the new, first time ever on vinyl 2lp reissue of a long way around to a shortcut is somehow a greatest hits of the golden not quite decade of sic alps. well, not quite golden, either. can gold be tarnished? can it be done on purpose? if so, sic alps are artisans of the highest order - for their music is the bright, surging sound of ye olde rock & roll radio (and the garages that tuned in) heard through air darkened with specks of nameless obstruction. in and amongst their ingrown sounds, sic alps take on classic tunes from strapping field hands, throbbing gristle and the zipps on a long way around to a shortcut. it is to their credit that they completely absorb their estimated predecessors and create the only sound left to them: the sound of the sic alps. a long way around to a shortcut was issued as a cd in 2008. it collected songs that were first issued throughout the epic years of 2006 and 2007 on two 12inch eps, three 7inch singles and a cassette, plus a song from a compilation cd r and a song exclusive to this compilation. the records were originally given titles like united, strawberry guillotine, semi streets, hip hop sweepers vol 1, teenage alps, and the soft tour in rough form, but all these original releases are long gone.