Unfortunately, despite their historical place as being one of the first (and still one of the few) "out" rock bands, Pansy Division are really not a necessary listen for all music fans. They're highly recommended for anyone who loves punk rock, or just wants to actually hear some joyful gay music once in a while, but this album is sometimes just as tedious as the term "career retrospective" implies. After an hour-plus of music, listening to the Pansies' vocals can become as annoying an experience as being trapped in a tiny closet with that other Alternative Tentacles superstar, Nardwuar. And as is the problem with a lot of punk music, too many high-motion, high-impact songs can make the listener feel as if they were on a herky-jerky musical rollercoaster where the only way to save themselves is to turn off the stereo and put their head between their knees.
That said, The Essential Pansy Division is a good place for new listeners to begin; but for the faithful fans (aside from the attraction of the DVD, with its interesting visual take on Pansy Division's career), they might prefer to just listen to their old records.
Reviewed by Megan Giddings
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