Apr 012010
The Godfather 2 of follow-up greatest hits collections
It’s hard enough for an artist to achieve the distinction of releasing a single greatest hits album. Few merit a Vol. 2 hits collection: Bob Dylan, The Eagles, ABBA, Eric Burdon & The Animals…
I’d argue that the second greatest hits album of Eric Burdon & The Animals, the one with all the hippified stuff like “Sky Pilot,” is not only the greatest of Vol. 2 greatest hits collections but the Godfather 2 of the genre, that is, the rare sequel that tops the original.
How about you? What’s the greatest of Vol. 2 greatest hits collections?
I think I have Vol. 2 of the Beach Boys but not Vol. 1, if that helps.
But I still like High Tide and Green Grass just a little more than Through The Glass Darkly, though I feel like that octogon sleeve has to be the coolest vol. 2 cover there is.
I am a big fan of Through A Glass, Darkly. It was the first Stones album I ever bought. Also, More Hot Rocks is very good.
Dylan’s Greatest Hits, vol. 2 is a classic of its kind. But it also goes far beyond being a greatest hits, despite its name, as it only contains a few songs that one might consider “hits” in any sense (though quite a few had been hits for other people) and is one of the first (?) such compilations to contain previously unreleased materials.
I would say that Elton John’s Greatest Hits, vol. 2 deserves serious consideration. http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Hits-Vol-Elton-John/dp/B000001DVR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1270139938&sr=1-1
Richard Edson, I think that’s his name. He drummed for Sonic Youth and costarred in Stranger than Paradise. He shows up all the time in movies, like a car lot attendant in Ferris Bueller. I am the last man standing.
Yeah, that guy is distinctive, Geo. Besides his movie work, he also had a really good part alongside Bruno Kirby in a Homicide episode.
Edson’s a great choice. Don’t forget, he was also in Do the Right Thing as Turturro’s brother. Kinda crazy to think that same guy was in Sonic Youth.
Great call, misterioso. The fact that Pinball Wizard (better than the original, I submit) is included makes it a winner for me.
The Stones did have two nice follow-up GH albums, and I’m impressed by the strength of Elton John’s second GH album!
Good call on Elton’s “Pinball Wizard,” sonny. I first heard that version when my dad took me to see Tommy, and I’ve always had a soft spot for it.
How ’bout the way Elton’s career dropped off (in quality) following the “Island Girl” single? I remember that single being such a dividing line when I was a kid. Nothing good ever followed.
Since this is a greatest hits-related thread, let me point those of you who don’t regularly check the “Latest comments” link on the right column back to a new comment on a spirited discussion we had back in January:
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/bullshit-on-zz-top-s-tour-supposedly
Yet another witness steps forth!
Island Girl is so good that it makes me forget how offensive I suspect the lyrics are if I ever bothered to listed closely to them.
As for a post-Island Girl drop off, the evidence is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John_discography
Within a year, it was pretty much curtains.
I have two ABBA ‘Greatest Hits’ albums from the vinyl era (now digitized). The second volume is much better because it has the only two ABBA songs I like — Dancing Queen (which I think is pure genius) and Name of the Game (which I like, but I actually prefer the version by new wave Stiff band Any Trouble). You could take all the rest of ABBA away, and I’d be ok.