Just heard a debate on R2 about Greatest Hit or Album - So thought I'd open it up here
In many ways I think it depends on the artist and how big a fan you are of them - The likes of Bowie, P Floyd, Beatles albums, to their fans are so credible in their own right - But say Madonna then for me it would be Greatest Hits only, with little/no interest in listening to additional material as far as I'm concerned - Probably say the same for Elvis, as he also did a lot of mediocre crap from the movies etc
As it happens I'm not a Bowie fan - I don't dislike him, but never got into all his material, so apart from Let's Dance (and many Bowie fans say this is his worse material) I don't own any album, other than Greatest Hits
Queens Greatest Hits has just hit 7 million sales - As far as this album goes then I'm in both camps - I like 2/3 of the early albums like Sheer Heart Attack and Night at the Opera - But as time went on I only followed the singles
Equally, if you are of a certain age and know little about a certain band, then the Greatest Hit can be the way into finding out more about that artists
If I look at my record/CD collection I have a mix of both - Sometimes I play say the Greatest Hit album as I can just have it on in the back ground ie if working or driving - But if I want to sit down, relax and listen and have time to go through various albums, then I'll do that as well
Equally I suppose a Greatest Hit means you can get into something straight away - Whilst an album might have to be played a bit to get into it - I had to recently play Eric Gales Crown about 5/6 times to start to like it - Now I love it
So for me I can go with either option
Comments
It very much depends on the type of artist, I think. If they're very much a Top 40 singles type of act - Steps or S Club 7 or any boy- or girl-band you care to mention - then there's probably not much reason to own anything other than a Greatest Hits.
If you're into rock music (using the term rock very broadly) it's much more albums-based. The hit singles, if there were any, are quite possibly the songs the fans like least. They might even be songs the band never wanted to record but the record label insisted they "needed a hit". No point buying a Greatest Hits in that case.
And I don't know if they discussed this, but there's a difference between a Greatest Hits and a Best Of - again depending on the type of artist. but you can have a very well compiled "best of" album which doesn't necessarily contain any "hits" at all.
Of course the line between "albums" and "singles" has become rather blurred nowadays, with most music being streamed, which maybe makes the whole debate slightly redundant.
Or a sense of humour.
Then there are other bands where I've got all the albums, or all the 'good ones' - and a few where I've got almost everything they've ever released, including having the greatest hits album as well as all the originals if it contains tracks not on any of the original ones. (eg Beatles Red and Blue albums, since some of their best songs are non-album singles.)
No, it's one of his best albums. Tonight was the really crap one. It's worth getting Best Of Bowie though, if you're even slightly interested - there's a good range right across his multiple reinventions.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I just meant exactly what I said - I was trying to think of a (relatively) recent "singles band" to use as an example, and I couldn't be arsed to try to think of a really good one (...some of the Steps singles are alright, to be honest).
Mr. Brown : 'Like a Virgin' is not about this sensitive girl who meets a nice fella. That's what "True Blue" is about, now, granted, no argument about that.
Mr. Orange : Which one is 'True Blue'?
Nice Guy Eddie : 'True Blue' was a big ass hit for Madonna. I don't even follow this Tops In Pops shit, and I've at least heard of "True Blue".
Mr. Orange : Look, a*sshole, I didn't say I ain't heard of it. All I asked was how does it go? Excuse me for not being the world's biggest Madonna fan.
Mr. Blonde : Personally, I can do without her.
Mr. Blue : I like her early stuff. You know, 'Lucky Star', 'Borderline' - but once she got into her 'Papa Don't Preach' phase, I don't know, I tuned out.
I have relaxed that stance a little in subsequent decades. But compilations don't loom large in my collection. I've got a few best-ofs by "my album bands", because they have previously-unreleased bonus tracks. A couple of compilations of late-70s pop/disco hits because those were my Top 40 years. Slade's greatest hits. The Beatles Red and Blue albums.
There are some really good Rhino Records compilations, well put together with nice little liner notes booklets. I've got a Ramones one, Albert King, Link Wray... probably some others I've forgotten. That's about it.
Again, in the car, whilst working, I might play the greatest hits as easy to listen to - But if I get in that serious sit down, relax and listen mode, then I'll pick one of their albums
I think that sometimes, with an album, you need a mediocre/poor track, in order to further emphasis how good another classic track is
I was never sure whether I admired them or liked the music...
and then one day - (much like suddenly getting a taste for coffee or alcohol) - it all made sense.
That Wayne Shorter sax solo on Dr. Wu - is for me one of the greatest solos in popular music of the 20th Century.
Period.
No bullsh*it. It's just freaking astonishing.
I even love the much despised Gaucho album - the title track is brilliant.
Special mention to The Pointer Sisters cover of Dirty Work - which does the unusual feat of taking a Steely Dan track and improving upon it. Superb.
"Light the candle, put the lock upon the door, you have sent the maid home early, like a thousand times before..."