UEDE's Brett Anderson says the band's forthcoming album of B-sides fulfils one of his ambitions. "I've always wanted to do it," he said. "And, originally, we were going to release it as the third album, after 'Dog Man Star', but then I think it would have been an insane thing to have done. I would have been seen as too looking-to-the-past." "It was important to get on with the new band, make a new record - for everything to be fresh and to turn over a new leaf."

Suede, the ultimate B-sides band, release the 27-track "Sci Fi Lullabies" on Nude on October 6 as a double CD. They took the title from a line in the "Dog Man Star" track, "Introducing The Band". Suede are almost unique in insisting that B-sides should include no crap, no covers, no instrumentals and no remixes. At their last, annual fan club gig at the London Kentish Town Forum, they played a whole set of B-side songs and Melody Maker commented: "No other band in the world could get away with playing an entire set of B-sides." Needless to say, Suede got away with it, and then some. Earlier in Suede's career, The Maker felt moved to remark: "Suede do not write B-sides."

The compilation includes one of the band's early classics, "My Insatiable One", which was later covered by Morrissey as well as their one-time set closer "To The Birds". "They're some of my favourite songs that we've done as B-sides," Brett told The Maker. "There's always freedom you get, when you're not under pressure and you're given a bit of extra leeway, when you haven't got this big thing looming over you - having to write the single or whatever." "Some of my favorite songs that we've ever written have been B-sides, probably 'The Big Time', 'Europe Is Our Playground', 'The Sound Of The Streets', 'My Dark Star' and 'Killing Of A Flashboy'." "I think it makes a pretty good album as well. It hasn't got any flab on it at all, which is pretty unheard of. If you listen to any double album, there's this classic thing - it could have been a single album. Even 'Sign O'The Times', some great tracks on there, but you know what I mean?" "I think there's a range to what we do which probably the general public haven't seen yet. If I'd criticise another thing about what we've done over the past couple of years, the singles we've released have been overformularised. That's an honest self-critisism but it's just because those songs work as singles." "The singles that we release are probably my least favourite songs we write, and it's always a little bit frustrating because I want people to hear things like 'By The Sea'. My favourite singles have been slow ones like 'The Wild Ones' and 'Saturday Night'. My least favourite have been the up ones." "I think the general public will see a different range and a different vision that they might not have done before. People who know Suede and 'Dog Man Star' won't be that surprised but a lot of people will."

The album will not be generally released on vinyl because of the technical problems of dealing with 27 tracks. They wouldn't fit on to a double record. However, a triple-vinyl format might be issued via mail order. "Sci Fi Lullabies" will be accompanied by a 32-page, full-color lyric booklet designed by Peter Saville - collaborating also with Brett on the album artwork.

The first CD offers: "My Insatiable One", "To The Birds", "Where The Pigs Don't Fly", "He's Dead", "The Big Time", "High Rising", "The Living Dead", "My Dark Star", "Killing Of A Flashboy", "Whipsnade", "Modern Boys", "Together", "Bentswood Boys" and "Europe Is Our Playground".

The second CD features: "Every Monday Morning Comes", "Have You Ever Been This Low?", "Another No-one", "Young Men", "The Sound Of The Streets", "Money", "W.S.D.", "This Time", "Jumble Sale Mums", "Theese Are The Sad Songs", "Sadie", "Graffiti Women" and "Duchess".

Suede, whose new single, "Filmstar", is out this week, have also confirmed their contribution to the Noel Coward tribute LP "20th Century Blues", which is being collaborated by Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant and EMI. Suede have covered "Poor Little Rich Girl", produced by Bruce Lampcof who was responsible for the B-sides for "Lazy" and "Filmstar". The band intend to start recording their follow-up to "Coming Up" before the end of this year.