Monster is a box set anthologizing David Thomas

David Thomas (musician)

David Lynn Thomas is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.He was one of the founding members of the short-lived protopunkers Rocket From The Tombs , where he went by the name of Crocus Behemoth, and of punk group Pere Ubu . He has also released several solo albums...

's solo career from the years 1981-1987, during which time his main vehicle, Pere Ubu

Pere Ubu (band)

Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...

, was inactive. 'Variations On A Theme' has been remixed and rearranged from its original forms. On its release in 1997, the box included a contemporary live disc entitled "Meadville" by Thomas' current group the Two Pale Boys; as of the current 2002 reissue, that disc has been excised, anticipating a future standalone release.

CD1 - The Sound of the Sand

1. "The Birds Are A Good Idea" – 1:58
2. "Yiki Tiki" – 2:16
3. "Crickets In The Flats" – 4:58
4. "Sound Of The Sand" – 3:27
5. "The New Atom Mine" – 5:14
6. "Big Dreams" – 2:21
7. "Happy to See You" – 3:32
8. "Crush This Horn, Part 2" – 1:49
9. "Confuse Did" – 2:32
10. "Sloop John B" – 5:09
11. "Man's Best Friend" – 4:28

CD2 - Variations on a Theme

1. A Day At The Botanical Gardens (1983 mix) – 3:44
2. Bird Town – 2:44
3. Pedestrian Walk (1983 mix) – 4:17
4. The Egg & I – 2:55
5. Who Is It? – 3:40
6. Song of The Hoe – 6:03
7. Hurry Back – 4:20
8. The Rain (1983 mix) – 3:48
9. Semaphore – 5:11
10. A Day At The Botanical Gardens – 3:21 (extra track)
11. Pedestrian Walk – 4:31 (extra track)
12. Hurry Back (1983 mix) – 3:57 (extra track)
13. The Rain – 5:18 (extra track)

CD3 - More Places Forever

1. Through The Magnifying Glass – 2:58
2. Enthusiastic – 4:46
3. Whale Head King – 5:50
4. Song of the Bailing Man – 4:42
5. Big Breezy Day – 3:23
6. The Farmer's Wife – 4:32
7. New Broom – 4:21
8. About True Friends – 4:35

Monster Walks the Winter Lake

1. My Theory Of Spontaneous Simultude / Red Tin Bus – 3:06
2. What Happened to Me – 2:45
3. Monster Walks The Winter Lake – 11:13
4. Bicycle – 4:17
5. Coffee Train – 2:24
6. My Town – 3:19
7. Monster Magee, King of the Seas – 2:14
8. Monster Thinks About The Good Days – 3:37
9. What Happened to Me – 2:41

CD4 - Blame the Messenger

1. My Town – 3:07
2. A Fact About Trains – 4:24
3. King Knut – 5:27
4. When Love Is Uneven – 3:27
5. The Storm Breaks – 3:34
6. The Long Rain – 4:11
7. Havin' Time – 4:53
8. Friends of Stone – 3:18
9. The Velikovsky 2-Step – 6:50