Greatest Hits packages

Greatest hits and best-of albums. Yea or Nay?

Post comments!

 

You betcha!!!! Since I go ape for garage bands and rockabilly one shots I crave those monster comps that AC UK and Bear put out (and maybe S&P someday soon...)

 

Oh yeah, with lotsa stereo mixes, too!!!!!!!!!

 

I was the one who voted for Steve's first CCR SACD to be "Chronicle."

 

I wish I could vote "yea" more than once!

I have greatest hits CDs for acts that never even had any greatest hits!

I'll buy a greatest hits CD for an act I never even heard of!

 

I used to avoid them like the plague. As I've gotten into vinyl, I've realized there are so many bands that I've never heard or have heard very little of, what better way to get a handle on their general sound than a greatest hits?

In fact, the 2 of the last 3 records I've listened to today were greatest hits or compilations. Playing right now -> The Choir - Choir Practice on Sundazed. But I guess they didn't have any albums so a greatest hits was the only choice.

 

So many of the albums in my collection (probably the majority) consist of greatest hits compilations and in so many cases, they go a long ways with me even with artists I consider myself to be a diehard fan of. When I go to concerts is when I show my support for those artists I like the music of but don't have any or I only have 1 CD, cassette, LP or whatever by.

 

Absolutely. Even with album-oriented artists, they can be good to fill in the gaps of your collection. Even better, if you're traveling and can take only so much music, compilations make good choices. For example, Biograph is what I take when I travel, and it saves me from buying Pat Garret & Billy The Kid among other things.

 

I'm OK with them. I prefer them to be consistent with personel and musical style though.

 

I have to tell you, I'm pleasantly surprised at the number of people who gave "yea" votes. It seems to be fashionable in certain circles to slam best-ofs and hits packages, but as others have said they are great for traveling and for introducing yourself to lesser-known artists.

Besides, there are some artists--particularly pop acts from the '50s and early '60s--whose "proper" albums consist of a couple good singles and lots of filler. For those acts, a well-done best-of may be all you really need or want.

Then, of course, you have the longer compilations and double-disc anthologies. Depending on the artist, those can have either too much music, or not enough, or be just right...

 

I avoid them whenever possible. Some are necessary for obvious reasons but I usually like to investigate an artist further than just their popular hits.

 

Yes, If I can't get an artists greatest hits or best of. I'll make my own.
I'm also a great fan of Original LPs on CD, especially the wonderful 2 for 1 CDs for example, the fine MFSL Ten Years After, Sssh/Cricklewood Green CD plus many others!

 

Sometimes I only like the hits of a particular artist.

 

I normally will not buy greatest hits CDs unless they are remastered by Steve! The only others that I consider are the ones that contain rare mixes and/or previously unreleased tracks.

 

Typically, the original albums are worth a lot of money while compilations go for a lot less, understandably.

Just bought a compilation of "The Master's Apprentices" for US$ 7.50. The original albums go for 50+. Of course it's not the same but I can live with that.

 

Although I own very few "Greatest Hits" packages, I voted in their support. However - back in the vinyl days I used to avoid them like the plague. They always sounded crappy to me, at least one generation away from the master, and it ususally sounded like many more.

Actually, the only greatest hits packages I own are Billy Joels double CD of earlier stuff, and To Kingdom Come from the Band. I guess I buy them to see if I want to delve deeper into their catalog. I took the challenge with the Band, and that greatest hits set remains as the only Bill Joel in my collection.

 

If we didn't have greatest hits/compilations then we wouldn't have Bob Marley - Legend and that would be a great loss (amongst others) so that will be a yea from me.

All the best - Andrew

 

I vote yea. Often I'll like one album by an artist, but not the whole catalogue. In that case, I'll get the cd I want and buy a greatest hits collection, which usually has any of the other songs thatI like.

 

greatest hits/best of cd's are a real good way to find out about an artist. many times after buying a greatest hits/best of cd i've found myself trying to get the artist's complete catalog.

renny

 

Yea. Lots of greatest hits. If you're including compilations of various artists, I have even more.
The more I like the group, the less likely I am to buy a best of as I'd rather listen to the albums.
Where there are only one or two songs I like from a particular artist, I'm really happy for compilations - Steve's Vintages series for example.

 

While a lot of country albums past and present have a couple of good singles and then the rest of the album being filler such as Kenny Rogers, Jimmy Dean, most modern country artists with very few exceptions (in the case of the former "The Gambler" is a great album to have and in the latter legend mentioned "Big Bad John and Other Fabulous Songs and Tales" is a great album to have) and then many of Johnny Cash's albums, Marty Robbins's albums, and some others work well together as albums. Many country artists do put out so many albums, it is hard to keep up with what you are missing.

 

I like burning my own...

...because most record companies/labels don't get the greatest hits collections right, either omitting something that should have been on there and/or putting on something that no one wants to hear (ex. live version of a major hit song). This is why I love 4- and 5-disc box sets and my cd burner: I have consolidated down to a single-disc version Steely Dan's Citizen box set, ELO's Flashback, and Jean-Luc Ponty's LeVoyage.

 

A qualified yes.

A greatest hits collection, no matter how well compiled, annotated and mastered, is no substitute to a comprehensive reissue of an artists's back catalog. But it can still be worthwhile, paticularly for an artist with many singles (or unique single mixes) that are not otherwise available on on album.

 

Oftentimes, all I want of a particular artist is a GH. I have all of Bob Marley's vinyl LP's, but the only CD is the newer "One Love" collection(which sounds great by the way). This is how I have figured into buying CD's-Greatest Hits or compilations(Steve's "Vintage Music" sets from the 80's were great-the first place I ever heard songs like "That Acapulco Gold" by the Rainy Daze(such a superb mix-you can hear the amps buzzing at the end!).