I’d take the more concise African Herbsman over that, or one of the Wailers Studio One compilations personally.
It’s not even as if the tracks on Legend are bad - far from it. But as this rather long diatribe argues (see 4th post - I really should reboot this thread) the whole concept of Legend is one that irritates the hell outta me...
Makes sense. I suppose people hate Paul Simon's Graceland for similar reasons.
I like both records for the music.
RE: one love
there are plenty of artists, especially from earlier eras, who rewrite their music into better versions. I personally find the ska version less appealing. I feel the vocal melody is absolutely beautiful and suspends much better over the Legend version. Musically it's simply better imo. That youtube album in general was nice though.
Your arguments of authenticity, both from the hosers that think that Legend is the most authentic reggae music (although I don't think I really have heard anyone make that argument) and from the music industry perspective, however, are spot on and is likely true of so many artists pimped by their record company. And thank you for not making the Bob Marley was an album maker argument... his studio albums were likely just as pimped by all the record companies, and not just Island. But that's just a guess. I never could follow the logic of that argument. Exodus is better because it's not a comp because the artist actually hand picked the song list... yeah... I have a hard time believing that to be true for Exodus (but I'd give it a 15% chance of being legit).
I am curious about your "muscle shoals" musicians... was that just a jab or was that a real thing? I've heard a majority of the albums Legend comes from... I don't remember different recordings being used - perhaps a slight different mix... perhaps it's been too long for me to remember for sure since I've listened to it last. According to the Wikipedia page (which I'll trust 70%) it doesn't seem to claim as such, rather that they are recordings from the albums themselves, but were remixed? IDK just asking since you clearly have a wealth of knowledge in this area and I know nothing.
Put whatever you want in your chart. If it bothers you that people put compilations on their charts, then you're doing it wrong. And if you lower a rating on a chart or leave a bad comment on a chart because of compilations...you're doing it wrong. And if you let people tell you what you can and cannot put in your chart, then, you know.
I don't care if you have an overall chart with 100 compilations. It's YOUR chart. Not anyone else's. And really, what other people think of your chart should be the least important thing about what you decide to put in it.
Actually...I'd love to see chart ratings gone. Period. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
Actually...I'd love to see chart ratings gone. Period.
I had quite some thoughts about rating charts in the past but it has come down to some few topics. I like to rate charts, and as the post above I don't really give bad ratings to charts. I feel like a good description to albums, or things that please my musical taste and get me intrigued are interesting, and they should be noteworthy of my five stars for example, even if we had only comments I feel like it's something pleasurable to mensurate objectively your thoughts about one's list
Now this has some issue in trying to quantify someone's else love for determinate albums. I mean, tap's chart is very esoteric and contain some interesting notes and has a higher rating than some chart with lot of tp 100 records, but who would say his chart is more noteworthy of a 100 than this other's man? It's a very personal thing, that's why I mostly like to give good ratings for charts that please me in such a way that It should be noteworthy of that rating I'm giving to it.
Coming back to the topic tho, you're right about compilations. It's his/her chart and they can do whatever they want, do not mind if people like or dislike compilations, or operas or even nature sounds. We are not suposed to hide into things people might like so we can get good scores and shit.
To echo everyone else, its your chart do what you want.
That said, I think a great deal of compilations breeze over a lot of qualities that we should judge a work of art by. I think the best albums demonstrate a time, a place and a mindset of an artist or a band.
I remember a while back I used to say it would be like stitching all the best scenes from Hitchcock films and saying it was one of the best film ever made. Obviously most albums aren't so rooted in a strict narrative, and obviously most albums are a series of self contained tracks, so it's a bad analogy, but there's probably a point in there somewhere idk
The best compilations don't try and fit all the 'best' songs togther, but find some kind of common thread or theme and actually curate something interesting from what exists.
If that's elitist, well, at least I live by a code, I guess.
As others have said, some genres you're pretty much forced to listen to compilations, and there's a great deal of artists - like J Elec - who have a decent body of work but never committed it to a polished release.
It's case by case. I mean, my all time #1 is a compilation, so what does that say about me.
Personally I don't think it's cheating at all, especially considering some genres are more orientated towards singles than albums and therefore compys are in some cases the only way you'll hear an artist's work in an album format (that Lancelot Layne compy Gabe mentioned springs to mind, as does early Kleenex).
I do however feel that anyone who has Legend in their overall chart needs a quarter pound ishen stuffed right up their fudge tunnel.
Guess what Jimmy??!
I have Legend in my top 100.
I used to have Exodus (I know, another obvious choice). But both albums have many good tracks. I could put Catch a Fire or Live! but I wouldn't be being honest about my favourite Bob album.
Preferably I'd like to keep whatever "ishen" is away from my fudge tunnel as a consequence LOL!! Doesn't sound too appealing. But if you can think of a more palatable penance I will gladly consider it. I'll wear a hairshirt or something. For having Legend in my top 100, along with many other various canon fodder albums. I know I have sinned as Bill Clinton once said. Crimes against Hipster-ism LOL!
(Forgive me man! I'm still just learning about good music!!!!)
Personally I don't think it's cheating at all, especially considering some genres are more orientated towards singles than albums and therefore compys are in some cases the only way you'll hear an artist's work in an album format (that Lancelot Layne compy Gabe mentioned springs to mind, as does early Kleenex).
I do however feel that anyone who has Legend in their overall chart needs a quarter pound ishen stuffed right up their fudge tunnel.
Guess what Jimmy??!
I have Legend in my top 100.
I used to have Exodus (I know, another obvious choice). But both albums have many good tracks. I could put Catch a Fire or Live! but I wouldn't be being honest about my favourite Bob album.
Preferably I'd like to keep whatever "ishen" is away from my fudge tunnel as a consequence LOL!! Doesn't sound too appealing. But if you can think of a more palatable penance I will gladly consider it. I'll wear a hairshirt or something. For having Legend in my top 100, along with many other various canon fodder albums. I know I have sinned as Bill Clinton once said. Crimes against Hipster-ism LOL!
(Forgive me man! I'm still just learning about good music!!!!)
Good for you. Again...don't let anyone ever tell you that having any album as any kind of a favorite is wrong.
No forgiveness necessary. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
I have listened to albums by all of these artists except Sheep On Drugs and James Brown (I know I should be shot lol but he makes great comps, although I do own his Christmas album, he prob has a few. I must get round to hearing studio albums by JB and his famous live albums. Although I do know one live one - Live At The Apollo.)
Ella Fitzgerald has some fabulous albums like her songbooks and work with Louis Armstrong as many know. But I prefer a compilation. Still she has done so many good songs you'd need several albums full to really do her justice
Get Stoned sums up just some of the greatest songs of the Stones but obvs they have made some very fine studio albums. I also have Let It Bleed in my top 100. I like their singles and their studio albums But I agree with what Bobby said, sometimes it's a question of room on your chart. I could easily have 5 or 6 Stones albums in there.
Ramones Mania is a great comp and collects many of their best songs together. Its also the album which introduced the band to me back in '91. So it has big nostalgia points. My fav studio album of theirs would be Ramones or Rocket To Russia.
Finally I am a big fan of this Elton John album. He has made some fine studio albums. But it's like Seth says about Bob Marley - individual albums are good by Elton John (and Bob) but this particular Greatest Hits collection is the bomb!
As soon as I have finished listening to a Top 100 Albums of the 90's from an old Q magazine I am going to listen to your Call It Reggae If You Must chart. I looked through it last year. Looks good man.
I am familiar with a little bit of reggae. All of Bob's famous studio albums from Catch A Fire plus Live!
I know Toots and the Maytals' Greatest Hits. Pressure Drop is one of my fav songs of all time. Classic.
I love the soundtrack to The Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff and Various artists.
And I love the album Heart of the Congos by The Congos, your no 1 pick on your chart mentioned. I discovered that great album from the first Rolling Stone's Top 500 albums list. Its a corker.
I also love the album Night Nurse by Gregory Isaacs.
And I love the few tracks I have heard by Yellowman and Sister Nancy and Desmond Dekker.
I remember the famous Lenny Henry sketch where he sang " My ears-are-alight!!!!"
Anyway I love working my way through a good albums chart list. I already listened to the Top 500 BEA albums - the Overall Chart. I am a bit OCD LoL!!
But I like making new discoveries.
I will let you know when I start listening to it. Maybe a while yet. A few weeks or so. But I will do it. I love Jamaican music so I might as well get a bit educated about it.
If you know any good compilations let me know. Hit me up - PM me, man. But you might have some comps on your Reggae chart, I can't remember.
"Cheating" is an ugly term. I try to avoid compilations and best-ofs if possible, because they seem to me to be releases by the label, and not the artist. However, if a compilation consists of material not available on albums, then I find that a lot more reasonable to include on a chart. However, this is purely an aesthetic preference on my part.
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