OrthodoxEaster wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2024 7:36 pm I can't say I've paid attention to the Cure or New Order since my early teens, but Standing on a Beach and Substance were both far superior to whatever concurrent proper releases those postpunk dinosaurs were hawking at the time.

Yes. Especially the cassette version of Standing on a Beach, which was the only format that had the B-sides.

They don't always tell the whole story, but compilations are fine, if the band or artist has more than a half-dozen good tracks. Sometimes they're great.

In high school, I first heard the Buzzcocks via Operator's Manual. One of my favorite soul records, for over twenty years now, has been Grapevine Records' Northern Soul of New Orleans Vol. 1. I still keep it near the top of my iTunes queue to this day. A few weeks back I bought that new Margo Guryan thing from Numero, which I guess has everything. Jacques Dutronc's Completement Dutronc should be in every household, though it lacks "Je Suis Content." Best of the Vogue Years by Francoise Hardy has been another favorite, though it doesn't have the moodier later stuff. The Clean comps are great primers.

Sometimes I'll even burn my own compilation CDs of bands' stuff, cherry picking what I think are the best cuts.

Compilations are SUPER NC!

As everyone here mentioned, a great way to find out about some unknown bands. Also, a great way to pay respects if you're a "fellow" musician.

It's not a shameless promotion whatever, but my band of youth has been involved in two of these babies in the last decade. Some truly great bands are there, have no idea how we ended up on those.

UNSANE TRIBUTE

https://www.discogs.com/master/1236350- ... -To-Unsane

CHERUBS TRIBUTE

If we're talking fan made stuff, I don't think there's a better way to discover the wild world of Silkworm than the Weeks Since I Had A Good Fuck "comp" someone made on the old forum.

I've always meant to do the same with The Leaving Trains, who are a stunner of a band but with hit/miss albums.

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock

They're no substitute for proper albums, but sometimes if you want to get clobbered with a particular artist's brand of awesome...

I didn't know much about Supertramp or Bill Withers, but when someone played me their GH albums, turned out I knew every fucking song. The Essential Sly & the Family Stone is non-stop excellence. I wouldn't want my Beatles experience to be limited to the red and blue albums, but play them back to back and GODDAMN.

Box sets too: Elvis 75, Star Time...

NC.

Even The Very Best of John Coltrane: most of Giant Steps plus "My Favorite Things" and "Equinox." I could live with this being my only JC album. [runs away]

I really love that Fall comp called Hip Priest Kamerads. Maybe obsolete in this day and age but it’s how I met my best friend. Mutiny/Bad Seed must be one too? Both of those set me on a certain direction for life. That Clean comp as well. Not crap.

Ppl kind of reject one artist compilations, but I 100% rep the stuff that puts the EPs and singles and stuff in one place. Box sets are a whole other thing I am less interested in, but similar concept.

rsmurphy wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2024 12:05 pm Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock

+!

Kerble mentioned them before, but just to reiterate, because they are really that good, the American Soul Music comps put out by Mississippi Records under the Cairo Records sublabel are absolutely stellar, like the best soul DJ you can imagine made you a mixtape. They're great party records, great intent-listening records, have great liner notes, just altogether unfuckwithable. Volumes 1 and 2 are great places to start to see if you want to grab the rest, and are in-print right now.

NC, WF1 for shit like Eagles Greatest Hits records.

Thanks to my library, I checked out many compilations, like Left of the Dial (80's alternative), Cash From Chaos (70's british punk/new wave), No Thanks! (70's punk), and What It Is! (funky soul and rare cuts). Found lots of songs and artists on those to get excited about. And yes, the Clean comp too.

Since Greatest Hits albums have been mentioned, I thought I'd plug my favorite - The Dead Milkmen's Death Rides A Pale Cow. It's got basically everything you could want from them. Even the 'previously unreleased' tracks are choice.