I highly recommened this album for anyone starting to fall in love with Lush. It's a re-release of their first album "Scar" along with the B-sides from the singles from that album. I like this compilation of music from them, it was the first time I heard Lush stateside, and I think I enjoyed it more than if I had just listened to "Scar".

I first saw the video for Lush "Deluxe" on 120 Minutes one Sunday night, i skipped school the next day and bought the cassette. I listened to it so much, i wore the tape out. The album has been part of my life for 24 years and will be until the day i die.

Exact same story of discovery for me. The following week I saw them live in a small club in Cleveland, Ohio. I was 14...

Originally a compilation made to introduce Lush to the US audiences, "Gala" is a must-have, although in addition to it any of their singles up to the compilation´s release is a collectors´ treat in itself. Collecting the entire early mini-album ("Scar"), plus accompanying singles from the 1989-90 era ("Mad Love" and "Sweetness & Light"), "Gala" also features some exclusive cuts unavailable elsewhere - these being a gorgeous, mutilating melodic assault on ABBA ("Hey Hey Helen") plus an all-together alternate version of "Scarlet" wrapped in a bossa-nova beat, which makes it sound like a nostalgic synth-pop classic. While later albums kept improving Lush´s sound and effort to be themselves rather then stereotyped as a "shoegaze" band, at first characterized by typically fuzzy electric guitar sound of the era (also pioneered by their peers - Ride and even more so, Pale Saints), the irresistible frenzy of their youth marks this collection simply perfect among their catalogue of releases.

In my opinion this is the ultimate "shoe gazer" album. It is just plain awesome. Not a bad track and still sounds great and probably always will. A masterpiece that every 4AD fan should have.

Edit - Comment removed, ignore this.

When I first heard this in 1990, I walked into a local record shop, and some very cool music was playing. I asked what it was, and the shop assistant told me it was Lush, and handed me the CD. Ever since then, it has been one of my favorite albums in my entire collection. More interestingly, if you have heard the album Goodbye from Ulrich Schnauss, there are lots of similarities in the 'sound' between the two!