Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Which groups do you like enough for having a greatest hits collection by them but not enough for having a quite complete discography?



The Animals. They had several hits that I really like, but I still find several fillers in this 20 songs compilation, so I can imagine how the original albums would be.



The Beach Boys. This is actually an exception because I do have Pet Sounds, which I acknowledge as a true masterpiece. However, the only other Beach Boys record I have is this pretty complete collection with 30 songs, including almost every Top 40 hit the band had. I know that as a 60's fan I should look for more Beach Boys records in the future, but for the moment I'm glad with this.



Cream. I'm so glad with The Very Best Of Cream. I'm glad, I'm glad, I'm glad. 20 songs from their 4 albums, especially the first 3 very well represented; I couldn't imagine a more complete collection. I think that only a die hard fan who needs things like "Toad" would want more than this.



The Hollies. With this I have their 18 most important A-sides from the 60's. A very enjoyable band, but it's enough sugar for me (if I take more it may cause me a diabetic reaction).



Simon & Garfunkel. I have this famous greatest hits album released in 1972. When I listen to it I wonder why I don't have more records by the duo, but it still gives me a good image of how great they were.

[Joost]

Believe me, the Beach Boys' greatest hits are extremely unrepresentative for their discography. Thing is, they made brilliant music roughly from 1963 until 1973, but they were only commercially successful until 1966/1967. I could give you a list of obscure Beach Boys songs that would make, in my opinion, a better compilation than any greatest hits disc.

[Ovi]

(Sorry about being off-topic)

Hey, Joost, what do you think of the song "Vegetables" by Beach Boys off of "Smiley Smile" ?

[nimrod]

Hmmm..off the top of my head I say Toto, Hollies, Small Faces, Kinks, Beach Boys, Rod Stewart, Roxy Music, Abba, Mersybeats, Searchers

[Joost]

(Sorry about being off-topic)

Hey, Joost, what do you think of the song "Vegetables" by Beach Boys off of "Smiley Smile" ?

It's never been one of my personal favorites, but it's enjoyable enough. It's weird, it's funny, it's catchy, and for what it is, it works.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Believe me, the Beach Boys' greatest hits are extremely unrepresentative for their discography. Thing is, they made brilliant music roughly from 1963 until 1973, but they were only commercially successful until 1966/1967. I could give you a list of obscure Beach Boys songs that would make, in my opinion, a better compilation than any greatest hits disc.

I believe you. I know that I should listen to more Beach Boys records. I guess that after Pet Sounds I should listen to Today. What do you recommend?

About "Vegetables", I've read that it featured Paul McCartney on vegetables (literally). Is that true?

[Joost]

Today is one of their best albums, but it's still from their hit years. It's basically The Beach Boys the way you already know them. Personally I found their 1967-1973 albums much more surprising. They were trying new things and new directions and being more creative than ever. The Beach Boys' albums are available as so called "2fers", which are relatively cheap CDs with two full albums (and in most cases a few bonus tracks) each, expecially Sunflower + Surf's Up and Friends + 20/20 are highly recommended.

Paul was present at the 'Vegetables' sessions and apparently he indeed was one of the people rhytmically chewing on raw vegetables. But that was on the original 'Smile' version, while the 'Smiley Smile' version is a partial re-recording.

[Mr Mustard]

I could readily make do with just a Beach Boys Greatest Hits but I really must listen again to Pet Sounds which I do own... although I always feel it is a very overpraised album (yes, I know it was hugely influential - not least upon Paul McCartney). Apart from "God Only Knows" which I regard as one of the most perfectly crafted masterpieces in the history of rock & pop, nothing much else on there really grabs me. But I'm going to give it another go for sure.

In the mid 70s I had an unusual compilation album of theirs called "Spirit Of America" and I absolutely loved it. It had a mixture of interesting tracks, many of them very, very good (I became obsessed with the brilliant "Break Away") but included a pretty awful rendition of The Beatles' song "Tell Me Why".

I wouldn't mind exploring some of their later work, although I really enjoy their early surfing sound I'm well aware there was a great deal more to them than that.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Sunflower + Surf's Up and Friends + 20/20 are highly recommended.

I've just heard a couple of hits from 20/20 ("I Can Hear Music" and "Do It Again"), they certainly sound different. Soon or later I will hear those records.

[Joost]

Mr. Mustard and Hombre de Ningun Lugar:
I want to respond to your comments, but I felt it would be inappropriate to take over this topic and turn it into a Beach Boys topic... So please check the Beach Boys topic for my replies and let's continue the conversation over there, if you want to.

[nimrod]

The Crowded House best off is a good one..

[Joost]

The Crowded House best off is a good one..

I agree. That's a very enjoyable CD and yet I never felt the urge to check out their regular albums.

[nimrod]

I agree. That's a very enjoyable CD and yet I never felt the urge to check out their regular albums.

The latest one is good...Time On earth.

[tkitna]

Sunflower + Surf's Up and Friends + 20/20 are highly recommended.

Absolutly

As for a Greatest hits only album. Phew, I dont really know. Its been my experience that I usually like the proper albums better once I listen to them, but i'll try to make an honest stab here.

First one that came to mind.

[Bobber]

I got a Deep Purple best of and that's about the maximum I can handle.

[Johnny Moondog]

I like this topic! I have some artists I am more than happy owning just the greatest hits of:

Abba
Simon and Garfunkel
The Kinks
The Jam
Stevie Wonder
Boney M...yes you did read right!

Many more that I'm sure I could add.

[Mairi]

I used to be a big Ramones fan but these days I find I'm satisfied with a compilation. The same goes for The Supremes.

Generally though, I abhor "Greatest Hits" collections as I find them to be too commercial and not necessarily representative of an artists' best work.

[blmeanie]

these are some I have bought over the years without digging deeper, there are others I own that I have "real" albums too like the Who

[Ovi]

Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Ray Charles for me.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

The Kinks

Kinks

I guess that I feel like Joost with the Beach Boys when it's about the Kinks. A greatest hits collection is not enough to see the genius of Ray Davies. Face To Face, Something Else, The Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur, Lola and even Muswell Hillbillies are all great classic albums. Maybe none of them is the greatest masterpiece, but they are all very consistent, well written and fun!