Ministry - Twelve Inch Singles 1981-1984

Label: Wax Trax
Catologue Number: WAXCD035
Format: CD
Date: 1985
Style: Synthpop / New Wave / EBM
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Compilation albums are either normally greatest hit collections or odds and sods collections of rare and unreleased tracks. Ministry’s 12” collection falls into the later and in no way would ever fall into the former. The collection spans the period between Ministry’s debut album ‘With Sympathy’ and their second ‘Twitch’. If you know what these albums sound like then you’ve got a fairly good idea of what to expect. For those not in the know the sound is a cross between early 80’s synthpop and harder European dancefloor sounds. With the emphasis being more on the synthpop this time around. Imagine later Depeche Mode meeting Howard Jones in a dark alleyway and your half way there.

The album starts off Cold Life, which was actually released before With Sympathy. It has all the hallmarks of synthpop but with a slightly funky new wave bass line. The song comes across as a mix of Magazine and Fad Gadget. Both, big influences on early Ministry. The later Dub Version adds a bit more echo and strips down the lyrics making the track marginally more interesting, but still does not really cause any great excitement.

Next up is (Everyday is) Halloween and I must admit that although it is another slice of cheesy synthpop, there is something I really like about the track. It just has a classic hook and the lyrics just make me smile every time I hear the song. It’s one of those songs that you know you should never really admit to liking. I can imagine a thousand Ministry purists ripping me to pieces for this admission. The track also appears as remixed version where the rhythm is beefed up for the dancefloor. It’s not a bad remix but lacks the charm of the original.

The final two tracks are All Day and the Nature of Love; both are closer to the darker synthpop of Twitch than the rest of the album. Harder synth lines and beats marks form the core of the two tracks.. Both tracks are okay, but really lack the cutting edge of the best tracks from Twitch. All Day actually turns up as a stronger reworked version on that album. Again we are also treated to stripped down remixes o f these two tracks which also again don’t do much to add or detract from the original versions.

This collection really is of curiosity value only and probably should be avoided by any that prefers the harder guitar orientated sound of later Ministry. It has been a while since I have listened to this album and it will probably be a lot time until I dig it out of the library that is my record collection. One for the collector and the obsessive, rather than as an essential musical purchase.