The Donnas: The Atlantic Years 2002-2005, 3CD Box Set Review
13th May 2025The Donnas: The Atlantic Years 2002-2005 unleashes the wild, high-energy thrash of an all-female rock band onto three discs of raw rebellion and naive risk-taking. Three discs? We are confronted with nothing less than musical excess here. I hope my puny human ears can stand the brunt of power-chord-drenched anthems laced with attitude.
Spend the Night (2002) is an energetic album brimming with high-impact guitar riffs and sing-along choruses begging for leather-jacketed pandemonium. The teenage rebellious attitude mingled with excess soda drinking and heavy eyeliner application is personified in “Take It Off” and “Who Invited You.”su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCvRT2sy5FE”] Then comes Gold Medal (2004), a slightly more polished but still fabulously raunchy album that proves The Donnas were not a one-hit wonder. Songs like “Fall Behind Me” and “I Don‘t Want to Know (If You Don‘t Want Me)” prove that the band has matured but still has its bad-girl attitude because acting is for losers. The third and final disc is filled with B-sides, rarities, and more obscure cuts than even the most rabid fan might hope to possess. It‘s like opening up a treasure chest and finding nothing but power chords and a grin.
The Donnas: The Atlantic Years 2002-2005 is a raunchy, no-holds-barred rock time capsule of greatness from the early 2000s. If you like your music with an attitude and a large helping hand of “screw you, I do what I want,” then this box set is for you.
Score 9/10
TRACK LISTDISC ONE
SPEND THE NIGHT (2002)
1: It’s On The Rocks
2: Take It Off
3: Who Invited You
4: All Messed Up
5: Dirty Denim
6: You Wanna Get Me High
7: I Don’t Care (So There)
8: Pass It Around
9: Too Bad About Your Girl
10: Not The One
11: Please Don’t Tease
12: Take Me To The Backseat
13: 5 O’Clock In The Morning
14: Do You Wanna Hit It?
Bonus Tracks
15 Big Rig (Japan Bonus Track)
16 Backstage (Japan Bonus Track)
DISC TWO
GOLD MEDAL (2004)
1: I Don’t Want To Know (If You Don’t Want Me)
2: Friends Like Mine
3: Don’t Break Me Down
4: Fall Behind Me
5: Is That All You’ve Got For Me
6: It’s So Hard
7: The Gold Medal
8: Out Of My Hands
9: It Takes One To Know One
10: Revolver
11: Have You No Pride
Bonus Track
12: Lost And Found (Digtal Bonus Track)
DISC THREE
SINGLES, B-SIDES & LIVE
1: Hyperactive (B-Side)
2: Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine (B-Side)
3: Mama’s Boy (B-Side)
4: Play My Game (B-Side)
5: Don’t Break Me Down (Acoustic)
6: Fall Behind Me (Alternate Acoustic Mix)
7: I Don’t Want To Know (If You Don’t Want Me) (Alternate Acoustic Mix)
8: Done With You (B-Side)
9: Too Bad About Your Girl (Radio Remix)
10: Dancing With Myself (Billy Idol cover)
11: Please Don’t Tease (New York Minute OST)
Live at The Paradise, Boston Aug 2, 2003
12: Do You Want To Hit It
13: Take Me To The Backseat
14: Hyperactive – Too Bad About Your Girl
15: All Messed Up
16: Take It Off
17: 5 O’Clock In The Morning
18: Who Invited You
Live XFM Oct 3, 2003
19: On The Rocks
20: Take It Off
21. Who Invited You
Label – HNE Recordings
Release – 30th May 2025
