VA - Almost Made It (A Butterboy Compilation) (4 x CDs)

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VA - Almost Made It (A Butterboy Compilation) (4 x CDs)

This 4-CD collection exists for one simple reason, to shine a light on artists who were on the cusp of greatness, who flirted with mainstream success, and whose work deserves to be heard in its full context. These are the bands and singers that, in another universe, might have been household names, topping charts and defining a generation. Instead, they lingered in that sweet, frustrating space where talent and ambition almost aligned with opportunity, and sometimes nearly broke through, but didn’t.

When you look at the track list, a few names might ring a bell, Television, Starbuck, Red Rider, and some tracks even had their moment on the radio. But here’s the key, this isn’t a greatest hits collection. It’s a celebration of the artists that almost made it, the ones who had label support, toured, got radio or MTV exposure, and released singles or albums with real potential. Some charted briefly, some flirted with critical acclaim, some were on the cusp of a breakthrough that never fully arrived. These tracks are evidence of ambition, craft, and energy, captured at a moment when the world might have taken notice and sometimes didn’t.

The criteria were straightforward. Each artist needed a legitimate chance at mainstream success. That means label backing, some radio rotation, or real audience exposure. At the same time, they must have stalled just short of widespread recognition, never being retroactively elevated into canonical “classic” status. In other words, these aren’t cult heroes created by nostalgia or hype, they are artists who almost made it, and their music tells the story of what might have been.

From the jangle-pop charm of Michael Penn’s No Myth and the sleek, melodic drive of Paul Hyde’s America Is Sexy, to the early promise of The Plimsouls’ A Million Miles Away and the polished fun of Boys Don’t Cry’s I Wanna Be a Cowboy, each CD carefully balances energy, melody, and emotion. Power-pop, melodic alternative, college rock, adult-oriented pop, and edgy alt-rock all weave together to create a coherent journey. There are peaks of drama, moments of intimacy, and the occasional epic track that demands your attention, but always within the frame of artists whose moment in the spotlight was fleeting.

Listeners can expect a set that is cohesive yet adventurous, with surprises around every corner, because the artists here were all chasing the same thing, a shot at success, a connection with an audience, and the fleeting thrill of almost making it. These tracks aren’t just historical curiosities; they’re snapshots of potential realized in sound, a reminder of how close some of these incredible talents came to breaking through. And in the process, they tell a story that is endlessly compelling: the story of music that almost made it, now captured and celebrated for you to enjoy. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Aztec Two-Step - Almost Apocalypse 3:50

02 Catherine Howe - It Comes With The Breezes 3:28

03 Cryan Shames - A Carol for Lorelei 4:08

04 Glass Harp - Can You See Me 4:37

05 Dwight Twilley Band - I'm on Fire 3:19

06 Head East - Never Been Any Reason 5:11

07 Marbles - Slip Into The Sound 3:28

08 Pousette-Dart Band - What Can I Say 3:04

09 Jerry Riopelle - Easy Driver 4:17

10 Good Rats - Tasty 3:23

11 Knockout Drops - Pilot Light 4:06

12 Michael Stanley - Yours for A Song 3:29

13 Shooting Star - Summer Sun 3:55

14 Lone Star - She Said, She Said 8:25

15 Gravy - We Can Make The World (A Whole Lot Brighter) 2:30

16 Mama's Pride - Where Would You Be 6:23

17 Private Lightning - Song of The Kite 5:03

18 Nutz - cool me down 4:43

19 Gypsy - Dead and Gone 10:52

20 Pearl Harbor and the Explosions - You Got it (Release It) 2:30

CD2

01 Dumptruck - Back Where I Belong 3:57

02 Close Lobsters - Going to Heaven to See If it Rains 3:11

03 Lucy Show - Ephemeral 3:44

04 Bram Tchaikovsky - Girl of My Dreams 4:11

05 Tommy Keene - Places That Are Gone 3:53

06 Bogmen - Suddenly 4:12

07 Material Issue - Valerie Loves Me 3:05

08 Reivers - In Your Eyes 3:38

09 Jason Falkner - I Live 3:07

10 Velvet Crush - Time Wraps Around You 4:13

11 Miracle Legion - The Backyard 4:03

12 Producers - She Sheila 4:36

13 Off Broadway - Stay in Time 2:50

14 Monroes - What Do All The People Know 3:29

15 Sidewinders - Rendezvous 3:18

16 Refreshments - Blue Collar Suicide 3:35

17 Superdrag - Sucked Out 2:46

18 Wheat - I Met A Girl 4:00

19 Outer Limits - Man in The Middle of Nowhere 2:21

20 Wildweeds - No Good to Cry 2:42

CD3

01 Cavedogs - Boy in A Plastic Bubble 4:06

02 Grant Lee Buffalo - Mockingbirds 4:42

03 Eleventh Dream Day - After This Time is Gone 3:36

04 Majesty Crush - No. 1 Fan 3:47

05 Tribe - Abort 3:22

06 God Machine - Home 5:20

07 Devlins - Waiting 4:48

08 Grays - No One Can Hurt Me 6:29

09 Follow for Now - White Hood 2:30

10 Hamell on Trial - Judy 3:27

11 Susan Cagle - Shakespeare 4:15

12 Rosie Vela - Magic Smile 4:26

13 Joshua Kadison - Jessie 4:20

14 Jimmy Harnen With Synch - Where Are You Now 4:28

15 Truck Stop Love - Townie 5:49

16 Mr. Gnome - Bit of Tongue 3:27

17 Nymphs - Sad and Damned 2:59

18 Hazeldine - Tarmac 3:29

19 Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie - The Rattler 4:00

20 Clor - Gifted 3:07

CD4

01 Television - See No Evil 3:54

02 Treat Her Right - From A Buick 6 2:50

03 Exploding Hearts - Shattered (You Left Me) 3:33

04 Foxy Shazam - Holy Touch 2:59

05 Shout Out Louds - Impossible 6:49

06 Dan Reed Network - Ritual [45 version] 3:39

07 Shelters - Rebel Heart 3:58

08 Michael Penn - No Myth 4:09

09 Paul Hyde - America is Sexy 4:26

10 Call - The Walls Came Down 3:47

11 Boys Don't Cry - I Wanna Be A Cowboy 3:41

12 Boys Club - I Remember Holding You 4:53

13 Ian Thomas - Painted Ladies 3:34

14 Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away 3:34

15 Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right 3:37

16 Tim Finn - Fraction Too Much Friction 4:10

17 Fanny Adams - Got to Get a Message to You 4:35

18 Wheels - Amaretta 4:04

19 Silencers - Bulletproof Heart 5:00

20 Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe 4:23

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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