In Defense of Best Ofs...

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Compilations? For Old Folks and Little Girls? I Say Nay!
For the Defense:
I - Some borderline acts justify their existence with pithy singles but stuff their worthless albums with even more worthless filler. Comps allow you to skip the filler. (Examples: Bee Gees, Eagles, ABBA, Flock of Seagulls.)
II - Acts as a convenient placeholder until you have a complete set of the artists LPs. Especially useful for artists with elaborate discographies of hard to find and/or expensive discs. (Examples: Elvis Presley, All the great singles of Motown/Stax, Hank Williams Sr.)
III - Captures for posterity the crucial tracks of worthy artists whose catalogues have long since dropped out of print. (Read: all the old Blues or Folk masters)
IV - Modern Comps have bonus tracks and extra goodies.

For the Prosecution:
I - Sure, Comps are a fine starting point, but that where most of the "owns only 12 CDs" crowd stops. (Folks tend to buy "Legend" instead of "Natty Dread"; or "ChangesBowie" instead of "Ziggy Stardust".)
II - Some Comps have bad sequencing, lack crucial tracks or include useless ones. (Stings "Fields of Gold")
III - Most of the extra goodies on modern Comps are shite. ("Fame '90"? "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86"?!)

True or False, Fact or Fantasy, Classic or Dud, Discuss!

― Lord Custos, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I had finally managed to forget about "Fame '90".

― Sean, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Do they need defending? As I said on another thread, I don't trust anyone who buys less than three best-ofs per year.

― Tom, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I like best-ofs. On the other hand I like searching amongst so- called 'filler' better. As I've said here before you often learn more of what an artist is really *about* than with too-perfect best-ofs. For example Bowie, Blondie, Kinks, Abba.

*acts as a convenient placeholder until you have a complete set of the artist's LP's*

Complete sets of any artist's LPs = very, very boring. Incompleteness is more interesting.

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Good for dance parties!

― Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I like best of's! Last year I got the best of Abba, Buffalo Springfield (didn't like that one, see elsewhere), the Band, the Lovin' Spoonful, Megadeth, Lynard Skynard, Smashing Pumpkins and the Bangles.

I see comps as a starting point, so if I really like a comp all the way through I will start buying the bands albums. Or, they act as a reminder of bands I liked a few years back. Tomorrow, I think I shall get Best of the Beast by Iron Maiden. Plus, some best of comps, especially the ones on the Camden label are mega-cheap.

Fave best of's =
* Abba - Gold
* Europe - Greatest Hits
* Poison - Greatest Hits
* Carpenters - Singles 1974 - 78
* Smashing Pumpkins - Rotten Apples
* Beach Boys - Summer Dreams

― jel, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Five best-ofs I've purchased in the last 12 months:

Best Of Blondie
Fela Kuti - The Best Best
John Mellencamp - The Best That I Could Do
Jonathan Richman - The Beserkely Years
Donna Summer - On The Radio

Don't regret a one, but I'll probably be buying more Fela Kuti.

― Mark, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Bah. I hate Best Ofs. Though that doesn't stop me buying 'em occasionally (usual reason: 'hard to find back catologue'/recommended but slightly obscure artist = Best Ofs act as a taster (ie. try before you buy [albums proper]).)

― DavidM, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

i want that yes best of.

― ethan, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Pet peeve of comps -- They are frequently evenly split between the essential early years and the running-on-empty later years. "They left off A, B amd C to put on X, Y, and Z? Bastards!!!"

― nickn, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Ethan: yes are an ALBUMS band. This is IMPORTANT. Lord Custos: what cuts wd Fields of Gold need swapped, for what, to actually be a "best of"?

― mark s, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I prefer Singles Compilations to Best Ofs. PSB's Discography is an ace listen, as is XTC's Fossil Fuel.

― electric sound of jim, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I used to be embarrassed to buy best-of's, but now I think they are great, or can be. There are just too many artists who put out some good material, but not whole albums worth. Then there are other artists who I probably wouldn't bother to buy a best of by, because I already know I want a number of their albums. (Bob Marley, mentioned above, would be a good example.)

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

the rise of the LP needs to be addressed:

35 years ago the long player was not the preferred format of the music consumer. in the event that you're not a collector, "Best-Of"s are ideal for compiling the music of an artist from the mid-60s and earlier.

― http://gygax.pitas.com, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

i think "best ofs" can be good, for the obvious reasons (first approach to a band, etc). my main pet peeve is that, most of the time, "best ofs" are simply a band's greatest hits. *not* the best songs, but the most popular, succesful ones. might as well call all these albums "greatest hits". it's an obvious point, but i often wonder at how easy it is to make "best" and "succesful" mean the same.

personally i have purchased cheap "best of" compilations (small faces and go-betweens come to mind) to either get a first approach to the music or simply because i couldn't find any other release by the band. i suppose they are appealing, because it means one can have a band's best known songs one one album. i guess if one is a "casual" listener of a band, this is enough.

― cecilia, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

If you really, really love a band or performer, they do tend to be a little unsatisfying. I found this to be the case for Nick Drake, Go Betweens, Galaxie 500 and The Hummingbirds - some of my favourite tracks for each of them don't appear on their "best of" compilation.

― electric sound of jim, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

i agree. an artist's "best" songs are subjective and personal opinions, and a "best of" album surely can't please everyone.

― cecilia, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Nick Drake is the only act ever where I needed the individual albums to get into him instead of the best-of. The best of just sat on my shelf for years and years and then the individual albums were revelations. The odd thing is I don't disagree much with the track listing.

― Tom, Wednesday, 9 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

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