Besides (Sugar album)

The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes.
The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes.
Live album by Sugar
Released	June 25, 1995
Recorded	November 2, 1994
Venue	First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	68:34
Label	Rykodisc
Producer	?
Sugar chronology

Besides
Besides
Compilation album by Sugar
Released	June 25, 1995
Recorded	1992–94
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	69:57
Label	Rykodisc
Producer	Bob Mould, Lou Giordano
Sugar chronology

Besides is a compilation album by the alternative rock band Sugar; it contains B-sides from the group's previously released singles.^[6]^[7] It also has live and remixed versions of existing tracks from the band's two full albums and one EP, as well as several studio and live versions of tracks that had been unavailable on any of their previous albums. The CD included a QuickTime video for the single "Gee Angel", although this was not advertised on the CD packaging.^[8]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[4]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	^[2]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[5]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "the capper is a titanic version of the Who’s 'Armenia City in the Sky' (long a staple of the band’s live set), which trails a dayglo jet-stream that’s impossible to avoid getting swept up in."^[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bob Mould; except where indicated

No.	Title	Writer(s)	A-Side	Length
1.	"Needle Hits E"		"Helpless" (US), "Changes" (UK)	3:21
2.	"If I Can't Change Your Mind" (Solo Mix)		"Helpless" (US), "Changes" (UK)	3:20
3.	"Try Again"		"Helpless" (US), "Changes" (UK)	4:42
4.	"Where Diamonds Are Halos" (live)	Barbe	"A Good Idea"	4:17
5.	"Armenia City in the Sky" (live)	Keen	"A Good Idea"	3:26
6.	"Clownmaster"		"If I Can't Change Your Mind"	3:20
7.	"Anyone" (live)	Barbe	"If I Can't Change Your Mind"	2:43
8.	"JC Auto" (live)		"Tilted"	6:02
9.	"Believe What You're Saying" (Campfire Mix)			3:52
10.	"Mind Is an Island"		"Your Favorite Thing"	3:39
11.	"Frustration"	Barbe	"Your Favorite Thing"	5:20
12.	"Going Home"		"Believe What You're Saying"	2:41
13.	"In the Eyes of My Friends"	Barbe	"Believe What You're Saying"	3:35
14.	"And You Tell Me"		"Believe What You're Saying"	5:03
15.	"After All the Roads Have Led to Nowhere" (live)		"Gee Angel"	3:21
16.	"Explode and Make Up" (live)		"Gee Angel"	4:41
17.	"The Slim" (live)		"Gee Angel"	6:26
18.	"Gee Angel" (CD-ROM track)

The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]

The first 25,000 copies of Besides were packaged with a bonus disc titled The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes. The disc is a live Sugar concert from November 2, 1994, at First Avenue club in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

All tracks are written by Bob Mould; except where indicated

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Gift"		4:12
2.	"Company Book"	Barbe	3:28
3.	"Hoover Dam"		3:08
4.	"After All The Roads Have Led To Nowhere" (B-side of "Gee Angel")		3:42
5.	"Where Diamonds Are Halos"	Barbe	4:21
6.	"Slick"		4:04
7.	"Going Home"		2:13
8.	"Running Out Of Time"		2:29
9.	"Frustration"	Barbe	4:38
10.	"Changes"		3:44
11.	"Can't Help You Any More"		2:59
12.	"Helpless"		3:04
13.	"If I Can't Change Your Mind"		3:04
14.	"In The Eyes Of My Friends"	Barbe	3:12
15.	"Clownmaster" (B-side of "Gee Angel live")		2:43
16.	"Gee Angel" (A-side of "Gee Angel live")		4:17
17.	"Explode And Make Up" (B-side of "Gee Angel")		4:39
18.	"The Slim" (B-side of "Gee Angel")		8:36

Charts

Album

Chart (1995)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	122^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b "Bob Mould". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
^ ^a ^b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 790.
^ ^a ^b "Besides - Sugar | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-01-24 – via www.allmusic.com.
^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 828.
^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 790.
^ "Sugar | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
^ Thompson, Dave (January 24, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Google Books.
^ "Rykodisc Is First Label To Release CD Plus". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 29, 1995. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Google Books.
^ "Sugar". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2021-12-10.

[TP-1] "Bob Mould". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.

[MH-2] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 790.

[auto-3] "Besides - Sugar | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-01-24 – via www.allmusic.com.

[CL-4] Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 828.

[RS-5] The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 790.

[6] "Sugar | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2021-01-24.

[7] Thompson, Dave (January 24, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Google Books.

[8] "Rykodisc Is First Label To Release CD Plus". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 29, 1995. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Google Books.

[9] "Sugar". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2021-12-10.

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