With the exception of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, Happy Mondays had difficulty expanding their ideas into full albums, which makes the singles compilation Loads all the more useful. It contains all of the band's hit singles -- "Step On," "Kinky Afro," "Hallelujah," "Lazyitis," "W.F.L.,"... [+] Expand

With the exception of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, Happy Mondays had difficulty expanding their ideas into full albums, which makes the singles compilation Loads all the more useful. It contains all of the band's hit singles -- "Step On," "Kinky Afro," "Hallelujah," "Lazyitis," "W.F.L.," "Tokoloshe Man," "Loose Fit," "Bob's Yer Uncle," "24 Hour Party People," "Mad Cyril" -- plus several important album tracks, making it an excellent distillation of the band's career; as an album, only Pills 'n' Thrills provides better listening, and Loads is arguably just as good as an introduction, especially for casual fans. The first 10,000 copies of Loads included an extra disc, Loads More, a compilation of remixes making their debut appearance on CD, including Bernard Sumner's "Freaky Dancing," Mike Pickering's "Delightful," Martin Hannett's "Lazyitis," and Vince Clarke's "W.F.L."; all of the remaining mixes are by Paul Oakenfold. Since the remixes date from the height of Happy Mondays' career, they provide useful insight on the band's talents as a dance group. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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