The Donnas

Probably one of the most confusing releases in the history of punk rock, Greatest Hits Volume 16 is proof-positive that some bands shouldn't be in charge of their output. While the Donnas started off as the perfect all-female response to the Ramones many moons ago, the older they get, the less purpose they serve, a sentiment that rings true with this repackaging of previously-released material. Issued on their Purple Feather Records, everything from the title to the song selection and overall rationale behind this (one hesitates to use the word) "effort" is pointless. Starting weakly, a few forgettable B-sides slide into live versions of some mid-career tracks. Fine. But then the affair is rounded out with updated recordings of their formative releases. Why? Who knows, but what's worse is that the Donnas don't even pick their cool songs; they just grab whatever they felt like at the time. Sure, the updated performances are better than the originals but they lack the spunk of those juvenile-yet-enthusiastic versions recorded some ten years ago. And why, at this stage in the game, would they bother going to the trouble? Greatest Hits Volume 16 is reaching even by completist standards.