Where a greatest hits album is enough

[jobotic]

There's quite a few acts where I only have a greatest hits/collection and have got by on it. Although I think there's loads more great stuff out there I haven't heard anything that was better than the best tracks on the collections I have.

Os Mutantes
Francois Hardy
The Free Design

[Sebastian Cobb]

[Egyptian Feast]

Os Mutantes

I couldn't live without the first three or four albums, especially the debut, but I can imagine a well-chosen comp would be perfect for most and I might have to invest in one for gatherings.

I have most of their albums (that I'd want) but I'd love a chronological Sweet singles comp with an extra disc of their best album tracks & B-sides. That run of absolute bangers from 'Blockbuster' onwards is fucking mind-blowing when you hear them in order, but they always mix them up with the more bubblegummy early stuff. I have Strung-Up, which has most of the top-tier singles on the studio disc, but it's all over the place and the version of 'Action!' is wrong.

[Jockice]

I really liked their debut album (and the time I went to see them around the time of its release still ranks as one of the strangest - but best - nights out I've ever had.) But didn't particularly like anything they did afterwards,even the singles.

[Goldentony]

Slade

FUCK OFF SCIENCE EEL

[Goldentony]

Sladest isn't quite a greatest hits but it's all you really need imo.

YOU ALSO

[sutin]

Pavement, and even then I would probably skip over half the 'greatest hits' album.

[markburgle]

I recently gave Madness' first few albums a go cos of the doc, and although first listens do fail to reveal hidden depths, there did seem to be a lot of obvious filler on them. I was skipping a lot.

Queen I'd cautiously disagree. My housemate used to have Day at the Races/Night at the Opera. There are some annoying novelty songs no doubt, but I also remember Death on Two Legs which is a straight banger with super caustic lyrics, and Take My Breath Away which is just beautiful. But Queen thought they were funny and weren't, so I haven't listened to them since.

Depeche Mode? Got a greatest hits for me bday, really liked it. Never managed to break the back of any of their albums.

Sex Pistols - Their greatest hits Kiss This has everything of merit they ever recorded and contains all of Bollocks while being a better, more varied listen imho. It's like a story of the band. All you're missing of any note is their ropey version of Substitute, and Belsen Was a Gas - and while I'm an apologist for the latter, the lack of a decent quality recording means it wouldn't really fit.

[markburgle]

The Beatles

Maybe you're trolling, I dunno, but any Beatles greatest hits I've seen tends to emphasise their fluffier, shallower stuff. True it'll include slam-dunks like Eleanor Rigby, but it'll also have crap like Hello Goodbye while omitting your Sexy Sadie's, Girl's, Taxman's etc. A Beatles Greatest Hits is in no way a Beatles Best Of

[Jockice]

Depeche Mode? Got a greatest hits for me bday, really liked it. Never managed to break the back of any of their albums.

i was going to suggest them too. And bands shouldn't be allowed to leave singles off greatest hits albums because the main man's gone off  it or they hold a grudge against the public for not making it a massive hit on release. Yes, I'm looking at you Pulp and Blur.

[SteveDave]

I bought a Busta Rhymes comp recently

This is for the Desolation thread

[Video Game Fan 2000]

Os Mutantes

Couldn't live without Ave Genghi Khan.

[Jockice]

i was going to suggest them too. And bands shouldn't be allowed to leave singles off greatest hits albums because the main man's gone off  it or they hold a grudge against the public for not making it a massive hit on release. Yes, I'm looking at you Pulp and Blur.

or indeed REM, even though they had the excuse that it was the worst single ever released by anyone.

[Magnum Valentino]

yes are these four discs Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for all.

Why would you want token tracks like Mama Said, Fuel, St Anger and The Day That Never Comes stinking them out? This is coming from someone that liked the Loads btw

I like The Day That Never Comes :-(

[Brundle-Fly]

You have to persevere with albums. I say three to four plays before you start skipping tracks or bin the whole thing. You have to give stuff a chance. Whenever I bought an album for the hit single, quite often after a few spins it's that track that I grew weary of first and the  so called filler number on side 2 became my favourite.

Slightly depressing I'm speaking in the past tense I really lament  that relationship I had with pop music. It really is like a long term marriage. You still love it deeply but miss the butterflies, the courtship and the crazy sex.

[The Culture Bunker]

Sladest isn't quite a greatest hits but it's all you really need imo.

You need a later Slade compilation just for 'How Does It Feel'.

[An tSaoi]

Madness

[Harvey Milk]

Madonna's The Immaculate Collection is a cracking compilation and that's pretty much all I need of hers. Not fussed about digging into the rest.

[the science eel]

FUCK OFF SCIENCE EEL

They're honestly the only band I can think of where there are no 'deep cuts' that come anywhere near any of their singles. Slayed kicks off with a beauty but it's still no match for 'Gudbuy' or 'Get Down' or even 'Run Runaway'.

This patently isn't the case for Blur, Madness, Madonna, most others mentioned. I'll name tracks if you come closer...

[Brundle-Fly]

i was going to suggest them too. And bands shouldn't be allowed to leave singles off greatest hits albums because the main man's gone off  it or they hold a grudge against the public for not making it a massive hit on release. Yes, I'm looking at you Pulp and Blur.

But if it's titled 'greatest' hits or 'best of' then surely that fits the remit? If the comp is called 'the singles' than I concede.

[Brundle-Fly]

Madness

I entirely disagree. However, there are some philistines out there that go even further and venture that 'Complete Madness' compilation is the only one you need. This is just the singles from 1979 to early 1982. My ex gf used to think Driving In My Car onwards was when they became 'Housewives Choice' and then, 'too serious'. Utter madness.

[The Culture Bunker]

Having a look through my own CD collection, here's some acts where I only have a compilation:

Hollies: '20 Golden Greats'
Pixies: 'Wave of Mutilation: The Best Of'
Kirsty MacColl: 'Galore'
Massive Attack: 'Collection'
Fine Young Cannibals: 'Finest'
Frankie Valli + the Four Seasons: 'Working My Way Back To You'
John Foxx: 'Modern Art'
Killing Joke: 'Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!'
John Lennon: 'Lennon Legend'
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: 'Greatest Hits'
The Police: 'Greatest Hits'
Sade: 'Best Of'
Supertramp: 'Retrospectacle'

Kirsty and Sade aside, not sure I'll dip further into the discographies on any of the others. Like plenty of the songs, but don't feel a need to have more.

[Jockice]

But if it's titled 'greatest' hits or 'best of' then surely that fits the remit? If the comp is called 'the singles' than I concede.

Well the Pulp one's called Hits, and Mis-Shapes was quite a substantial one. Yeah, yeah, I know if was a double A-side. And there's no way Blur's Best Of lives up to the title if it doesn't contain Star Shaped.

[Clatty McCutcheon]

Inspiral Carpets (although I haven't even listened to the 'Best of' in years, truth be told).

[sutin]

Madness absolutely do not deserve to be on this thread.

[Darles Chickens]

I have a Bob Dylan Greatest Hits album

A blank CD.

Hahahahahaha!

[phantom_power]

Having a look through my own CD collection, here's some acts where I only have a compilation:

Hollies: '20 Golden Greats'
Pixies: 'Wave of Mutilation: The Best Of'
Kirsty MacColl: 'Galore'
Massive Attack: 'Collection'
Fine Young Cannibals: 'Finest'
Frankie Valli + the Four Seasons: 'Working My Way Back To You'
John Foxx: 'Modern Art'
Killing Joke: 'Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!'
John Lennon: 'Lennon Legend'
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: 'Greatest Hits'
The Police: 'Greatest Hits'
Sade: 'Best Of'
Supertramp: 'Retrospectacle'

Kirsty and Sade aside, not sure I'll dip further into the discographies on any of the others. Like plenty of the songs, but don't feel a need to have more.

Blue Lines is a pretty much perfect album for me. And Protection is pretty close so Massive Attack are worth more of a look for their early stuff I would say

[jobotic]

I couldn't live without the first three or four albums, especially the debut, but I can imagine a well-chosen comp would be perfect for most and I might have to invest in one for gatherings.

I'm quite prepared to believe i should have more Os Mutantes, just haven't got round to it.

And actually some posts in the Alternative Pop thread showed me I was wrong about the Free Design too.

I'll be quiet.

[Egyptian Feast]

This is for the Desolation thread

File it next to your facial expression whenever 'Scenario' or 'Woo Hah!!' come on the radio.

[holyzombiejesus]

Elvis
Lovin' Spoonful
Simon & Garfunkel
Chairman of the Board
Most of Motown's 60s poppier artists ( would happily be proven wrong on this)