Members Mark L Posted October 15, 2010 Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 A good way to get a taste of what a band/artist/composer is about? Or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted October 15, 2010 Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 A "taste"? Yeah, sure. But obviously you're missing out on some of the cooler, less popular stuff. My folks had the two Beatles compilations (the red one and the blue one) around the house while I was growing up, and it was a good primer for me to go in deeper and discover the rest of the stuff later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted October 15, 2010 Moderators Share Posted October 15, 2010 Of course! I loved all the old Joe Walsh stuff but never got around to listening. Then I got Best of... and I always play it. Best of Dizzy swings. How about Best of Golden Earing. Do I really want their albums? Best of Focus? Same deal. Brenda Lee, PatsyCline, Hank Williams. Best ofs are great. It's like... the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted October 15, 2010 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 Best ofs are great. It's like... the best. That's sig material, that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted October 15, 2010 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 A "taste"? Yeah, sure. But obviously you're missing out on some of the cooler, less popular stuff. My folks had the two Beatles compilations (the red one and the blue one) around the house while I was growing up, and it was a good primer for me to go in deeper and discover the rest of the stuff later on. Those two double albums were my way into The Beatles as well. Damn fine albums, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted October 15, 2010 Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 Best ofs are great. It's like... the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted October 15, 2010 Moderators Share Posted October 15, 2010 dude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted October 15, 2010 Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 A good way to get a taste of what a band/artist/composer is about?Or not? I will get acquainted with an artist/band through "the best of..." but I always find those records are very limiting (shallow) after I dive into their records. The best of records all have mainstream in mind which is not always the best of... know what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted October 15, 2010 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 I will get acquainted with an artist/band through "the best of..." but I always find those records are very limiting (shallow) after I dive into their records. The best of records all have mainstream in mind which is not always the best of... know what I mean? Yeh, I know what you mean It's a question of which artists, having listened to their best-ofs, one then decides to invest in Rush cost me a bloody fortune! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted October 15, 2010 Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 Yeh, I know what you mean It's a question of which artists, having listened to their best-ofs, one then decides to invest in Rush cost me a bloody fortune! Yeah, theres a band in which one is better to have "the Best ofs..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted October 15, 2010 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 Yeah, theres a band in which one is better to have "the Best ofs..." Indeed! I'm looking at the careers of Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison at the moment *Checks bank balance* Best-ofs, methinks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flemtone Posted October 15, 2010 Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 I'm more inclined to get a 'Live' album (if available) to get a taste of a particular band. It accomplishes the 'best of' requirement and also lets me hear what the artist/group can do without studio embellishments. Of course, most 'live' albums are studio-embellished at some level, but I like to operate under the delusion that it's all real. Hey, I'm old - I like delusions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted October 15, 2010 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2010 I'm more inclined to get a 'Live' album (if available) to get a taste of a particular band. It accomplishes the 'best of' requirement and also lets me hear what the artist/group can do without studio embellishments. Of course, most 'live' albums are studio-embellished at some level, but I like to operate under the delusion that it's all real. Hey, I'm old - I like delusions! I was always a bit suspicious of live albums. Live music without the visuals struck me as peculiar, for some reason Thank Gawd for good old VHS video. Audio and visual together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cooterbrown Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 A "taste"? Yeah, sure. But obviously you're missing out on some of the cooler, less popular stuff.My folks had the two Beatles compilations (the red one and the blue one) around the house while I was growing up, and it was a good primer for me to go in deeper and discover the rest of the stuff later on. Ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 I will get acquainted with an artist/band through "the best of..." but I always find those records are very limiting (shallow) after I dive into their records. The best of records all have mainstream in mind which is not always the best of... know what I mean? Right, it's a good, quick way to get some kind of idea of what they might be about. That said, think of some of the ridiculously bad best of collections you've seen. An unsuspecting victim might totally cross off a really good band band based on some of those no-hit/no-good-song collections that float around purporting to be best of's. If you've got some reviews to check, that can mitigate the danger. (The beauty of carrying your smart phone with you to the record store. If, you know, you shop in the brick and mortar dimension.) But the real thing that normally keeps me from buying one from some band I don't know much about are just how chunky and un-fit-together most best of packages feel when you hear one from a band whose albums you know and love. Most of them just feel wrong. I remember how much I really hated listening to that first Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits record that came out with the first official release if the so-called basement tapes on them. As someone who had bought Great White Wonder (one of the most famous bootlegs ever) years before, I was anxious to get better recordings of those tapes -- and that part was okay (that said, I enjoyed the GWW album tremendously for years and barely listened to BD'sGH) but the studio album stuff was just an unlistenable jumble, jumping around in period and time and theme with no apparent rhyme or reason. (Bob must have sequenced the album himself. ) Anyhow, really, really hate that album and really, really love the sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 I'm more inclined to get a 'Live' album (if available) to get a taste of a particular band. It accomplishes the 'best of' requirement and also lets me hear what the artist/group can do without studio embellishments. Of course, most 'live' albums are studio-embellished at some level, but I like to operate under the delusion that it's all real. Hey, I'm old - I like delusions!I liked Neil Young live at UCLA (another famous old bootleg). I love that live recording they slip into one of the Linda Ronstadt studio albums... there's almost no sign that it's not another studio track until the end when the applause starts and you mutter, once again, "My God, no wonder that was a legendary backup crew." But, mostly, I don't have much use for most of the live albums I've heard. I do, however, like live videos a lot, as long as they're really live. (That said, the Seeds on American Bandstand -- with Sky Saxon growing increasingly distracted and bored looking and finally just not even bothering to mouth the words -- that was priceless. One of the best lip sync perfromances ever.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 So often we must start with BEST OFS. I got introduced to the partnership of Bacharach/David by purchasing the Dionne BEST OF Collection. But, gee--- you talk about "just scratching the surface"...! It started me on a lifelong journey of discovering the "hidden Bacharachs" (and there are many incredible gems to be found). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 Can be. I love The English Beat "What Is Beat" comp. Some of them can be really well done but have a nice flow to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 Indeed! I'm looking at the careers of Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison at the moment *Checks bank balance* Best-ofs, methinks... well....artists with really long careers, I dunno if Best Ofs are a good way to get an intro - especially with someone who is always on the move like Dylan. Maybe better for these types would be to get a couple of their most popular albums. I do buy a lot of Best Ofs for bands with maybe uneven output or shortish but interesting careers, or someone I like but not crazy about. For me that would bands like Supertramp or Del Amitri, or a singer like Wilson Pickett, or a jazzer like Cannonball Adderly, or a songwriter like Hank Williams. Also - the new breed of boxed sets and double-CD compilations are really great, often labors of love. A step up from the old format of 12-16 tracks to more like 24 or 36 or more. Like the big Star Time boxed set of James Brown - that's a GREAT compilation. With that many tracks you can really get familiar with someone's output. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 Probably the best "Best of" is the best of Buddy Holly. He didn't really get to record much music, so everything significant he ever did fits on two CDs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 well....artists with really long careers, I dunno if Best Ofs are a good way to get an intro - especially with someone who is always on the move like Dylan. Maybe better for these types would be to get a couple of their most popular albums. The Stones are a good example of that, they went through so many incarnations it was like different bands that just happened to share some members. But if I could have only one Stones album, it would be "Exile on Main Street." After that, "12 x 5" and then "Between the Buttons." I also like "Satanic Majesty's Request," but I think I'm only one of 15 people who do. Also - the new breed of boxed sets and double-CD compilations are really great, often labors of love. A step up from the old format of 12-16 tracks to more like 24 or 36 or more. Like the big Star Time boxed set of James Brown - that's a GREAT compilation. With that many tracks you can really get familiar with someone's output. +100000 on the James Brown set, I have it too. The 4-CD Motown one is also a real treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 Generally they work, but not for artists who do long songs, extended jams, suites etc. etc. For example there is a Grateful Dead Best of that shortens some of their extended songs-unclear on the concept (of the band). I agree that for many artists a live album can be the best place to start-live DVDs are even better. One trend I don't like-putting B-sides, rarities etc. on a Best of album. The casual listener won't want their lesser work and the serious fan will already have their hits on the original albums and is ripped off by having to pay for those songs again to hear the obscurities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 One trend I don't like-putting B-sides, rarities etc. on a Best of album. The casual listener won't want their lesser work and the serious fan will already have their hits on the original albums and is ripped off by having to pay for those songs again to hear the obscurities. There is a lot of "BestOf Abuse" out there, no mistake. Crappy remasters, compilations with glaring omissions, trotting out rarities that are rare for a reason, etc., even re-recordings and in some cases, cover bands masquerading as the originals. It's best to do things like read Amazon reviews (with a grain of salt), and get to know the companies that are generally reliable, like Rhino. Latest BestOf I snagged that has been a trip is "The History of the Dave Clark Five" - man, you couldn't find a copy of "Bits and Pieces" or "Glad All Over" to save your life for decades, then finally this....:) Talk about the old euphoria.... nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members michaelhigh Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 If you like hits. I like album tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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