Rob’s Minor Annoyance of the Week: Bands who have more “Best Of …” and “Greatest Hits” albums than studio albums

by Rob Lambert

The studio album as a great artistic piece of work is becoming rarer and rarer. There are good ones out there, but they are not the ones that sell and make the Billboard Hot 100. iTunes, music sharing, and manufactured artists are mostly to blame. And can you believe that Hilary Duff has a “greatest hits” album? ( according to the interesting article Best-of Albums Worst Choice for Some ).

Anyway, my annoyance this week is artists who have more greatest hits albums than actual studio albums. Take the Beach Boys. I love Pet Sounds. I love Smile. A few of their other songs are great. But do they have the right to have a bajilliion greatest hits albums? Look at this partial list of Beach Boys compilations:

I do realize that the artists are not usually to blame for this (the big record labels are). And it gets really weird if a band has been on more than one major label in their career. Like, look at Aerosmith’s various “greatest hits” collections as they traveled from Columbia to Geffen to Sony (essentially back to Columbia). Take a look at Jimi Hendrix’s discography. He put out the three great Experience studio records, the Band of Gypsies live record, and then you can count the Cry of Love posthumous record as a proper album. And then they put of a kajillion best of’s and collections.

Re-issue ! Re-package ! Re-package !
Re-evaluate the songs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra Track (and a tacky badge)

“Paint a Vulgar Picture”
from Strangeways, Here We Come

It’s funny that you can’t find “Paint a Vulgar Picture” on any of the following records:

I guess this doesn’t really bother me that much. That’s why I call this the minor annoyance of the week!

3 comments

1 mark { 08.27.07 at 3:44 pm }: I totally agree. Two points though: First, the Beach Boys 15 Big Ones/Love You is not a best of, it’s 2 original albums that were packaged together. Most if not all of the BB’s albums have been put on cd this way. Also, the one good thing about the Warmth of the Sun best of is that at least it concentrates on lesser known, and often better, songs. Too bad Capitol records didn’t work this hard when the Beach Boys were still a real band.
2 ~V { 09.16.07 at 7:34 pm }: Rob…wherefore art thou?

I miss your posts.

Since I never see you or lovely Mary, this is my lifeline to you.

Write. More. Soon.
Your public misses you.

xxooxo
3 Rob Lambert { 09.16.07 at 11:51 pm }: Hey ~V! I just opened up my browser to write something here and noticed your comment. Glad you read and miss my lack of writing … I’ll try to be better!