These came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got ’em. Here’s what I said about them back then (with some minor editing):
Before Ministry embraced the crushing aggression of industrial metal, they were a gothier and groovier dance outfit, right down to the funky basslines. And before leader Al Jourgensen became a slave to heroin, he was one of the hardest-working men in music.
These two no-frills comps — part of a five-disc set of Jourgensen reissues — are all the proof you need. Early Trax is basically a reissue of the band’s 1985 Twelve Inch Singles (1981-1984), which featured the essential Every Day Is Halloween. The more essential of these two sets, though, is Side Trax, which gathers old EPs and singles from Jourgensen solo projects like Pailhead, PTP and Acid Horse. Best of all: 1000 Homo DJs’ death-disco cover of Black Sabbath’s Supernaut.
EXTRAS: Both discs come with a handful of unreleased mixes or rare cuts to appease the faithful. Some liner notes woulda been nice, though.
