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Where a greatest hits album is enough

Started by Famous Mortimer, June 09, 2021, 10:15:11 PM

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Video Game Fan 2000

Led Zep compiliation without Ten Years Gone and Tangerine is no good to me.

The Mollusk

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on June 14, 2021, 08:15:13 PMMalkmus' post-Pavement stuff is just pointless.

What the fuck dude? SM&TJ are a brilliant band. "Pig Lib" alone is an eclectic and accomplished indie masterpiece.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: The Mollusk on June 15, 2021, 03:02:24 PM
What the fuck dude? SM&TJ are a brilliant band. "Pig Lib" alone is an eclectic and accomplished indie masterpiece.
Eh. It all sounds like songs Pavement would have rejected for being too boring.

From further looking through my LPs, Sly And The Family Stone are well represented by their greatest hits. Although "There's A Riot Goin' On" is a fantastic album, so maybe just get the greatest hits and that.

Dusty Substance

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on June 15, 2021, 03:19:58 PM

From further looking through my LPs, Sly And The Family Stone are well represented by their greatest hits. Although "There's A Riot Goin' On" is a fantastic album, so maybe just get the greatest hits and that.

Nah. Stand!, Fresh and Life are all excellent studio albums.

willbo

I've been meaning to buy that Sonic Youth one for years. I need to look up if Camper Van Beethoven have one now.

turnstyle

The Pavement/Malkmus bashing in this thread is making me seriously change my opinion on many of you, although, if I'm honest, I've always known this guy was a total cunt flap.

Egyptian Feast

Quote from: Dusty Substance on June 15, 2021, 04:18:30 PM
Nah. Stand!, Fresh and Life are all excellent studio albums.

I'd go so far as to say I prefer Stand! and Fresh to There's A Riot Goin' On. I would agree they are well represented by a greatest hits album though - I've probably played that old 90s comp with the shit remix of 'Family Affair' at the end more than any other CD I own, and aside from that final track it's perfection all the way through. The 2CD 'Essential' comp from the 2000s is even better and would probably satisfy most listeners.

Egyptian Feast

Quote from: turnstyle on June 15, 2021, 04:39:37 PM
The Pavement/Malkmus bashing in this thread is making me seriously change my opinion on many of you, although, if I'm honest, I've always known this guy was a total cunt flap.

Oh, why's that then? Is it because my favourite Pavement album is Wowee Zowee!?

Custard

KC and The Sunshine Band

Their run of singles are pretty stunning, mind

sutin

Gold Sounds came on in the car yesterday and the 'we're coming to the chorus now' bit (HAHAHA they don't have choruses or melodies because they're too smart for that) made me hate that tit Malkmus all over again.

studpuppet

Quote from: willbo on June 15, 2021, 01:38:58 PM
I think Remasters should have had "the Ocean" and maybe "what is and what should never be" over some of the slower songs (like Rain song or D'y'maker). The Ocean was the first one I thought "wow how come I never heard this on hits albums before?" Especially as it sounded so modern and RATM ish. I got into Led Zep with Remasters.

Seems like there's that style of anthology like the Beatles Red and Blue albums. Where they just try and give you an overview, some good tracks from every album, instead of hit singles.

Yep - that's the one that I have. I'm not sure I'd WANT any more of them on my shelf than this; I'm struggling to remember what some of these songs even sound like. It's got Kashmir and Immigrant Song on it, and that's plenty.


willbo

Quote from: studpuppet on June 15, 2021, 05:49:48 PM
Yep - that's the one that I have. I'm not sure I'd WANT any more of them on my shelf than this; I'm struggling to remember what some of these songs even sound like. It's got Kashmir and Immigrant Song on it, and that's plenty.


you're struggling to remember what those songs sound like because a lot of them are slow, low-key and a bit more boring - Rain Song, No Quarter, everything after Kashmir (which come from their synth pop last couple of albums).
But the Ocean and "what is..." are classic Led Zep rockers. I thought Remasters was plenty too till I heard more.

The 2000 best of (early-latter days) has "what is.." on it and the 2008 best of (mothership) has "over the hills" (which are both essentials to me). Neither has "the ocean". Other than that, they both have almost identical track listing to Remasters.

Video Game Fan 2000

If Fresh! isn't an essential album what could possibly be? I could see someone finding A Riot too murky and ironic (they'd be crazy) or not liking the jams on Stand (they'd be crazy), but Fresh? Its absolutely peerless.

My main gripe with Wowee Zowee is that they've never put out the alt version of Black Out on any reissue that I know of. It's only the song Black Out (album version) could have been!

purlieu

Quote from: willbo on June 15, 2021, 06:02:10 PM
you're struggling to remember what those songs sound like because a lot of them are slow, low-key and a bit more boring - Rain Song, No Quarter, everything after Kashmir (which come from their synth pop last couple of albums).
It's possible that my enjoyment of that compilation partially stems from the fact that stuff like 'Rain Song' and 'No Quarter' is right up my street, while the earlier blues rock stuff was always the 'ok tracks I worked through to get to the more melodic / atmospheric stuff'.

daf

#224
Quote from: willbo on June 15, 2021, 06:02:10 PM
No Quarter

Best version of this is on the live album "The Song Remains The Same' . . . except it isn't anymore!

For the expanded 2007 version, they replaced the take included on the original album (with JPG's legendary phased noodly organ solo), with a different one from the film - which is 2 minutes shorter and has a different solo.

Also, the original tape-flanging that peppers the album has been recreated with a rubbish digital plug-in - BOO!

Brundle-Fly

Supergrass possibly?  I have all their albums and the very fact I'm suggesting them for this thread might be a strong indicator?

DrGreggles

Quote from: Brundle-Fly on June 15, 2021, 07:25:42 PM
Supergrass possibly?  I have all their albums and the very fact I'm suggesting them for this thread might be a strong indicator?

Their first two albums are both great, but the later singles are mostly the best of what they did afterwards.

willbo

Quote from: Brundle-Fly on June 15, 2021, 07:25:42 PM
Supergrass possibly?  I have all their albums and the very fact I'm suggesting them for this thread might be a strong indicator?

They crossed my mind too, (at the same time as Super Furries did), but I didn't wanna go there because I know there's bigger fans than me out there.

The Mollusk

Quote from: Video Game Fan 2000 on June 15, 2021, 06:11:21 PM
If Fresh! isn't an essential album what could possibly be? I could see someone finding A Riot too murky and ironic (they'd be crazy) or not liking the jams on Stand (they'd be crazy), but Fresh? Its absolutely peerless.

My issue with "Fresh!" is that it's mixed dreadfully, Sly's vocals too high in the mix whereas a lot of the instrumentation - namely the brass and piano - are practically fucking inaudible at times. It saps the life out of it for me. "Stand" is damn near perfect though.

willbo

Dare I suggest that a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds best of (either the 1 disc 90s one or especially the 2 disc recent one) is probably more satisfying than any one of his individual albums. (and i like his albums)

The Mollusk


Custard

You'll probably get stabbed for not saying they're a band, too

RICHLY DESERVED

I'd probably put the Small Faces on this list, myself. I listen to a Best Of playlist a lot, but I have zero interest in delving into the albums. Same for Humble Pie. And Mott The Hoople

Badfinger

Surprised no one has mentioned The Beta Band, as they usually pop up in such discussions. Not from me though, as I think they have a fine body of work. Even that debut album that even they hate

Video Game Fan 2000

Quote from: The Mollusk on June 15, 2021, 08:38:11 PM
My issue with "Fresh!" is that it's mixed dreadfully, Sly's vocals too high in the mix whereas a lot of the instrumentation - namely the brass and piano - are practically fucking inaudible at times. It saps the life out of it for me. "Stand" is damn near perfect though.

Couldn't disagree with this more! I think the sound of Fresh! is astonishing. I agree with Eno (sorry for obnoxious appeal to authority) when he said it was the turning point in how music began to adopt more electronic textures and emphasize rhythm and beat over traditionally melodic instruments. Its popular music's kehre.

I'd see with it Riot, because that has the intentional aesthetic decision to texture a party/pop record in the most depressive and alienating manner possible, could be a downer if you just want the stand out tracks. But Fresh! leaps out as something miraculous, you can hear Joy Division, ambient, shoe gaze, electronica, disco, dub, post rock etc. in its stark mix and arrangements. Revolutionary, up there with Revolver. Perhaps even more so than Revolver because influential genres like EDM, hyperpop and trap that inform the last decade's music are still part of the line that's drawn through Fresh! when rock is very dead.

the science eel

Quote from: Shameless Custard on June 15, 2021, 09:38:06 PM
You'll probably get stabbed for not saying they're a band, too

RICHLY DESERVED

I'd probably put the Small Faces on this list, myself. I listen to a Best Of playlist a lot, but I have zero interest in delving into the albums. Same for Humble Pie. And Mott The Hoople

Mott the Hoople YES - altho' you'd miss the very great early tracks like 'Death May Be Your Santa Claus'

Small Faces NO - you need all of Ogden's

idunnosomename

I mean back when the Led Zeppelin remasters came out, that was a thing worth having in its own right, as a curated journey through the discography in two discs.

you know the biggest cunts ever for putting out best ofs though? iron maiden. absurd amount of milking of the late period of the CD industry after Best of the Beast, which at least had new track Virus on it. even in the iPod era they were putting out ridiculous oh look here's our songs in a different order again releases.

I suppose Peter Grant and Rod Smallwood are peas in a pod

Custard

Heh, that could be a fun thread of its own - "Bands who put out compilations every fucking week"

Of course, it's hardly ever the artists themselves, rather the record company. Though I think Spandau Ballet would be up there. And Morrissey

EDIT - Have never heard Ogden's all the way through, science eel. Will give it a go

rue the polywhirl

Burt Bacharach. A compilation with 70 of his hits and you're sorted!


Video Game Fan 2000

"Skin I'm In" opening 50 secs : your copy of Laughing Stock is skipping
Next 45 secs: the Africa 70 chopped n skrewed
then absurdly loud vocals and rock bass riffs
then robotic take on the groove with extremely quiet indie jangle guitar off in the distance
then absurdly loud vox back but doubled with backing vocals that lag them fractionally so just as it was turning into party the song sounds haunted
then the afrobeat anticipating horns are back for about 10 secs before things go postbop and the vocals settle in
then things almost get dubby for all of ten seconds before the track fades on goth rock drum rolls

nearly every track on Fresh! is a miracle. there is so much going on but the variations are so subtle it flows together in the same druggy mood.

Custard

How about Smokey Robinson? I never see anyone going on about his actual albums

The Commodores have fantastic compilations. Have never bothered going further

purlieu

Quote from: Shameless Custard on June 15, 2021, 09:54:05 PM
Heh, that could be a fun thread of its own - "Bands who put out compilations every fucking week"

Of course, it's hardly ever the artists themselves, rather the record company. Though I think Spandau Ballet would be up there. And Morrissey
I think Spandau Ballet may be one of those whose label happily license compilations out to bargain sub-labels and such. A great example of that would be Tears for Fears, whose 2000 compilation Classic was released over the following decade under the names Superstar Collection, Popstars of the 20th Century, Millennium Edition, The Best of Tears for Fears, Colour Collection, The Essential Collection, The Universal Masters Collection and Classic Tears for Fears, all with different artwork but identical tracklists. Discogs has hits compilations listed for 1992, 2000 (four), 2001 (seven), 2003 (two), 2004, 2006 (three), 2007 (two), 2008 (two), 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017. only the 1992 and 2017 were made with full co-operation with the band and had exclusive material on.

Meanwhile, there are 326 compilations listed on the Discogs page for The Shadows. I bet at least one person has all of them.

Quote
EDIT - Have never heard Ogden's all the way through, science eel. Will give it a go
You're in for a treat!