New releases: The Clash, Ministry, Kim Gordon, Boomtown Rats, Juliana Hatfield

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.

The Clash

RELEASE: Sound System, Hits Back, 5 Album Studio Set
BACKSTORY: It’s a big week for the Only Band That Matters, with the release of a new 12-disc deluxe box set, a newly compiled 2CD best-of collection and a box set of the band’s first five albums (you know, everything but Cut the Crap) on vinyl (see full box set and best-of details).
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

Ministry

RELEASE: From Beer to Eternity
BACKSTORY: Following the death of guitarist Mike Scaccia late last year, Al Jourgensen this week says farewell to his recently resurrected industrial-metal act Ministry with one final farewell album, featuring tracks such as “Punch in the Face,” “PermaWar,” “Enjoy the Quiet” and “Fairly Unbalanced.”
BUY: Amazon.com

Body/Head

RELEASE: Coming Apart
BACKSTORY: Kim Gordon steps out of the Sonic Youth shadow to this week release the debut album from her new electric guitar duo with Bill Nace. The nine-track album features such songs as “Everything Left,” “Can’t Help You,” “Murderess,” “Abstract,” “Last Mistress” and more.
BUY: Amazon.com

The Boomtown Rats

RELEASE: Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits
BACKSTORY: Bob Geldof’s newly reunited Boomtown Rats this week release, in the U.K., a new 16-track best-of, featuring such songs as “I Don’t Like Mondays,” “Rat Trap,” “Joey’s on the Streets Again,” “(I Never Loved) Eva Braun,” “Mary of the 4th Form,” “Me and Howard Hughes” and more.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk

Juliana Hatfield

RELEASE: Wild Animals
BACKSTORY: The former Blake Baby and occasional Lemonhead this week releases what’s being labeled a “new home-recorded album of trashy acoustic music” that is “both beautiful and gnarly, continuing her emotional/musical mining explorations.” The album features 11 new songs.
BUY: Amazon.com

Rank & File

RELEASE: The Slash Years
BACKSTORY: Alejandro Escovedo’s classic cowpunk act this week receives a new CD that combines its first two albums (1982’s Sundown and 1984’s Long Gone Dead) plus some rare bonus tracks onto a single 23-track CD. Songs include “Amanda Ruth” and “The Conductor Wore Black.”
BUY: Amazon.com

Dreadzone

RELEASE: Escapades
BACKSTORY: The band formed by Big Audio Dynamite members Greg Roberts and Leo “E.Z. Kill” Williams returns, in the U.K., this week with its seventh studio album, which features a cameo from BAD’s Mick Jones on the lead single “Too Late” (watch video for Dreadzone with Mick Jones).
BUY: Amazon.co.uk