Stocka
10 Sep 2002, 10:08
How many people here buy "best of" compilations?
I've only ever bought a few - and generally buy them for the 'extra' unreleased tracks from bands that I really like, or find it as an easy option to get all those songs from a band that you kind of like, but don't want to buy their entire back catalogue.
However, more often than not, I tend to find the actual composition of such albums consists merely of singles, rather than what the band, or the fans would consider to be the "best of" from that band.
For instance, Smashing Pumpkins "best of" album last year (which I bought mainly because I love the band, and wanted to have as much of a complete set of their released material as possible - plus all those rare/unreleased tracks that came with it - so effectively forking out $30 for 2 or so average songs).
When I heard about the prospect of such an album, I thought it may actually have a degree of interest, as in to see which songs the band themselves may select as being their 'best' works (apart from saying that their style was more to write albums, than individual songs). Surprise, surprise. They decided to take the easy option of doing the default singles collection, with a few rare tracks to make it half interesting. :o
Although the band had some great singles, considering that their most popular songs (according to most fan polls, comments from the band, etc.) weren't singles (ie: Soma, Geek U.S.A Mayonaise - all of which happened to featured successively on 'Siamese Dream') and weren't included on the album, you'd have question whether or not the title of "best of" is appropriate at all.
While I realise that what one person may consider to be the 'best', might not be the same as another (and so you could call into question the objectivity of choosing such a compilation of songs), you'd have to think that at least bands could take a greater interest in trying to compile something which THEY THEMSELVES thought to be their best work - apart from just the default singles collection.
Ah, damn it. I'll just stick to buy the classic albums! :mad: ;)
I've only ever bought a few - and generally buy them for the 'extra' unreleased tracks from bands that I really like, or find it as an easy option to get all those songs from a band that you kind of like, but don't want to buy their entire back catalogue.
However, more often than not, I tend to find the actual composition of such albums consists merely of singles, rather than what the band, or the fans would consider to be the "best of" from that band.
For instance, Smashing Pumpkins "best of" album last year (which I bought mainly because I love the band, and wanted to have as much of a complete set of their released material as possible - plus all those rare/unreleased tracks that came with it - so effectively forking out $30 for 2 or so average songs).
When I heard about the prospect of such an album, I thought it may actually have a degree of interest, as in to see which songs the band themselves may select as being their 'best' works (apart from saying that their style was more to write albums, than individual songs). Surprise, surprise. They decided to take the easy option of doing the default singles collection, with a few rare tracks to make it half interesting. :o
Although the band had some great singles, considering that their most popular songs (according to most fan polls, comments from the band, etc.) weren't singles (ie: Soma, Geek U.S.A Mayonaise - all of which happened to featured successively on 'Siamese Dream') and weren't included on the album, you'd have question whether or not the title of "best of" is appropriate at all.
While I realise that what one person may consider to be the 'best', might not be the same as another (and so you could call into question the objectivity of choosing such a compilation of songs), you'd have to think that at least bands could take a greater interest in trying to compile something which THEY THEMSELVES thought to be their best work - apart from just the default singles collection.
Ah, damn it. I'll just stick to buy the classic albums! :mad: ;)