Finally got a chance to listen to this all the way through, and… it’s interesting. I gotta say I respect Al for revisiting his earlier stuff and giving us another version to listen to. A lot of times I prefer the originals, but I recognize that other people might like the newer stuff better.

I like New Wave OK but I didn’t “love” Ministry’s early stuff… “Every Day is Halloween” is the only song on this album whose original really means a lot to me, and I don’t know what it gains by having Al sounding tougher on it. Like the whole point of the song is the narrator’s being picked on unjustly so it’s natural that he should sound a little whiny. The new version also added a little synth trill that I don’t really like. But everybody looks cool in the new video so that’s good I guess.

I think the new take works best on the last couple songs, when Ministry was starting to adopt their “tough guy” sound but hadn’t had a lot of practice yet: Just Like You, We Believe, and Over the Shoulder. Of the older stuff, I’m Not an Effigy works pretty well (though I don’t really remember the original…) But again, props to Al for revisiting this stuff and giving a fresh take on it.