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All Music Guide Review by Mark Deming:
In 2003, after Suburbs guitarist Blaine John Chaney had reissued the bulk of the group's back catalog through his Beejtar label, he compiled and issued this "best-of" compilation, replacing Twin/Tone's out of print 1992 collection Ladies and Gentlemen, the Suburbs Have Left the Building. Chemistry Set takes a significantly different approach over the earlier and more comprehensive Twin/Tone set -- while the earlier set jumped back and forth through the band's time line, this album, while not strictly chronological, puts the earlier stuff first and closes out with some post-Love Is the Law rarities. And with 17 songs as opposed to Ladies and Gentlemen's 19, Chemistry Set focuses on fan favorites and "hits" (well, they were hits in Minneapolis) at the expense of worthy but little-known tracks like "World War III" and "The Best Is Over." However, this is still a very listenable collection of Suburbs material, pulling together some superb examples of their muscular, smart-ass take on new wave dance-rock, and any album with "Love Is the Law," "Music for Boys," "Rattle My Bones," and "Cig Machine" is one worth owning. The audio remastering is a significant improvement over Ladies and Gentlemen, the rare final single "Don't Do Me Any Favors" is a welcome addition to the package, and the disc includes a bonus DVD featuring 37 minutes of live footage of the Suburbs on-stage at Minneapolis' First Avenue from a series of 2002 reunion shows. While Hüsker Dü, the Replacements, and Soul Asylum may have had a bigger and hipper rep out of town, the Suburbs were hometown faves in the Twin Cities through the 1980s, and this set shows why -- they played smart, witty, and aggressive music that you could shake to, and Chemistry Set ably documents their strong suits.
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