A mixture of B-sides, outtakes, live tracks, and newly recorded songs,
No Alternative was the most successful benefit album of 1993, both commercially and artistically. Exceptional songs from
Nirvana,
Bob Mould,
Urge Overkill,
Smashing Pumpkins,
American Music Club, and
Pavement enhance fine outtakes from
Buffalo Tom and
Matthew Sweet, strengthen
Uncle Tupelo and
Soul Asylum's strong covers, and make the weak live tracks from
the Beastie Boys,
Sonic Youth, and
the Breeders tolerable. However, nothing can save
the Goo Goo Dolls' atrocious pop-metal take on
the Rolling Stones' "Bitch." Still, that's only one song out of 19, making
No Alternative a worthy purchase.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi