"It's A Shame About Ray, in its 2008 incarnation, is still a great album, but a palpably darker one. The original 29 minutes remain a compact pop thrill. "Mrs Robinson" remains a trouble-making aberration (and one left off initial pressings of the album). There's a sweet b-side, "Shaky Ground", and then nine solo demos that provide a rueful new coda. Beneath the fresh bubblegum zing, they reveal the truth about Evan Dando: long before fame got to him, he was exquisitely well-prepared to self-destruct".