The most annoying "Best of", "Greatest Hits" Compilations (key hits missing, live tracks, etc.)*

WRT to volume 1 and no volume 2 -- maybe they envisioned that there would be a volume 2 someday in the future, and (obviously) they were wrong.

WRT greatest hits coming out, and then band breaking up after one more release -- keep in mind that many times when a band changes labels, the old label releases a greatest hits to cover the time at that label only. Then they don't last long at the new label. Makes you wonder if the old label suspected something.

 

Disc 1 (To me) was flawless. "Play With Fire" needed to be there though. Disc 2 irritates me. Too many bad tracks. Not enough good 70's material.

This could've been a great set.

 

THIS!! They could've shortened "Grapevine" and put it in. Chronicles Vol.2 is even worse. No "Ramble Tamble", or "Keep on Chooglin' ". If they added those 2 tracks, Vol 2 could've been great.

 

40 tracks (or maybe more accurately, 160 minutes which would be 2 full CDs) is a little skimpy for those 40 years (or even just the first 20 years).

 

Agreed, The sound is almost always an improvement on these though.

 

I have just about every KISS comp there is. The best of these for a casual fan who only wants the hits is, in my opinion, Icon 2.

 

In countries where Warner owned the whole catalogue, Time Capsule featured 9 tracks from the Ricky era, whereas in countries where Island owned that part of the catalogue, Warner had to license the rights to them and could only afford 4, replacing one, Quiche Lorraine, with a live version from PETA's Tame Yourself compilation, and adding Meet The Flintstones in to make up the shorter running time (it was a significant hit in Europe).This still left it at 15 tracks instead of the US's 18. I am not sure why they didn't also add the other three singles from Good Stuff, though I suspect they felt it would affect sales of the album.

 

The beat of radiohead is a joke...impossible to sum up their work in this format

 

The Cheap Trick GH album with that stupid live version of "I Can't Take It". It might not have been their biggest hit but I happen to love it. But not live. No reason for that song to be live.

 

I hate any collection that replaces any hit song with a live version.

 

that was the bands choice

 

The original Chronicle II did include “Keep On Chooglin’”

 

I know but it doesn't make it any less annoying.

 

All of those tracks got a lot of play on FM "album rock" stations back in the day, though. Those stations didn't care if something was a single. They played tracks they liked, tracks they thought were interesting, tracks they felt should have been marketed as singles, etc.

 

Hits collection being renamed to something else like gold or essentials and are either clones of another collection or re-remastered with even worst sound .

 

Just checked to see if anyone had commented on the Dead in this thread.

They're a relatively rare case where compilation albums are kind of a ridiculous idea. First, they've only plausibly had three hits (meaning songs that actually got enough radio play that your average non-Deadhead would know them)--"Truckin'", "Casey Jones" and "Touch of Grey". Then there's the fact that there's no reasonable way to try to sum up anything about the band in a compilation that would only be a single or double album. That includes the fact that each studio album is relatively unique stylistically, and each really makes the most sense in the context of that album (as well as chronologically and in the context of the live and other material (solo albums, etc ) happening at the same time). And it's also of course exacerbated by the fact that the heart of the band is the live experience, and an important part of that is the differing versions of tunes, with many of the most legendary being of epic length, and with live combinations of tunes done essentially as suites often being important . . . so that just one of them, just one epic live suite, will fill up a big chunk of a disc.

And who is going to buy a Dead compilation? There weren't enough hits that people who are mainstream/commercial-oriented radio fans are looking for a Dead compilation. People interested in the band and understandably overwhelmed by their output would be interested in one, but because of the problems in putting together a Dead compilation, they're more of a disservice, they're more misleading than useful, and Dead fans will usually tell the interested as much.

Dead compilations are probably mostly bought (a) "randomly," by someone who heard of the Dead but who don't know much about them, and that's the album they found, or they don't yet realize that Dead comps are basically oxymoronic, (b) by fans looking to try to gently turn friends, family members etc. on to the Dead (even though even they themselves advised "Don't Ease Me In" ), and (c) by those of us who are both Deadheads and OCDish completists.

What are Dead compilations missing? The whole gist of the band.

That makes it more difficult to turn the uninitiated on to the band, but there's nothing we can do about it. You want a Dead compilation? Pick up All the Years Combine.

 

well the recent 2 cd best of from 2015 and then 2 cd live best of coming out soon imo sum up the dead perfectly for casual fans if they were to purchase both. I even feel the 2 cd best of from 2015 adds in some off the wall choices and misses out on some singles/well known tunes . there are more than 3 songs that get played on the radio here where I live though.
"truckin", "uncle johns band", "casey jones", "touch of grey", "ripple", and I believe "friend of the devil". also "foolish heart" was pretty popular back in the day.


whats crazy is both the studio and live best of are missing "Alabama getaway" and dire wolf"

 

Byrds Greatest Hits Vol 2 is so badly programmed it’s almost deliberate. I also have a beat of the 1910 Fruitgum Co which doesn’t have 123 Red Litht on it.

 

Any greatest hits / best of where you get all the key tracks but for some reason you are given some in only new mixes or different versions - New Order's Best Of springs to mind but there are others. Makes this dog want to eat his own vomit (again).

 

The Best Of New Order is an odd compilation. I bought the UK version that came out 6 months before the US edition was released. I believe it was more of a label generated thing, and London was trying to get some mileage from the Factory material. But the track selections on both editions are strange. I wonder why they didn't try to make a second Substance compilation instead of this and "The Rest Of".

 

Sure it may have been mentioned but Let It Roll by George Harrison is a bit annoying in that it features live versions of Beatle songs thus leaving off genuine solo studio tracks ....don't see any McCartney or Lennon compilations doing that. I don't like live tracks on best of complilations generally

 

For me, Icon 2 + Double Platinum is all the KISS I need, although I might pick up Alive! one of these days.

 

the newer one didn't do that much better. left off hits for random tracks

 

I love Beach Boys Greatest hits vol 3 on vinyl but why in God's name did they have to put that terrible live song 'Long Tall Texan' in there. One of the worst things I have ever heard....I can't get to the needle quick enough sometimes