Compilation of the Week: Dining Hall Classics

File this one in the "What were they thinking?" category! Here we have a strange promotional release from 1993 by Columbia/Epic/Sony and some other indie labels. "Dining Hall Classics" was compiled by the "Sony Music College Department, the First Name in Back To School Samplers". (Stay in school kids and you get great music! (see Compilation of the Week: I.D. This!)
It has the catalogue number ESK 5438.

With artwork from a school cafeteria and comments about the quality of cafeteria food, I can only guess who this CD is aimed for!? Since Epic was still heavily promoting Front 242, their inclusion in another Epic promotional CD is quite logical. On the other hand, Epic's choice of song, IMHO, is not!

The track featured here is "Serial Killers Don't Kill Their Boyfriend" from the album "05:22:09:12 OFF". Certainly not the typical 242 track to feature, and certainly not one you will find on many other promos! As this track was never intended to be a single release, one can only guess why it was included here. Perhaps it's the "menacing" title? (There is a meat cleaver on the CD artwork after all!) Perhaps it's the driving percussion? Perhaps serial killers are "edgy"? Who knows? It just doesn't seem to be the best introduction to a new or casual listener to the Front 242 sound, not that I have anything against Eran Westwood or 99 Kowalski mind you!

Other artists featured here include Bad Brains, Rage Against The Machine, Suede, Jamiroquai, and no Epic promo with Front 242 would be complete without a Ren & Stimpy track!
The track list is as follows:

1. Bad Brains:  "Rise"
2. The Boo Radleys:  "Lazarus"
3. Hollyfaith:  "Whatsamatta"
4. Mercury Rev:  "Something for Joey"
5. Rage Against The Machine:  "Bombtrack"
6. Fudge Tunnel:  "Grey"
7. Front 242:  "Serial Killers Don't Kill Their Boyfriend"
8. Maria McKee:  "Opelousas (Sweet Relief)"
9. Sun 60:  "Never Seen God"
10. Season To Risk:  "Mine Eyes"
11. SSL:  "Cuz I'm Like Dat"
12. Suede:  "Drowners"
13. Flop:  "Regrets"
14. Chris Whitley:  "Starve To Death"
15. Eve's Plum:  "Die Like Someone"
16. Jamiroquai:  "When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo)"
17. Mudhoney/Sir Mix-A-Lot:  "Freak Momma"
18. Manic Street Preachers:  "Scream To A Sigh (La Tristesse Durera)"
19. Ren & Stimpy:  "Don't Whiz On The Electric Fence"
20. Silverfish:  "Crazy Remix (Edit)"

Cover of picture sleeve

Inside cover

Inside liner notes

Back Insert

Disc