The greatest greatest hits CDs
Albums to buy when the regular albums aren't worth it
By Lawrence Cabanero
Daily Kent Stater
Some artists have several albums in their catalog that are worth their price tags or are even essential to complete that ultimate CD collection you may dream of having. But owning music by some musicians can be as simple as buying a single CD.
"Greatest Hits" and "Best of" collections have always been big sellers. The Beatles and Lenny Kravitz have both remained in Billboard's Top 10 for the past four months with the recent releases of their best hits.
But not every hits collection is the best CD to purchase by a certain artist. The Beatles' album 1 excludes many of their most memorable singles. And most of their albums are classics worth owning anyway. Only certain artists have hits collections that can come highly recommended -- ones whose music is important but for various reasons don't need many CDs to show off what they have to offer.
1. Bob Marley -- Legend. Reggae's greatest artist has more than a hundred albums available. A few of them are worth buying like Exodus, Natty Dread and Natural Mystic. But some versions of these CDs have unsatisfactory low sound quality. So, for people who to want to be assured they aren't purchasing a muffled Marley album and those who aren't interested in building an extensive reggae collection, Legend is the safest bet. Just about everyone knows every song on the album, and its Jamaican beats will bring you back to summer no matter how cold it may be outside.
2. The Clash -- The Singles. First, buy the punk essential, London Calling. Then pick up The Singles. Oddly enough, only a couple songs overlap on the Clash's critically adored studio album and their hits collection, giving you all you need to own by the group on two albums. The Singles offers some great songs, like "Should I Stay or Should I Go" and "Rock the Casbah," which seem to have an eternal place on alternative radio.
3. Janis Joplin -- 18 Essential Songs. Before Joplin's tragic death, she only released four albums. She never had the chance to put together a truly fantastic album. But as one of the first and rawest women of rock, Joplin's contribution is still important. Her influence and attitude blare on every track of 18 Essential Songs, from the light folk rock on "Mercedes Benz" to the wailing energy "Piece of My Heart." Joplin is an artist that belongs in every CD collection.
4. Al Green -- Greatest Hits. Sure, Barry White can get you in the mood for love. But Green could do it with sophistication. As a Southern soul singer, Green was more about being spiritual than just about getting down and dirty. Green explored every aspect of love, which can be heard on the collection of songs chosen for his Greatest Hits. So get together with your significant other and start playing "I'm Still in Love with You" and "Let's Stay Together." And for the commitment-phobics, remember to skip over the sweet but dangerous "Let's Get Married."
5. Blondie -- The Best of Blondie. On this album, Deborah Harry and her crew bring together all of their best late disco and early new wave hits ("Heart of Glass," "Rapture," "One Way or Another," "Tide is High," etc.). A string of catchy singles made Blondie one of the most commercially successfully bands of their kind. First released in 1981, The Best of Blondie only covers the years before the group dissolved (and before they reunited for their 1999 ear-mangling album No Exit).
6. The Doors -- The Best of the Doors. The Doors were much more than a singles band. They had a lot of radio hits for a classic rock band, but they also paid close attention to the flow and mood of their albums. Their self-titled LP, Morrison Hotel, and L.A. Woman are all solid efforts. However, The Best of the Doors is a carefully selected double CD of Doors' singles and gives a nice introduction to the original bad boys of rock. They are one of few respected bands whose singles don't seem to lose their effect when they are pulled out of their albums.
7. The Mamas and the Papas -- Greatest Hits. With their unique harmonies and countermelodies, the Mamas and the Papas stood out from the crowd of other '60s vocal groups. Try singing along to "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'." It's easy to get lost as each of the four voices branches into different parts and rejoins at the end of a powerful chorus. The album also features "Creeque Alley" and "I Saw Her Again," other fine performances that show that men and women can sing together without sounding like S Club 7.
8. Roberta Flack -- Softly with These Songs. Flack had an amazing voice and a remarkable talent for conveying emotion. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," a song paced too slow for the dentist's office, was the number one single of 1972. It was all because Flack sung soul songs unlike any other. Her voice helped her score other hits, like "Killing Me Softly with His Song, " "Feel Like Makin' Love," and "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love." But even on less familiar tunes on the CD, Flack showed confidence in every note she held.
9. James Taylor -- Greatest Hits. On Sweet Baby James, Taylor's debut, rock-and-roll's most sensitive songwriter showed his skills as a musician and lyricist. However, it is his Greatest Hits that has sold over 10 million albums and earned him a diamond certification. "Fire and Rain," "Mexico," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," and "You've Got a Friend" are all thrown together on one CD. It's no surprise that a man with such a friendly voice and a group of solid hits has sold so many records.
10. ABBA -- Gold. The A*Teens recently dented the charts with their cover album, The ABBA Generation. The musical Mamma Mia!, which is inspired by the music of the Swedish quartet, was a big hit in London and Toronto. But ABBA Gold is a chance to see where this trend started. The original versions of "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight)," "S.O.S.," and "Dancing Queen" bring you back to the '70s like no copycat can.