Atmosphere Storybook Vol. One

Concepted by Plain Ole Bill and Kevin Beacham

I got this compilation free when I ordered the new Atmosphere album, 'The Family Sign', from Fifth Element, the Minneapolis store that is connected to Rhymesayers Entertainment, home to Atmosphere.

This 22-track collection highlights some of the best of Atmosphere's work over the last fourteen years, including two exclusive new tracks, and fun mash-up of De La Soul's 'Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa Claus' and Atmosphere's homage 'Millie Fell Off the Fire Escape'.

Essential to any Atmosphere collection are 'Always Coming Back Home to You' from the '03 album Seven's Travels, and 'Painting' off of When Life Gives You Lemons.  A lot of space here is given over to songs from the hard-to-find Sad Clown series of EPs, and some of the band's more recent limited releases.

As with any project of this nature, the omissions feel more important than what is actually present, but if you were ever hoping to introduce a new listener to Slug and Ant, this is a great way to do it.  It's interesting to be able to chart Slug's progress from a slightly hysteric, often whiny self-reflective rapper (I've never heard the band's first album, Overcast, aside from the track included here) to the more nuanced and calmer storyteller that he has become.  It's also cool to hear how much more advanced Ant's music has become over the same period of time.