Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men

Harvey Milk's tenure with Troubleman Unlimited gets off to a great start with this lavish double-disc reissue of the band's 1997 landmark album Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men. Sounding just as punishing and ambitious years later as it did then, tracks like "Sunshine (No Sun) Into the Sun" and the ten-minute epic "Pinocchio's Example" underscore Harvey Milk's willingness to mix delicate acoustic moments with the heaviest of the heavy (while "The Lord's Prayer" and "Go Back to France" prove they can work in just one of those modes equally well). The reissue also includes a 1996 performance at TT the Bears, which counts an extra-sludgy version of "Pinocchio" and the surprisingly speedy guitar work on "Merlin Is Magic" among its highlights. Neither strictly metal nor noise nor indie rock, but incorporating elements of all three, Harvey Milk's music remains an almost unclassifiable, love it or hate it proposition. For fans, though, this set offers more proof that the band has stood the test of time very well. [This edition includes a bonus disc with selected tracks from the band's live performance at TT the Bear's club.] ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide