Best and Worst compilations
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
Forum Description: List all your favourites here
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=79345
Printed Date: August 03 2025 at 07:41
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Best and Worst compilations
Posted By: catfood03
Subject: Best and Worst compilations
Date Posted: June 28 2011 at 21:05
|
"Best of/ Greatest Hits/ Box Set" collections serve the purpose of presenting a handy introduction to newcomers of an artist's work (and to grab a bit of extra cash for the label!) For me, a good compilation piques interest in delving deeper into a discography, a bad one just leaves me scratching my head and wonder if its the best this artist can do. Two of my favorite compilations in my collection are Pink Floyd's Echoes and Can's Anthology. In both cases I think they really did a good overview of the band's output on just two discs. Purists will cry foul over some of the abbreviated versions, but in interest of an introduction I think they succeed. The former I purchased because of some missing key tracks I wanted to own, the latter because I never heard much from before and was just curious.   A bad "Best of/Greatest Hits" hasn't come to mind yet, but perhaps other members have ones they feel people should stay away from? ...and don't include "complete collections" (like Floyd's Oh By The Way) |
Replies:
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 29 2011 at 01:38
|
I've found a number of 2 cd anthologies extremely useful. My favourites: Be Bop Deluxe - The Air Age Anthology Gentle Giant - The Edge Of Twilight The Tubes - Going down the tubes Tangerine Dream - Dream Sequence Mike Oldfield - The Complete Mike Oldfield (covers his music up to 1985) ELP - The Atlantic Years |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: June 29 2011 at 01:44
| Probably my favourite compilation ever is Pink Floyd's Relics, which I rate ***** and find it beter than the first two studio albums. |
Posted By: TheOppenheimer
Date Posted: June 29 2011 at 02:10
|
Rush's "Chronicles" spans most of the band's styles, from the hard rock roots to the synth period. 4/5 ELP's "Come And See The Show: The Best Of Emerson, Lake And Palmer". A really poor compilation of just some well known tracks and a few live versions; insipid and empty. 2/5 Those are the ones I own regarding prog bands, but the non-prog ones do not get any better...  nice topic anyway... ------------- //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// A veces es cuestión de esperar, y tomarte en silencio. |
Posted By: thehallway
Date Posted: June 30 2011 at 14:46
|
Yeah, PF's 'Echoes' is the best compilation album around......... not only does it cover their entire career, but it does so evenly (and out of order, which makes things more fun!). Even once you own every Floyd album, you can enjoy this compilation because all of the tracks are segued together in classic Floyd style. It's almost like an album in it's own right, in that respect. I also like Led Zep's 'Mothership' and Supertramp's 'Retrospectacle'. ------------- http://www.thefreshfilmblog.com/" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: June 30 2011 at 15:06
| Everything and Nothing by David Sylvian is the best compilation I can think of. |
Posted By: Andy Webb
Date Posted: June 30 2011 at 15:09
|
Yes' In a Word is easily one of the most comprehensive compilations out there, covering their career from the late 60s to the early 2000s. 5 discs, 5 stars! ------------- http://ow.ly/8ymqg" rel="nofollow">  
|
Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: June 30 2011 at 15:17
THE perfect compilation IMO. Sums up the spotty first 3 Floyd albums perfectly ------------- I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't |
harmonium.ro wrote:Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: June 30 2011 at 15:46
|
Soft Machine Out-Bloody-Rageous (an anthology 1967 - 1973) is a fantasitic compilation.
------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 01:19
Chronicles is a great compilation although the clipped version of 2112 is a bit of a pain! There are far too many ELP compilations. The Atlantic Years as I mentioned before is easily their best although The Ultimate Collection does have an excellent bonus live disc and could also be recommended. Avoid all the others!
|
Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 10:19
|
A really terrible one is a compilation for Ayreon that takes a few songs from each rock opera... it's like ripping out random chapters in books to make a compilation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_%28album%29" rel="nofollow - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_%28album%29 |
Posted By: Stool Man
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 07:33
|
Pink Floyd's "Echoes" compilation is not perfect - for example their five albums preceding "Dark Side Of The Moon" are entirely ignored with the exception of two tracks from "Meddle" (one of which has had seven minutes cut from it).
"Out-Bloody-Rageous" is great ------------- rotten hound of the burnie crew |
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 17:56
|
Yesstory was how I got into Yes in the nineties.  What I had heard by them before was kind of hard for me to get into, but Yesstory has awesome songs on it, essential stuff. I'm not a big Yes fan otherwise. I borrowed this double cd from my brother and I loved listening to it (especially disc 1). At disc two they have put "Soon" from Gates of Delirium as a separate track. It's a fantastic part of Gates Of Delirium, and I think it's okay to put it separately like that. Disc 1 1 Survival 2 No opportunity necessary, no experience needed 3 Time and a word 4 Starship trooper 5 I've seen all good people 6 Roundabout 7 Heart of the sunrise 8 Close to the edge Disc 2 1 Ritual-nous sommes du soleil 2 Soon 3 Wonderous stories 4 Going for the one 5 Don't kill the whale 6 Does it really happen 7 Make it easy 8 Owner of a lonely heart 9 Rhythm of love 10 Changes ------------- http://www.lastfm.se/user/wilmon91" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 05 2011 at 00:54
| Carl Palmer has an excellent double CD compilation called 'Do You Wanna Play Carl?' which although obviously features a fair amount of ELP also includes choice cuts from other bands and projects he's been involved with such as Asia,Mike Oldfield,Atomic Rooster and one of his very early bands from the sixties when he was a budiing Keith Moon.The title comes from when he was at a Buddy Rich gig in the seventies and Rich invited him up to play with his orchestra. The banter is priceless and part of the joy of the performance . The peice they played 'Shawnee' is included in its entirety. |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: July 05 2011 at 05:12
|
These three are the best I own.
Pink Floyd's Relics
Porcupine Tree's Recordings
Mostly Autumn's Catch the Spirit ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 05 2011 at 07:12
|
The best that I own: Camel - Echoes ELP - The Atlantic Years Both are terrific |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: July 05 2011 at 07:23
| I'm not too keen on greatest hits style compilations (though they certainly have their uses), but I do love a well thought out Various Artists compilation. Andy Votel's "Prog is Not a Four Letter Word" has long been a favourite - a superb whirlwind tour of rare/obscure prog/psych. I've also really enjoyed the 2CD Krautrock/German Electronic compilation "Deutsche Elektronische Musik" on Soul Jazz records, which is well worth checking out, even if you're already pretty well-versed in those genres. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 05 2011 at 07:44
|
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 10:17
| Just a few notes here. PF's Echoes stitches songs from different eras together with no needed space between them. A little annoying. Camel's The Collection and A Compact Collection (both from 1985) are Snow Goose-heavy and sound very dull, having been released among the first wave of CD releases. Both cry out for a remastering. And Yes's Soon is too poorly edited at its beginning to be appreciated and included in a compiliation. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 15:41
I agree about Echoes. Pink Floyd represent about 3 different bands over 3 completely different eras. The problem is that there isn't enough material (high quality or otherwise) from the last era so its hidden in amongst the other two eras.
|
Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: July 10 2011 at 10:22
|
Anekdoten - Chapters
PF - Echoes
Spirogyra - Burn the Bridges
|
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 12 2011 at 18:36
|
Tull's Living in the Past, released in 1972. A compilation of B-sides, cast-offs and EP tracks from the first four years of the band's existence (1968-72). What's remarkable is that this double album hodgepodge of various songs that didn't fit on any of the first Tull albums (alright, there are a four songs pulled from This Was, Stand Up, Benefit and Aqualung) is better than most traditional studio recordings from other bands. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: prog4evr
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 00:10
Good observation. Some songs on that double-album, however, such as the title-cut for Aqualung, was a radio-edit, which is always a crying shame....
|
Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 00:16
|
I'm not much into comps, but I know which is the worst: The budget comps you get at some random convenience store for three bucks and have only ten songs on there. ------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |