Unique band gets fully deserved reappraisal; the gods smile in approval.

Gone-but-not-forgotten Scottish pop experimenters The Beta Band will get the full retrospective treatment this autumn with a bumper six-CD box set of their entire output.

The band first appeared in the mid-90s with a trio of lauded EPs, later compiled to form their first album. Three divergent full-lengths followed – The Beta Band, Hot Shots II and Heroes to Zeros – which charmed and confused critics in equal measure. The band were said to be deep in debt and miserable by the time they called it quits in 2004, but their reputation has ripened in the last nine years.

Forthcoming box set The Regal Years (1997-2004) compiles all of the band’s studio albums and EPs alongside a trove of lesser heard material, including radio sessions, demo recordings and live cuts from Roskilde in 2002 and their final show at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2004. Sleeve notes are provided by the band’s Richard Greentree.

The collection is due for release on October 7th through Parlophone, parent label to Regal, which was home to the band throughout their existence. [via Clash; Altsounds]

Here’s the full tracklist:

Disc 1:
The Three E.P.s (album)
Dry The Rain
I Know
B + A
Dogs Got A Bone
Inner Meet Me
The House Song
Monolith
She’s The One
Push It Out
It’s Over
Dr. Baker
Needles In My Eyes

Disc 2:
The Beta Band
The Beta Band Rap
It’s Not Too Beautiful
Simple Boy
Round The Bend
Dance O’er The Border
Brokenupadingdong
Number 15
Smiling
The Hard One
The Cow’s Wrong
Bonus Tracks
Dance O’er The Border (live At Glastonbury Festival)
The Hard One (manmouse Remix)

Disc 3:
Hot Shots II
Squares
Al Sharp
Human Being
Gone Dragon
Broke
Quiet
Alleged
Life
Eclipse
Bonus Tracks
To You Alone
Sequinsizer
Won
Unknown Squares (bloah Mix)
Quiet (acoustic – From 99x Atlanta Session)
Squares (roman Nose Mix)

Disc 4:
Heroes To Zeros
Assessment
Space
Lion Thief
Easy
Wonderful
Troubles
Out-side
Space Beatle
Rhododendron
Liquid Bird
Simple
Pure For
Bonus Tracks
Out-side (roman Nose Remix)
Assessment (c Swing’s Bootleg Mix)
Shrek Out-side (depth Charge Remix)

Disc 5:
BBC Live BBC Radio 1, Evening Session (10/9/97):
Dry The Rain
Monolith
B + A
Shepherd’s Dub Bbc Radio 1, Lamacq Live (5/7/99):
The Hard One
Brokenupadingdong Bbc 6 Music, Rocket Science Session (01/05/04)
Dog’s Got A Bone
Outside Bbc Radio, T In The Park Live (10/7/04)
Inner Meet Me
Outside
She’s The One
Dry The Rain
Broke

Disc 6:
Demo, Live & Sessions 1997
Demo Recordings:
Idea For House Track
Longer Idea For Above
Bed In The Sunlight
B An A
Live At Roskilde Festival 2002:
Inner Meet Me
Life
Human Being
Xfm Studio Session 2004:
Dog’s Got A Bone
Outside
Simple
Live At Shepherds Bush Empire 29th Nov 2004:
Squares
Simple
Easy
Dr. Baker
Quiet
The House Song