Ex, The
Singles Period (The Vinyl Years 1980-1990)

Listening notes

Singles Period (The Vinyl Years 1980-1990) is a 2005 CD compilation by the Dutch group The Ex, released on Vicious Circle (2) under catalog number Reverb 84. As the subtitle indicates, the collection draws from the band's vinyl output across a ten-year span, 1980 through 1990, and is tagged across the genres of alternative rock, experimental, punk, and rock.

The disc carries 23 numbered tracks alongside several unnumbered entries that appear in the tracklist, the latter functioning as grouping headers or source identifiers rather than standalone pieces with assigned positions. Those headers point to original release contexts including titles such as Utregpunx, New Horizons In Retailing, Villa Zuid Moet Blijven, The Red Dance Package, Awara/The Ex, Rara Rap, Stonestampers/Steinklopfer, and Mekons/The Ex, the last two suggesting collaborative recordings with those respective acts.

The numbered tracks themselves range considerably in length. Several fall under two minutes, with Cells at 1:52, Money at 1:36, and New Wars 2 at 1:38 among the briefest. Others extend toward five minutes, with Memberhips running 5:33 and Trash reaching 4:55. The full set of 23 numbered tracks covers substantial ground in running time, and a track listed simply as All Corpses Smell The Same appears in the tracklist without a position number or duration.

For collectors and researchers working with The Ex's discography, Singles Period offers a documented survey of material the band issued to vinyl during the decade in question. The compilation's scope and the source groupings listed within it may assist in cross-referencing specific original releases from that period. This is an unreviewed draft and should be verified before publication.