their roots (Marcella Detroit cowrote Eric Clapton's decidedly unhip classic rocker 'Lay Down Sally' and Siobhan Fahey was a member of featherweight pop trio Bananarama). At its best, this is the sort of compilation that would keep you from clicking the remote if you caught it on MTV. As for actually buying it -- that's another story. Grade: B-
Glenn Kenny Reprinted w/o permission.
