No, Virginia... - Dresden Dolls

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 14
  2. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. No, Virginia ranks with Elvis Costello’s "Taking Liberties" as a B-sides/leftovers album that turns out to be more fun and more revealing than a thought-out official release.
  2. Considering that it's an album of leftovers--one B-side from "Yes, Virginia...," four unreleased recordings, one old demo, a cover, and five new recordings, to be exact--the songs on No, Virginia... are unexpectedly strong.
  3. Given the collection's remarkable cohesion, No Virginia works as a proper third album, instead of merely being a companion piece to the previous disc. [July 2008, p.170]
  4. In a way, they don't even try to [reconcile their spotlight-swallowing energy], and that makes No, Virginia... an album on par with the Dolls' two fully conceived LPs.
  5. 70
    No, Virginia compiles a clutch of new tunes, old demos, B-sides, and cast-offs from the previous album, but it scores biggest with an obsessed fan's accordion-powered rendition of the Psychedelic Furs' 'Pretty in Pink.'
  6. Missteps aside, No, Virginia is a solid effort that proves there’s more depth to the Dolls then just pancake makeup and vampy lingerie.
  7. Some cuts, like the cover of 'Pretty in Pink,' or the tensionless march of 'Mouse and the Model,' didn't need to be resurrected. But others, like the singalong rolling notes of 'Sorry Bunch' or 'Night Reconnaissance,' a multipart romp about middle-class vagrants, can stand with the Dolls' A-sides.
  8. The turbulent choruses, allusive wordplay and pounding piano interludes faithfully hew to the self-defined subgenre Brechtian-punk cabaret.
  9. Considering the album's disparate origins, its slightly disjointed feel makes sense but doesn't keep it from being a solid must-have for fans.
  10. As it is, though, it’s a very respectable compilation by one of the more clever bands in indie rock today, good enough to keep the Dresden Dolls’ fans satisfied for another year.
  11. 60
    This is a less than ideal introduction to the oeuvre of the usually intriguing 'Dolls. [July 2008, p.93]
  12. 60
    Fervent and fierce, with a half-earned world-weariness that can recall Johnny Rotten himself, the Dresden Dolls mean to make goth theatrically smart. Quite often, they do. [July 2008, p.71]
  13. Although it holds together better than out-takes album might, newcomers should start elsewhere. [July 2008, p.101]
  14. Hopefully, the band will release new material soon, but No, Virginia is a good snack before the next meal.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. DanielC.
    Jun 2, 2008
    Although some of these are outakes and B-sides from the Yes, Virginia sessions I actually like this album more than I like Yes, Virginia. Most of the songs are really good and the couple of songs that aren't my favorites still have their moments. Good Stuff. Full Review »
  2. psychoman
    Jun 1, 2008
    To use a tried-and-true phrase: Lesser bands could make a career out of the B-sides of the Dresden Dolls. Some of the material sounds under-rehearsed and stays one step behind the tightly-knit performances of Yes, Virginia, but Amanda and Brian shine throughout with their unique take on things pop and not pop. Subversive without being tiresome, ironic without descending into sarcasm, catchy but never trite - and thank you for the nostalgic walk down pretty-in-pink lane, which never fails to make me smile. Time to count the weeks til Amanda's solo album comes out. Full Review »
  3. ClarkC
    Jun 1, 2008
    WOW these guys are screwed up... wait they ARE guys right? p.s. it gets a 1 just because it isnt rap.