gotdamn wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2024 10:48 pm there's even some artists whose best album is a comp.

Especially true for singles artists during the early LP era. I don’t own any Dean Martin, but I’d like to, and I’m not likely to buy ten LPs to get ten different songs I want (plus gobs of filler).

But by and large, for individual artists, odds-and-ends comps are not crap, but best-of comps usually are, and tacking one new song to a collection is crap.

NC with wafles.

I'm more of the proper album aficionado.

If I want to delve into one band discography I try with one especific album. Because a "Best of" can be so subjective.

On the other hand is good to have all Breadwinner's recorded stuff in one cd. And a comp of a band b-sides is always a gooo idea. Many indie bands released some of their best stuff on 7"'s and it's cool to have all that on one disc.

Not crap. Some of them were game changers for me, particularly Let Them Eat Jellybeans and The Wailing Ultimate . These days, I mostly listen to comps to discover music from other parts of the world.

Dave N. wrote: Sat Jul 06, 2024 9:24 am These days, I mostly listen to comps to discover music from other parts of the world.

Yes! Comps are great for that.

Also, movie soundtracks, of course.

Iancee wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:22 pm my NZ friends just turned me onto some great punk aligned 70s comp which they and all their peers know inside out, but it never spread beyond NZ.

You talking about AK79? That was the first thing that came to mind.

A friend of mine also got heavily into the "Nuggets" compilation of 60s garage rock and psychedelia for a while. Compilations can be great as a curated introduction to a music scene you don't know much about.

Not Crap for all the reasons already articulated. At their best they’re a fuckin delicious buffet of flavours and textures you’ve never tried or even thought of trying before but end up loving.

I mean, like anything, they can really suck. And sometimes they're rather scattershot.

But a huge, resounding NC when done well.

Excellent snapshots of a time and place, just off the top of my head: No New York (NYC late-'70s no wave), Miners' Benefit (live late-'70s SF punk and post-punk), The Master Tape Vol. 1 (early-'80s Midwestern hardcore), Nothing Short of Total War (Blast First! Records sampler), The End of Music (As We Know It) (mid-'80s NYC noise rock), Speed Trials (NYC experimental and noise rock stuff + the Fall and hardcore-era Beastie Boys), NG (Japanese postpunk), New York Eye and Ear Control (early '90s NYC experimental stuff)...

https://www.discogs.com/release/498760- ... l-Artistry

What a delight this was. Turned me onto that magnificent Nightstick debut, and that bizarre stylistic pivot for Xysma.

Anthony Flack wrote: Sat Jul 06, 2024 3:52 pm

Iancee wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:22 pm my NZ friends just turned me onto some great punk aligned 70s comp which they and all their peers know inside out, but it never spread beyond NZ.

You talking about AK79? That was the first thing that came to mind.

Nope (but that’s a great comp!) - “it’s bigger than both of us” - double LP of post punk - early 80s, but not comped until 1988…lots to like…

https://www.discogs.com/master/8647-Var ... les-197982

80's Hardcore comps dominate this for me. NC. beyond the already mentioned...
[media]<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/alb ... rent=true/" seamless><a href=" Of The Union by Dischord Records</a></iframe>[/media]

and FLEX YOUR HEAD