In our coverage of Queen reissues, we've bemoaned the lack of catalogue coverage at the band's U.S. label, Hollywood Records. Granted, the Disney-owned label doesn't need much catalogue attention when there are Disney Channel soundtracks and tween-friendly records to promote.
But there is one rather interesting band on the label roster that isn't the label's typical fare: Breaking Benjamin, a hard-rock quartet from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Their alt-metal sound - hard-driving and insistent but never violent and rarely profane - has earned them a fair bit of crossover status in their decade-long career. Their last two albums, Phobia (2006) and Dear Agony (2009), peaked at No. 2 and No. 4, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100, and they've place nine tracks in the Top 10 of the magazine's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Now, with the band currently on hiatus (owing to frontman Benjamin Burnley's longterm illness), Hollywood is releasing the band's first greatest hits compilation - and they're going full throttle with it. Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin, will feature 15 tracks on its standard edition, including a new remix of fan favorite "Blow Me Away" featuring guest vocals from Sydnee Duran of Valora, a track from the band's self-released debut EP in 2001 and an unreleased live acoustic take on "Had Enough." The deluxe edition, however, features an entire bonus disc of rare and unreleased material, including import-only tracks, unreleased remixes, covers of Depeche Mode ("Enjoy the Silence") and Queen ("Who Wants to Live Forever") and more.
If you're a longtime fan of Breaking Benjamin or are just getting started, it looks like there's going to be something in it for you either way. Both packages are out on August 16; pre-order links and track lists can be found after the jump.
Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin (Hollywood Records D0005848-92, 2011)
- Polyamorous
- Skin
- Medicate
- So Cold
- Sooner or Later
- Rain
- The Diary of Jane
- Breath
- Until the End
- I Will Not Bow
- Lights Out
- Give Me a Sign
- Blow Me Away (featuring Valora)
- Water
- Had Enough (Live Acoustic)
Tracks 1-3 from Saturate (Hollywood Records, 2002)
Tracks 4-6 from We Are Not Alone (Hollywood Records, 2004)
Tracks 7-9 from Phobia (Hollywood Records, 2006)
Tracks 10-12 from Dear Agony (Hollywood Records, 2009)
Track 13 released as digital single, 2011. Original version from So Cold EP (Hollywood Records, 2004)
Track 14 from Breaking Benjamin EP (self-released, 2001)
Track 15 previously unreleased
Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin - Deluxe Edition (Hollywood Records D0014081-92, 2011)
Disc 1
- Polyamorous
- Skin
- Medicate
- So Cold
- Sooner or Later
- Rain
- The Diary of Jane
- Breath
- Until the End
- I Will Not Bow
- Lights Out
- Give Me a Sign
- Blow Me Away (featuring Valora)
Disc 2
- Ordinary Man
- Water
- Who Wants to Live Forever (2011 Remix)
- I Will Not Bow (Acoustic w/ Strings)
- Better Days
- Polyamourous (Acoustic)
- Lie to Me
- Lady Bug (2011 Remix)
- Enjoy the Silence (2011 Remix)
- Until the End (Live Acoustic)
- Breath (Live Acoustic)
Disc 1, Tracks 1-3 from Saturate (Hollywood Records, 2002)
Disc 1, Tracks 4-6 from We Are Not Alone (Hollywood Records, 2004)
Disc 1, Tracks 7-9 from Phobia (Hollywood Records, 2006)
Disc 1, Tracks 10-12 from Dear Agony (Hollywood Records, 2009)
Disc 1, Track 13 released as digital single, 2011. Original version from So Cold EP (Hollywood Records, 2004)
Disc 2, Tracks 1 and original version of Track 8 from Japanese edition of We Are Not Alone. Disc 2, Track 8 also released on So Cold EP.
Disc 2, Track 2 from Breaking Benjamin EP (self-released, 2001)
Original version Disc 2, Track 3 from Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen (Hollywood, 2005)
Disc 2, Tracks 4-7 and 9-11 previously unreleased
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