Compilation albums

[Bear 1817]

We all have some meaning about compilation albums, and I was wondering about what people here think about compilation albums in general as it seemslike best of's are usualfor "jrock/visual kei" bands. Would you buy a best of? Would you buy a collection of a bands' EPs, demos, split material and/or unreleased songs?

 

 

In 2014, with everyone having internet and shit, I consider best of albums absolute worthless. They're usualy not what me or you consider the bands' best songs, so it's better just to make yourself one yourself. I never buy these. Best ofs was decent in the mid-late 90's when you didn't have internet and you didn't buy that much music. They were decent when checking out bands with huge discographies just to get an impression of where you should start. Today you can just do this on youtube, or just download the whole discography in four minutes and check out. So I don't get the need to release these anymore. And I don't get why so many bands still release these. They're so very, very unnecessary IMO.

 

But I am very positive towards compilation albums that collects EPs, demos, split material and unreleased songs onto one/two/three discs/LPs/tapes. Varathron's "Genesis of the Unaltered Evil" is a very good example of what I am talking about. It's a compilation of everything they did before their first album (two demos, an EP and a split) as well as three other songs. These are the type of compilation albums I was OK with, and would buy.

 

C comiplation such as Sargeist's "The Rebirth of a Cursed Existence" is also a very good example. I wouldn't buy this myself as I don't care for CDs, but it's a great release since there's a lot of people who doesn't care about vinyl and/or tapes. It's a CD that features all Sargeist songs which were previously available solely on vinyl, tape and compilation releases. Great release!

 

 

What's your thoughts on different types of compilation albums?

[Guest Magatsu]

YES~! that's what I always wishing for... that artist Re-RELEASE their shizzel which where on demotapes, demos, or kinda V.A. album only songs. and for even a few artist which they only released on vinyl.

same goes for the shizzel who where released on VHS.

 

But sometimes you have bands... and then they kinda think "ah our music back then was pure shit so now way we will re-release it" =.=

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

I'm on the fence. For example, I bought E'm~grief~'s compilation album because it contained 13 out of their 14 songs and I only owned one of their singles, so it made sense for me to buy it since they are one of my favorite UCP groups. Conversely, another favorite of mine on the same label released two 'best ofs' at different points in their career: one before their first drummer left, and one before they broke up, each with a different track list and a new ~bonus track~ on a certain version. While I can see people buying them so they could get those singles they couldn't buy or because they missed 2 years of releases, I think the only reason people really bought them was for the DVDs that came with or the new song. Since neither album is all-inclusive, it does fall victim to being a suggestive 'best of.' 

 

 

I'd be more inclined to buy a compilation album under a number of conditions in which I am going to list out for you because I don't have to be anywhere until 11:30 :

 

-IF they have a decent amount of +:Rarez:+ on them. And I mean for real rarez: shit you didn't release but played live, obscure demos, remixes or alternative versions that were only on omnibuses, stuff like that. When bands say "rare tracks," 9 out of 10 times they mean "from CDs that are out of print," not "CDs you have to s the d of a trader to get"...meaning they're not rare at all.

 

-IF they are a time-period specific compilation that has a lot of breadth to it. For example, didn't Diru have a Decade collection album or something that had like 20+ tracks on it? While it didn't contain everything they've done up until that point, and ignored all of the pre-Gauze goodness, it does span a decent time frame and I could see someone buying it so they have a CD that's more or less representative of that point in the band's career. Another example(s) would be Lareine's Reine de Fleur albums, which both had a lot of content in them. Even though you could arguably just get the CDs that made up those albums, from a download and collectors perspective it saves a lot of time. Syndrome also had a more-or-less complete collection album as well, missing B-sides and weird omnibus tracks or demos, and La'Mule's "Eyes Bloodshed" is another overwhelmingly large compilation album that mixes this point and my next point.

 

-IF they are rerecordings or reimaginations of songs. See also: Cali=/=Gari's 1, 2, and 第2実験室 改訂版. Most of the time, reimagioned songs are fun and it's cool to see how old songs would sound now. (Most of the time. STILL not over Unknown Despair A Lost). Madeth Gray'll's history album is the perfect example of this: some of the songs were the same as the original versions, while older ones were remastered or rerecorded to have a $100 budget instead of a $10 one. Loved the last version of "Parasite." 

 

 

It is NOT cool, however, to make every release a compilation to some degree. Art Cube does this quite often and the most imfamous example is Phantasmagoria. They have like "10 albums" but 26 songs in total (not counting the different versions from their revival and SEs)? Hmmm....

[beni 2149]

This is me in every kind of music. If I am new to a musician and they have a compilation or two out, I will always go for that. This is because I have no idea where to start off with when it comes to albums or their other works. Everyone has their own favourites so going by opinions or the general most favoured option I dislike doing since I usually prefer an artist's supposedly worst stuff (lol). As for a musician who I am already a fan of, even if it's the same songs I've heard of, I'll still want it. But only IF they're my favourite. Take Chara and Plastic Tree for example, I have their entire discographies, even complications. If they're my fav, I feel like listening to all their releases is important. Even more so with special collections like B-sides and such. The only ones I disagree with are musicians who come out with a compilation when they've just recently become active. I remember one or two bands doing this but I can't remember their names. Apart from that, sum up is, unless you're my favourite or I'm new to you, I'll pass on your complications like your EPs and singles unless that's all you've got up for now. >.<

[eiheartx 1310]

Ia with Beni above.
If you are a newbie to the well established band "X", put your ears on a compilation aka where are all the greatest hits (suppose there is a compilation lmao), it's a good move for having a better approach. I'm doing this sometimes, and if I like what I've heard, I'm checking full albums and b-sides at last. Some compilations are a must buy, as DarkWater said (rarities, b-sides etc).
I'm fully against the Phantasmagoria syndrome or any compilations unjustified like "we're going major/moving on from our label, let's release a best-of in 3 types with a new song on each!" lol.