Retrospective is a double-disc compilation of Red House Painters' songs from the band's 4AD era.

Disc one is a collection of definitive Red House Painters tracks culled from their debut album Down Colorful Hill through 1995's Ocean Beach, as picked by 4AD label owner Ivo Watts-Russell.

The essay inside the booklet was written by Rob O'Connor in April 1999.

A working title for this collection was Red Perspective.

[4] All tracks are written by Mark Kozelek, except where noted