The greatest Greatest Hits collection

the chronological singles comp 84-89 A-sides, which certainly isn't a better lp than Wonderful & Frightening or Nation's or Bend Sinister, but tells a great parallel story of the Brix years

https://i.postimg.cc/7PjGs3kx/chicago.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/jdNWGDxy/carpenters.jpg

I like them both. Everything you'd ever need, just before they both ceased to be of interest. (Actually, the Chicago comp is at least one song into their useless MOR decade.) Probably two of the biggest selling compilations ever at one time.

I'm not a fan of Chicago (I tried), but a solid update of that Greatest Hits would be to include ALL the hits they had when they put out that record (up to and including "Old Days") and to use the full-length versions preferred by the band. IIRC to would be 18 tracks at just a hair under 80 minutes. Would be a definitive CD reissue.

They'll always be a Top 40 band for me ("Questions 67 and 68" to "Feelin' Stronger" version), so honestly, full-length versions would be the last thing I'd ever want.

Thanks for the Todd answers. Looked up the liner notes on Discogs, fun read. One track after another: "What, this song? Yeah, meh. The lyrics are awful, that's why it was a hit."

Does Bowie have an ideal compilation? I own the 3CD version of Nothing Has Changed but I don't think that's actually a very good or representative best-of, and every other one seems to have some major omissions or weird choices, or both.

that 3cd version is the greatest greatest hits collection

The three-disc version of Nothing Has Changed received critical acclaim, with many praising its reverse sequencing as offering a different way to enjoy the artist's career.

First one I was aware of was The Best of Roxy Music (2001) but I’m sure there were others earlier. The very idea of this bothered my linear-thinking brain no end when I first saw/heard it, but it does flow quite well.

There is Absolute Classic Masterpieces by Felt from 1992 but I figure there has to be an earlier example.

when all is said and done...

https://i.discogs.com/Sk7nQMoR8jHWb-Dp7FD3oh-wqFkmS4b1a0YxL3YU43U/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:574/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgwNjk4/Mi0xMzQ1MDA4ODQ5/LTI3MTMuanBlZw.jpeg

kinda almost perfect.

The first one of these that hooked me as a kid was the Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions with the blue cover… solid selection

everything felt did was perfect

One of those jukebox favorites for yeaaaaaaaars. xpost to scott

Gold Mine Trash was earlier

xp to Kim

they didn't need that long solo deebank track on ACM but its okay. its all good in the Felt hood.

xp I was answering my own question above regarding reverse order compilations.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hvYAAOSwyTpjtcxg/s-l1200.jpg

It might as well be a different band of course, but this is still my favourite Fleetwood Mac 'album'.

that rules, I also really like this German reprise FM one from around the same time:

https://www.discogs.com/master/147914-Fleetwood-Mac-The-Best-Of-Fleetwood-Mac

I don't know that one - will have to seek it out.

What was the earliest reverse chronological greatest hits compilation?

There is Absolute Classic Masterpieces by Felt from 1992 but I figure there has to be an earlier example.

The same year there is Some Girls Wander By Mistake by Sisters of Mercy which starts in the middle then goes back to the beginning, probably a wise sequencing.

https://www.discogs.com/label/441825-Chess-Blues-Masters-Series

Literally in reverse chronological order, Pulp's 'Countdown 1992–1983'.

Bananarama Greatest Hits is not strictly reverse chronological, but the Stock-Aitken-Waterman years are up front and the earlier Swain-Jolley years at the end.

Underworld's 1992-2002 comp is insanely stacked, granted you probably couldn't make a bad UW comp if you tried, even still just insane how many bangers are on this thing

Re: Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, this CD (more or less culled from the Blue Horizon box set) was my introduction:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cK6R+ctXL._SX300_.jpg

The only glaring omission is "Love That Burns," but it's a big one IMHO. I would've ditched the "Albatross" remake to make room for it (especially since the disc opens with the original "Albatross") but it's possible that remake was more or less the economic reason for producing this CD.

Need Your Love So Bad was playing when I got married, yet I've never heard this longer version! Damn.

"albatross" is one of the great achievements of western civilization

Not really the thread for it, but this 2-hour version of Albatross by Keith Fullerton Whitman also one of the great achievements of western civilisation: https://soundcloud.com/kfw/fleetwood-mac-albatross-blend

xp otm

It's PSB's Discography for me, no contest, BUT

"Live Rust" -- still the best-nearest-thing to a good "Best of Neil Young" intro that isn't overlong
"Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael" -- a lovely 1990s object, double CD chunky plastic case, handsome George on the packaging, and lots of Wham when they were still (somewhat) undervalued. The selection on "25" is better -- "Precious Box" is on it, for a start -- but this one is more perfect (and has a much better cover)

Finally landed on the one single-disc greatest hits that rivals Earth Wind & Fire's

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/29/Respect-M.E..jpg

No. Bowie's best comp is 1993's out of print Ryko The Singles Collection: every single through 1993. Essential.

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 9 June 2024 00:51 bookmarkflaglink

the thing with that one is, it isn't every single, and some of the songs weren't even released as singles. different track listings on UK vs US as well so they both have different omissions

"Live Rust" -- still the best-nearest-thing to a good "Best of Neil Young" intro that isn't overlong

Live Rust has the weird reggae Cortez the Killer which drives me nuts

I like Live Rust, and Decade misses a lot--impossible not to over a modest three albums--but I'd still take Decade. The new songs were really exciting at the time, topped by unearthing "Sugar Mountain."

what's the best best-of/comp for a band/artist that never had an album? this one goes in my top ten:

https://i.discogs.com/8CWtgDpL4v8OLjsIc1evPLp-A3RrgMEWLUMQJicsoWQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:539/w:540/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2MTQ1/NzgtMTM4OTUwMTYw/MC02OTU3LmpwZWc.jpeg

also this. and if you have never listened to The Poets, you totally should!

https://i.discogs.com/mG4CiF1wKth3ZU9B_4-qTk1_kUpV8tAkF-mmXbFVxic/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:587/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUwNzQ5/ODktMTU0NjI2NDMy/OC05NTU1LmpwZWc.jpeg

The Essential Taj Mahal. I don’t know lots about him, but this contains all the “hits” I knew of, and with two discs I don’t have an urgent need to research his dozens of other albums.

― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Monday, October 19, 2020

One of my all timers is his Best of vol 1 from ‘81,

xposts

Lol this was the only version of Cortez I knew for a long time - when I eventually heard it on Decade, I was like "where's the reggae bit?"

xps The Missy Elliott disc is awesome. Anyone know why it was never issued in the U.S.? (Not that it matters - imports for it are cheap. I got another copy last year to replace one a friend never gave back for $10.)

No actual hits, but The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History. I downloaded it years ago, but just bought it for real last week and have been listening to it in the car the last few days. The two songs Nirvana covered, "Molly's Lips" and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam," are both brilliant (with great user-created videos available on YouTube). Many other excellent songs: "Son of a Gun," "Rory Rides Me Raw," "Bitch" (sung by Frances McKee, who looks like Mary Lynn Rajskub on her gatefold photo), "No Hope." Of the 19 songs, the only one I'd remove is the Divine cover ("You Think You're a Man")--just feels a little gimmicky and anomalous to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toQx3VavKqk

> Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

i don't think he does

It's so weird--there's the title ("does"), the chorus ("doesn't"), and then Nirvana changed the title to match the chorus.

odd, i've always known it as the latter

odder still, the lp i have doesn't even contain it:

https://www.discogs.com/master/318194-The-Vaselines-Dum-Dum

"wants me" was something we'd sing in school assemblies

https://www.discogs.com/master/85439-The-Vaselines-All-The-Stuff-And-More - 'doesn't'. but everywhere else is 'does'

On Returning (1977–1979) is by far the Wire album I've listened to the most.

The lp misses out a bunch of tracks to fit ("Mannequin" ???) but it's expensive now.

The two songs Nirvana covered, "Molly's Lips" and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam,"

Nirvana also covered Son Of A Gun