Rabs Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 So what do you guys reckon on Best Of albums? I know there are some purists who would say that they arnt real albums as they don't represent a full concept as such... And I do think the order of songs on an album can be very important to give the right feel and leave you feeling a certain way at the end. I reckon that some stuff like Pink Floyd where their albums are proper concept albums need to be listened to as albums rather than individual songs because a theme runs through them.. And even Axis Bold as Love, man that album just builds and builds and ends up on such an amazing feeling even though some of the songs work as singles too (Little Wing), some of them I think would never work as singles, which I oddly think about the last song Bold as Love. But in saying all of that I love Led Zepps Remasters, which I think stands up as an album by itself, and for bands who maybe I only like some of their stuff, best of albums are great like maybe Bowie, The Police, Blonide etc etc.. Also I really like The Beatles red and blue best of albums and for that matter the Love album which I really enjoy. Mind you things today are obviously a bit different than they used to be... you can download single tracks and make your own best of albums easier than ever before with stuff like ITunes and Spotify. What do you reckon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Generally not a fan of the "Best of..." albums. Best according to whom? Perhaps they are a good introduction to a band, but I always work backwards into the catalog and find some gems. I'd rather make my own "best of" mixes (tapes in the old days - playlists now). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darling67 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I think "Best Of Albums" are ok. If someone knows a band's catalogue inside and out, and just wants a "token" album, they are fine. BUT.... These albums should not be used as "short-cuts" for "fans" of these bands. As we all know, there are hidden gems within any given album by a band, and to bypass them is tragic. Moreover, I've come across some "Best Of" albums that contain totally butchered versions of the original songs! Aerosmith's Greatest (the red cover with white logo) is a prime example of musical sacrilege. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Generally not a fan of the "Best of..." albums. Best according to whom? Perhaps they are a good introduction to a band, but I always work backwards into the catalog and find some gems. I'd rather make my own "best of" mixes (tapes in the old days - playlists now). Well this is the thing.. Remasters was produced by Jimmy Page so I think hes a good enough person to decide, and im sure he must have consulted the other guys. So maybe it just depends on who does them and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drog Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I don't care for "Best of" albums, always seemed like a money grab. I also don't care for 100 th episode t.v. shows either ( all just episode flash backs). Just a cheap cop out. Now, having said that... I do like different versions of the same songs ( acoustic, or added lyrics, different styles). But hey, I am just getting old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vangoghsear Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 ...I always work backwards into the catalog and find some gems... I owned a Best of Eagles because I wanted the song Hotel California. I later bought the album Hotel California and discovered the gem "Last Resort;" great song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I owned a Best of Eagles because I wanted the song Hotel California. I later bought the album Hotel California and discovered the gem "Last Resort;" great song. Great tune indeed Interestingly my first "Best of" album was The Eagles Greatest Hits. (But that was before Hotel California") Still going back to the original albums I discovered gems like "Train Leaves Here this Morning" and their cover of "Old '55" so it worked out for me as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 When The Best Of Albums first came out I wasn't liking them to much. But now it can be the only way of getting certain band's music on a CD . At least the more popular songs anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I have a lot of best of's. But they were gate way albums and lead me to doing further research into bands. Thats how I got into meatloaf and fleetwood mac for example Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I like 'em. They're perfect for taking on the road when space is limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Interestingly my first "Best of" album was The Eagles Greatest Hits. Yeah, but that was just another Eagles record you had to have! Mrs and I took our pictures on that corner in Winslow AZ last year. Interestingly, only Jackson Browne has visited Winslow, the Eagles have not. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingPongBob Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I try to stay away from them. Most albums from great artists have a flow that the compilations lack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Interestingly, only Jackson Browne has visited Winslow, the Eagles have not. I think I prefer his recording of the song actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Best according to whom? That pretty much sums it up for me. Many of my 'bests' never made those albums. I guess they are ok if you are only moderately interested in the artist and want to own a record of everything you know about them. Which is probably on the 'best of'. Otherwise,, I don't much care for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 probably redundant in this age of downloads, youtube etc, but... Generally I'm not into them as they lack context and you just end up having personal favourites among what could be a real mixture of styles and feel. I did buy some when I was young as a good way to quickly hear some of the bigger hits of bands who had been around a while that I just got into, without having to wait ages to save up or risk buying an album with the song you liked and not realising much of the rest of the album might be completely different. Even though its not specifically a 'best of', IMHO Led Zep's Celebration Day concert DVD is the best of the best ofs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Have you guys ever heard the Love album? Its an amazingly crafted album (I think).. Its The Beatles, but not quite as you know it :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darling67 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Have you guys ever heard the Love album? Its an amazingly crafted album (I think).. Its The Beatles, but not quite as you know it :) Yup! Saw the show, too. Amazinggggg..... I have to say, I bought the CD more of like a "souvenir". I don't think I've listened all the way through once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I'm OK with 'em... From radio listening you don't get any of the album concept anyway... My only problem is they always seem to leave 1 or two of the best off the "best of" albums... I think these days with the digital remastering etc. you bet a much better selection and I think reissued best series albums are pretty good at taking feedback into account and adding those missing best songs from the original "best of" albums and including them on CD's... (am I dating myself???) I'm still a little stuck in tradition and can't seem to wrap my head around only having albums in MP3 format. I seem to feel the need to have a "hard-copy" in CD form... Although for all my guitar play-along and backing track or recording work I only want MP3 at this point as I don't really have anywhere near enough recorded stuff to put together a full album on CD yet... In general I find "best of" albums just fine and it does give you a smattering of an artists "best" work, or at least the more popular work. And that's fine for casual listening enjoyment. I got no problem with 'em... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I like Best Of or Greatest Hits from some bands or artists that I really wasn't totally into, but just liked some of their songs. One example for me was the band Squeeze. I knew a few songs from radio or MTV but they weren't really "my style" of music. I ended up getting their "45s And Under" CD in the 90s and realized they had many great songs that I never knew. Their main "hits" or "best" songs or whatever you want to call them are good enough for me. As for certain other bands that I was really into, I probably had the original albums anyway, so I usually see no reason to buy the Greatest Hits. I don't get insulted that they put it out though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 What do I thin of "Best Of" albums. Depends on the artist, how much I like him/her/them, and how serious I am about their music. But what I really think about them is that they are a sign that the artist's recording career might be just about over. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I finally thought of a time when best of albums annoyed me. I have "the best air guitar album in the world...ever" which as terrible as you guys will probably think it is, actually got me into rock and guitars in the first place. The annoying part was when they released a best of the best and a best of the best of the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I kinda like the idea, if not always the concept. Notes Norton isn't entirely correct that this sort of album shows the end of an artist or band. I'd tend instead to suggest the end of a period in a career. Canadian singer/songwriter Ian Tyson is a perfect example. Actually, though, I have more of a tendency to do my own recording from recordings so I have material at my fingertips that I'm either working on or am trying to figure out how to work on - although usually it'll be kinda a genre batch. I did that with cassettes, then CDs - now I'm trying to figure how to have "playlists" that do what I want while holding the originals in a big messy file. <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I like them. Obscure bands where you recognize most of the songs to well known bands. The Stones' Hot Rocks is a mainstay of my collection. I don't want to hear some of the in-between. Midnight Rambler on that version cannot be topped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I think they have a place. I'd never heard of Richie Kotzen and I bought his 'Best of' album. Which led me to by some of his normal stuff, then the Winery Dogs. So, it worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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