Best Best Of

[imitationleather]

I was going to suggest this but I forgot to. True story.

Even the second collection of Depeche Mode singles is good. Not as flawless as that one, but still good.

[Danger Man]

Hatful of Hollow is the only Smiths you really need.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Hatful of Hollow is the only Smiths you really need.

This is true. Live compilation rather than best of though.

[studpuppet]

 

 

[DukeDeMondo]

It might not be the only Cure album you need, but for a long time Standing on a Beach/Staring At The Sea was the only one I needed. I think that's probably the case now once again, to be honest. It's a singles / b-sides collection rather than a Best Of but it's close enough. Brilliant from one end to the other.

Galore - The Singles 1987-1997 is pretty good too, I suppose. Not as good as the earlier compilation, but I'd rather listen to it than listen to any of the parent albums the whole way through.

EDIT: Actually it's more than "pretty good," isn't it, Galore. Is. Still not as good as the other one. But it's more than "pretty good."

[thecuriousorange]

Radiohead: The Best Of was disowned by the band upon release, as they were leaving the record label to become a self-facilitating media node.

[Pauline Walnuts]

This is true. Live compilation rather than best of though.

Not really, no. Are you getting it confused with Rank (Obergruppenführer)?

[samadriel]

"Experience Hendrix" introduced me to Jimi very well.  Mostly singles, with a smattering of album tracks to encourage the listener to explore further.

[jobotic]

"Experience Hendrix" introduced me to Jimi very well.  Mostly singles, with a smattering of album tracks to encourage the listener to explore further.

Was "Smash Hits" for me.

[Sebastian Cobb]

 

 

[Dusty Substance]

I was going though some CDs this evening and pulled out, at random, Brotherhood (the second Chemical Brothers compilation) which, unlike the earlier singles collection which was in chronological order, was sequenced all over the place and actually makes for a more interesting listening experience. It kicks off with 2004's Galvanize (which I'd forgotten how good that track is) then loops back to some bigger hits of the late 90s, then goes back to mid 00's. It certainly doesn't seem to have been put together randomly as the songs segue together very nicely.

[sweeper]

My introduction to Nick Drake was Way to Blue, and if you add in Place to Be, it's all I ever needed from him. It's a distillation of a pretty slim catalogue, obviously, but that means it's perfect.

Same goes for JAMC's 21 Singles. It's their best album.

I think that best ofs should be no longer than an hour, tight and totally compelling. Too many seem to be made to please fans, who don't need them in the first place.

[holyzombiejesus]

This is true. Live compilation rather than best of though.

It isn't. It's sessions, singles and b-sides.

[holyzombiejesus]

Same goes for JAMC's 21 Singles. It's their best album.

Pah! It's not even their best compilation.