I HATE COMPILATIONS

[Applerill]

I'll tell you why by example. A few months ago (on Superbowl Sunday, in fact; where they would play during halftime) I found a Who compilation for $6 at the used bookstore. I'd had thoughts of picking up Who's Next around then, and I thought I'd save some money by buying this beforehand.

WRONG.

Since I already had several of the tracks from the album (albeit in a hard-to-manage format) from the compilation, I still haven't had the urge to buy the whole thing. I considered buying simply the tracks I didn't have, but that wouldn't help; the individual songs would still cost more than the $11 for the whole album.

I was ticked off hardcore, and I promised then and there that I would NEVER buy another compilation album in my life (unless it's for B-sides or something).

What do you think of compilations?

[RFNAPLES]

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[badfaith]

I don't like them either.

A work is a work, whole and complete, that comes from a particular time and age, and fitting the particular circumstances that created it.

It's like someone listening to only the things you say that they like, an ignoring the rest, or even just all the bad things.

It doesn't tell the whole story, and you'll always be missing something.

[Mr. Shankly]

At one time, I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you, but compilations are still often necessary entities in one's music collection for a couple of reasons.

You mentioned The Who. If your favorite Who songs are Baba O' Reilly and Won't Get Fooled Again, then of course you're better off with Who's Next. But The Who released a lot of songs that were originally only available as singles. So, if you're looking for Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, I Can't Explain, Pictures of Lily, I'm a Boy, and Substitute, I hate to break it to you, you have to get a compilation. The same can be said of a lot of early Rolling Stones, Kinks, and Beatles songs (Jumping Jack Flash, See My Friends, and Day Tripper are not on albums that aren't compilations).

Before the album era and even during the album era, the single was king and this is why compilations are necessary entities in the CD and mp3 eras. Name me a stellar individual album by Hank Williams, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Sam Cooke, or Patsy Cline, for example that stands out to you as its own artistic entity.

The singles only phenomenon was not limited to the 50's and 60's as a lot of Smiths and Wedding Present songs in the 80's were only issued as singles originally, so both bands had compilations, one of which, Louder than Bombs by The Smiths, is in my top 50. In the mid 90's, Belle and Sebastian released a string of ep's and later three song singles. Don't you think it would be a better listening experience to compile these short bursts on one CD as they did later with Push Barman to Open Up Old Wounds?

Also, sometimes only some of an artist or band's work is held in high regard. Buffalo Tom is the epitome of this kind of band for me. That is, they were always kind of good, but never one of the all-time greats, and none of their albums really stood out for me aside from a smattering of tracks. Recently, I picked up a best of, and you know what? I like pretty much the whole thing.

So, although we celebrate the album as an art form here, compilations still have their place.

[mikeyskywalker]

I tend to stay away from compilations too. For the same reason as already mentioned too, good albums have this effect when listened to all the way through and to combine the songs with other songs just feels awkward.

[cartoken]

[40footwolf]

I generally think compilations can be a good thing for oldschool country and rock and roll, as well as punk. Most of these songs were released as singles and not really intended to be heard as a full album. A compilation gives more leeway in terms of how the listener constructs their listening experience when it comes to songs specifically designed to be heard as singles.
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I love all music. It makes you feel like living. Silence is death.

-John Cassavettes

[purple]

Listen to James Browns 20 All Time Greats or Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady or New Orders Substance 1987 and tell me compilations aren't great. Sure, you're missing part of the story, but who gives a fuck about the story; you're listening to dance and have fun, not recite the life of James Brown to people

[albummaster]

For some artists with huge discographies, it can be a bit daunting where to start. I think compilations give you a 'way in' and you can then investigate an artist further depending on how your listening went. I think music habits have changed and people don't have patience to listen through the filler tracks. Compilations fit the modern audience who just rip the best tracks into their MP3 libraries and who don't listen to an album as a cohesive whole any more.

[badfaith]