Twenty-nine songs? Eek. That's a lot of All Living Fear. Thankfully this is a re-recorded Greatest Hits collection so it features many of my favourite songs from their classic period. The band get marks for originality, adding a didgeridoo to "Spirit of 86", which manages not to make this slice of ambience sound like Jamiroquai. It sets the scene nicely for what is to follow. "Jessica" is part of the tradition of Goth songs named after girls. The spooky-choir keyboards are in place, working with the urgent guitars. Singer Andrew's vocal range isn't huge, but he uses his voice effectively. "Close Down" is more of the same, though I don't remember the introduction quite so clearly channelling the spirit of The Mission's "Deliverance" before. Most of my All Living Fear is on well-worn cassettes, so it's great to get crystal clear versions on CD. There are some vocals during the chorus that jar a little. I would have preferred if they had been mixed a little further into the background. There is some excellent use of chiming cowbell throughout this song.

When Wayne Hussey re-recorded The Mission's biggest songs for the Resurrection album in 1999 one of the things that was missing was Julianne Regan of All About Eve's vocals. It's nice that All Living Fear have done the opposite. I love Julianne's vocals, but they don't seem to fit on "Home Too Soon". The song has always had a woozy feel to me, but Ms Regan's vocals don't have enough space to breathe, sounding out-of-sync with the rest of the song. A shame. I wouldn't have predicted that what "Last Goodbye" needed was an infusion of brass, but that's exactly what it's got – and that's exactly what it needed. Not that the original was in any way shabby. Here Misty Woods' vocals fit perfectly, making this song swoon-worthy. For a song concerned with suicide it sounds so full of life. There's an extra-widdly guitar solo to welcome "Stranger To None", which is another great alternative rock song. Once again the backing vocals distract from the main vocals, rather than enhancing them. Maybe I've got too many expectations having listened to the originals too often? More brass adds to the natural effervescence of this song. One of the good things about All Living Fear songs is that they are solidly constructed, with different parts in each song to stop the listener's attention wandering.

"Tomorrow" has always been one of my favourite All Living Fear songs, but it has never sounded as huge as it does here. There's a simple lyric about 'I see a hundred planes go flying, flying by,' which is replaced by 'I see a thousand planes go crashing, crashing by'. This song features a classic All Living Fear move, where the songs drops in tempo, before the instruments come crashing back in and the song romps home. While I've been enjoying these upbeat gothic rockers, "Blue Sky" comes as a relief. This languid song, with Dave Gilmour-esque guitar solo, continues the story of Jessica, first told in "Jessica". Whereas before singer Andrew was encouraging the titular woman to trust in another, here he documents a parting with the relationship to continue 'as friends'. "Each and Every Way" fits the All Living Fear template. It's a good design, but it doesn't offer enough variety when you are listening to the songs en masse. Luckily "Nature's Land" is here, the nearest the band get to doing a ballad. Mind you, it's only a ballad in the way that The Sisters of Mercy's "Nine While Nine" or "Some Kind of Stranger" is a ballad i.e. not really.

There's a hint of The Mission in the echoing guitars of "Carnival of Souls". It's a solid enough effort, but lacks the nimbleness displayed elsewhere. I'm used to hearing "No One But You" as the opening song on The Widow's Blame, but it loses none of its magic being thirteen songs in. The guitars are more confident and flamboyant than before, no doubt due to fewer time and budget constraints compared to the original recording. "What If" has excellent opening lines: 'You said you never went with friends/I said well let the friendship end...' While some All Living Fear songs paint the narrator as victim, here he is predator: 'You said my love for you had died, I said 'what love' to your surprise'. While no-one wants to be on the receiving end of these words in real life, as lyrics they give the listener an illicit thrill. Keyboard stabs keep the tension high. "Wait Here" is the only completely electronic song on the album. It has a strong 80s early Depeche Mode vibe. It lacks the urgency of other All Living Fear songs. We're in the Reptile House for "All Living Fear" which is the greatest slice of Sisters of Mercy never to come out of Leeds. Or Hamburg. Or Croydon. Wherever Andrew Eldritch lives these days. Despite its dirge-like tempo this song is anything but boring.

If this album were an All Living Fear gig, the first CD would be the main set, the second the encore, in which the band get guests on stage. In the original chronology of the band when Andrew Racher left Paul Roe replaced him. Many people had trouble accepting the change, but Paul sounds great on this revamped 80s-injected version of "Tomorrow". He sounds less obviously 'goth' than Andrew, which given the circles the band was moving in at the time was obviously a problem. Arthur Brown brings his own perspective to "The Widow's Blame (Arthur Brown Vocals)". It's an interesting experiment. Much like a jockey without a saddle, I get the impression that the song is going to run away without the rider at any moment. "Last Goodbye (Reggae Mix)" shouldn't work, indeed I'm not sure it does, yet the use of brass and reggae has some alchemy. From a lyrical perspective it's interesting to hear "What If (Misty Woods Vocals)" sung by a woman. Claytown Troupe's singer Christian Riou offers his unique take on "Queen of Delusion (Christian Riou Vocals)" but to my ears sounds out of tune. Much more appealing are the unalloyed gothic joys of "The Living (Steven Howson Vocals)" one of the earliest All Living Fear songs on this compilation. The synths sound like The Cure, to which the plucked acoustic guitar is a perfect counterpoint. Steven is not afraid to 'go Goth' and the song is intoxicating. While All Living Fear themselves might not care for "Crimson", it has always been one of my favourites. Words that might sound clumsy and obtuse written down are transformed into lyrical gold: 'Crimson, pablum, fare! Ambrosia of life, mere mortals beware!' There's something about the mocking tone of the vocal delivery that means "Game Show Host (Paul Roe Vocals)" reminds me of The Levellers, not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly unexpected. "Tres Desole" is very much All Living Fear's "Save A Prayer". This version sounds even more 80s than the original, with layers of lovely synthesiser. There are many worse remixes out there than "Stranger To None (Steve Bronski Remix)" but this version is neither as good as Bronski Beat or All Living Fear. Don't mind me, I don't like remixes in general. "Trust Me, Love Me, Leave Me" is a new song – and shows that All Living Fear have a great future once they escape the shadow of nostalgia. "Each and Every Way (Acoustic)" is given the R.E.M. treatment, while "Prisoner of the Silver Plane" brings things to a storming close. The lyrics that detail the adventures of' 'a graduate in carnal lust' who will use her hips 'like roulette chips, layed on the table...' are as accomplished as ever.