I wouldn't say so but shit I'm still gonna include them, especially in cases (Billie Holiday, Hank Williams) where their best isn't on any proper albums.
Even for artists working during the album age, if I love their music but don't think they have any albums as good as their comps (Joy Division) then yeah I'll use a comp.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Compilations are generally put together by some stooge in a record company office, often without input from (or sometimes permission from) the artist. It's a taster...a sampler.
If an artist can only manage, say, one good song per shit album, I don't think putting those good songs together makes an album in the pure sense.
When RS released their 500 Greatest Albums some years back (they've probably re-done it since), they included compilations. From memory, Bob Marley's 'Legend' was in the top 10 or 20. For me, it stuck out like dog balls as not belonging. Apart from the fact it's a 'best of', the man himself had exactly zero input into it (apart from recording the songs, obviously). Sure, as far as compilations go, it's bloody good, but it's not an album as such.
In saying that, I included Kylie's 'Abbey Road Sessions' in a list about half an hour ago. Despite the fact it's all re-recordings, it makes me a hypocrite...but I can live with that.
While I see where this mindset is coming from and actually mostly agree with it...
I have to say... if you don't realize that many artists DON'T have control over what goes on their albums, the album order, or even what their singles are, you are missing part of the picture.
I'm NOT saying all artists are this way. But I remember a friend of mine saying he watched a documentary about John Mayer and his song Daughters and how it wasn't even his choice to release that as his single, but that he was more or less convinced to do so...
Independent artists, well, that's obvious.
And then there's these GREAT collections:
I'd rather listen to this than any album pre-1968 album... but has MANY pre-1968 gems.
Even if there are a few new tracks on a greatest hits compilation, it's still essentially equivalent to an iTunes playlist burned on a CD (or vinyl, if you prefer).
I mean with Robert Johnson the rule doesn't really apply because compilations are the only way in which his work can possibly be presented.
Plus they contain either all or most of his output, so they're more Collected Works than Best Of, really. _________________ Always shouts out something obscene
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Plus they contain either all or most of his output, so they're more Collected Works than Best Of, really.
Really good points. Some of those best of collections were released as best of and then turn into collected works (like the billie holiday album I posted, if you look at it on Spotify, it has like 3x the songs on it now).
I will also like to say that not every artist has albums worth listening to... but they have GREAT songs. For those types of artists, I'd prefer the best of collection. Even though I've come to really enjoy listening to Exile on Main St. and Some Girls... sometimes I'd prefer listening to Hot Rocks over both of those albums any day. And definitely more than any other Rolling Stones album. They just aren't GREAT album makers... they are GREAT songwriters though.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Learned something new about The Smiths from another BEA user.
I was curious about their large amounts of compilations (they have like 2x the compilations than albums).
For The Smith's, I guess there are about 3 compilations that are basically on par with a regular studio album release. You can't find certain songs anywhere else.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
I'm listening to No Code by Pearl Jam right now and hearing these songs as studio album songs for the first time.
I listened to about half of this album on this live record and it was so much better... as a matter of fact, I think I like this live record better than any Pearl Jam album, which is saying a lot because not only does Pearl Jam have great albums (Ten and Vs. are probably my favorite)... yet this live album includes a lot of stuff across all of their albums and is AMAZING imo.
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