With Christmas shopping upon us, it can be hard to know what books, CDs, DVDs and other such nonsense are worth your while bothering with. And seeing as TV’s in a bit of a lull at the moment with all the new stuff being held back until Christmas/New Year, for the next few days I’m going to be rounding up the best and the worst of this year’s offerings in terms of Greatest Hits albums, DVD boxsets, books, and “other”.
Today we’re beginning with Greatest Hits albums – which are actually essential, and which are a shameless old cash in that avoid all the best bits?
Madonna: Celebration
Number of editions/tracks: Two editions, 1 CD (18 tracks), 2 CDs (36 tracks). DVD also available with 47 videos.
Previous Greatest Hits form: The Immaculate Collection (1990), which featured some of her 80s and very early 90s hits (but also ommitted several), GHV2 (2001), which was essentially the good singles from Ray of Light plus a load of her least loved hits from the 90s. There’s a reason this CD has been selling for about three quid since it came out. Something to Remember (1995): her best ballad hits.
Notable omissions: Considering she’s had over 70 singles, quite a lot! Most notable is the lack of ballads. Other big hits missing include True Blue, American Pie and Me Against the Music.
Bonus tracks: Celebration, which is OK if a little nondescript and Revolver, with Lil Wayne, which is rubbish.
Download this: Into the Groove, La Isla Bonita, Papa Don’t Preach.
Avoid this: Revolver, Die Another Day, Hollywood.
Overall verdict: Don’t bother with the 18-track edition: if you look around you can get the far superior 2CD set for the same price, and it’s much better as a retrospective of Madonna’s career, which has contained some absolutely brilliant singles (and a few clunkers – but not as many as you’d expect from someone with over 70 releases under their belt). It’s a better buy than the combination of The Immaculate Collection/GHV2, not least because it reinstates some of the songs missing from those (Who’s That Girl and Burning Up, for example. Why no love for True Blue and Causing a Commotion, though, Madge?
In general, the selection of songs isn’t bad, but I question the presence of filler like Die Another Day when there are at least twenty better singles missing. The songs have been remastered, which works for some of them, but others just sound wrong and pverproduced. The 80s tracks in particular are meant to be the kind of thing you’d dance to at a disco, not something to fill a stadium. By the way, Madonna’s people, I would kill for a full-on Greatest Hits boxset with all of her singles on it. Surely I’m not the only one? If you don’t have much Madonna then this is a good place to start, and I’d also recommend tracking down a copy of ‘Something to Remember’ given that Madonna/her people have largely taken against the ballads for this release. The DVD is a decent purchase, too.
Snow Patrol: Up to Now
Number of editions/tracks: 2 CD set with thirty tracks, plus a digipack with a bonus DVD and a flashy box set which no-one except the band’s mums will buy.
Previous Greatest Hits form: None.
Notable omissions: Considering this is a 30-track monster and the band have only had 23 singles, you’d think everything would be here. But no: they’ve chosen to ignore the singles from the album they released before they were famous, opting for album tracks instead, which I’m sure will annoy their fans. They’ve also missed off a couple of more recent singles.
Bonus tracks: A whole bunch of filler and nonsense, including album tracks, B-sides, cover versions and different versions of their biggest hits. Note: interspersed with the actual hits, rather than stuck on the bonus CD as they should be. New single ‘Just Say Yes’, which is pretty ropey, plus two nondescript new tracks.
Download this: Set Fire to the Third Bar, Spitting Games, Chasing Cars/Run (if you can bear to hear them again).
Avoid this: All the filler.
Overall verdict: A one CD version with the singles on, and a 2CD version with bonus filler ‘for the fans’ might have worked. This, however, is a confusing mess, and sticking all the famous songs across both CDs means you have to listen to a load of guff like acoustic versions until you get to what you want. Not very user-friendly. Madge has enough material to fill seven albums if she wants. Snow Patrol only really have enough for one, so this is a big indulgence. Plus it all starts to blend into one after a while. Fun fact: they have songs, from the same album, called ‘Shut Your Eyes’ and ‘Open Your Eyes’. I sense an obesssion.
Foo Fighters: Greatest Hits
Number of editions/tracks: 1 CD version with 18 tracks, deluxe version with bonus DVD.
Previous Greatest Hits form: None
Notable omissions: Thirteen singles are missing, including Walking After You, Cheer Up Boys, I’ll Stick Around and For the Cows.
Bonus tracks: Two new tracks, neither of which are particularly sparkling, plus an acoustic version of Everlong.
Download this: Everlong, This is a Call, Learn to Fly
Avoid this: Everlong (acoustic), the new tracks.
Overall verdict: This album would have been perfect for the type of person who wouldn’t buy a Foo Fighters album but quite likes their singles – the classic greatest hits market, in other words. However, as you listen to it, you keep wondering where such-and-such a track is and then feel a bit ripped off by the new tracks tacked on the end, not least the acoustic version of Everlong. Heck, it’s my favourite Foo Fighters song, but I don’t need it to be on there twice. Even Dave Grohl is unhappy with this selection, apparently. I imagine there’ll be a bigger, better greatest hits in a few years so it might be worth holding on until then.
Will Young: The Hits
Number of editions/tracks: 1 CD, 14 tracks
Previous Greatest Hits form: None
Notable omissions: The Long and Winding Road, Anything is Possible, Don’t Let Me Down
Bonus tracks: Two new tracks, Tell Me the Worst (upbeat but a little screechy), If it Hadn’t Been For Love (inoffensive ballad)
Download this: Leave Right Now, Switch it On, Your Game
Avoid this: Light My Fire
Overall verdict: This album could potentially be a bit of a misfire, as it only serves to remind you how truly unmemorable a lot of Will Young’s singles have actually been – I could only recall about six of the tracks when I was listening to it earlier. Definitely one for selective downloading of individual tracks rather than an essential purchase in its own right. Way too many drippy MOR ballads with no discernible features. One for the mums, maybe. Interesting cover shot, though.
Britney Spears: The Singles Collection
Number of editions/tracks: 1 CD edition: 18 tracks, CD+DVD edition
Previous Greatest Hits form: My Perogative (2004), which contained more singles than this, despite Britney releasing eight singles inbetween.
Notable omissions: Several missing singles, including Overprotected, Lucky and I Love Rock’n'Roll.
Bonus tracks: New single 3, which isn’t bad.
Download this: Toxic, Womanizer, Oops I Did It Again.
Avoid this: Boys, Born to Make You Happy.
Overall verdict: A bit of a shameless cash-in to capitalise on some recent good singles, but this really isn’t a patch on her previous Greatest Hits. How dare they leave off Overprotected, for goodness’ sake?! Buy the last hits album and just download the more recent singles.
Queen: Absolute Greatest
Number of editions/tracks: 1 CD with 20 tracks, 2CD set including plus bonus CD of live performances
Previous Greatest Hits form: The creatively-titled Greatest Hits 1 (1981), Greatest Hits 2 (1991), Greatest Hits 3 (1999). The first two are great, the third one is a bit rubbish – unsurprisingly given Freddie Mercury died in 1991 – and contains a bit of a rag-bag mix of stuff. Each album contained 17 tracks.
Notable omissions: Twenty nine singles missing (though some of those are post-Freddie singles) including Breakthru, Tie Your Mother Down and Fat Bottomed Girls.
Bonus tracks: None.
Download this: I Want to Break Free, One Vision, Killer Queen.
Avoid this: Nothing in particular if you like Queen, though We Are the Champions gets a bit tiresome.
Overall verdict: A good compilation, but why buy this when you can get the far superior Greatest Hits 1 and 2 collection for a similar price? There are far too many great songs missing from this CD, although there isn’t a duff track amongst those present (save perhaps We Are the Champions).
Skunk Anansie: Smashes and Trashes
Number of editions/tracks: 1 CD (15 tracks), CD+DVD.
Previous Greatest Hits form: None.
Notable omissions: None.
Bonus tracks: Tear the Place Up, Squander, Because of You. All surprisingly good.
Download this: I Can Dream, Weak, Brazen.
Avoid this: Nothing.
Overall verdict: This is how Greatest Hits should be done: all the singles and good bonus tracks. However, it’s several years too late, and I’m not entirely sure anyone will care now. It’s well worth checking out if you didn’t get any of their albums first time round, though, and even if you did, the bonus tracks are worth downloading.
Janet Jackson: The Best
Number of editions/tracks: 2CD set, 36 tracks.
Previous Greatest Hits form: Design of a Decade (1995), which had 18 tracks.
Notable omissions: Runaway, You Want This, most of her more recent stuff.
Bonus tracks: Make Me (which I haven’t heard yet)
Download this: What Have You Done For Me Lately, Escapade, Rhythm Nation
Avoid this: Scream, The Best Things in Life Are Free, Whoops Now
Overall verdict: A much bigger collection than Ms Jackson’s previous Greatest Hits release, and a much more attractive prospect. It does down her more recent releases, but perhaps with good reason. The second CD is a bit hit and miss, but the first CD is full of essential songs that will remind you just how good Janet can be when she’s on form.
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One Madonna single that always gets overlooked is ‘Angel’ from ‘Like a Virgin’, which could still be a massive hit now if someone did a ‘poppers a-clock’ (to coin a Popjustice phrase) synth-tastic remix.
Also, ‘Keep it Together (Shep Pettibone remix)’ from the B-side of ‘Vogue’ is ace and ‘Bedtime Story’ an interesting experiment, while ‘Human Nature’ is a great up-yours to her critics.
Still you’ve got to admire her for being able to cram two CDs full of memorable hits but still missing out loads more. Thankfully, in the case of ‘Hanky Panky’.