| Author | Message | ||
     Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 607 Registered: 09-2006 |
I apologize if this has been done already: what are some of your favorite albums in one of the diciest forms ever, the rag-and-bone, B-Sides-and-unreleaseds compilation? Since I'm not that big on rules if you want to include Bonus Discs or weird-half-best-of-half-B-sides-thingies in that definition, go right ahead. Just off the top of my mind: Archers of Loaf - The Speed of Cattle Saint Etienne - Interlude Black Box Recorder - The Worst of... Nirvana - Incesticide Pet Shop Boys - Alternative Go-Bees - SHF and 16LL bonus discs Sonic Youth - Dirty Bonus Disc And I'm sure there's more. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2171 Registered: 03-2006 |
Elvis Costello - Out of Our Idiot Who - Odds N Sods Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis Marshall Crenshaw - 9 Volt Years Beatles - Hey Jude Richard & Linda Thompson - Guitar, Milkmaid & Vocal Kinks - Lost Album | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 608 Registered: 09-2006 |
Yexcellent stuff dere, LK...reminds me of another one: King of America Bonus Disc Al Green - Love Ritual: Rare and Unreleased Clash - Super Black Market Clash Replacements - Nothing For All Velvets - Another VU | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1495 Registered: 04-2005 |
You guys nailed some great ones, esp. the Who, Beatles, and RT discs (LK, I'm putting a different Kinks disc). A bunch more: Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series (vols. 1-3) Elvis Costello - Taking Liberties The Kinks - The Kink Kronikles Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (OK per Allen's non-rules) Velvet Underground - VU (see above) Joy Division - Substance Yo La Tengo - Genius + Love Pavement - Westing (by Musket and Sextant) R.E.M. - Dead Letter Office Sugar - Besides Devo - Hardcore Devo Orange Juice - The Glasgow School Stereolab - Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On. Vol 2) The Chills - Kaleidoscope World Spacemen 3 - Transluscent Flashbacks I guess there are a lot of these oddz 'n sodz comps, now that I think about it. And I don't own it yet (shame on me), but I can't believe you guys forgot Tom Waits's "Orphans" set. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 609 Registered: 09-2006 |
Yup, that one just occurred to me, Kurt...as you say, once you start thinking of them it begins to seem like not exactly the wholly benighted form it's thought of as... | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 610 Registered: 09-2006 |
New Order - Substance, second disc Mekons - I Have Been to Heaven and Back | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2172 Registered: 03-2006 |
Dang, double dang, a ding dang doo! How could I've forgotten "Orphans"? The big mack Daddy of all odds and sods sets. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 843 Registered: 08-2006 |
Good thread, Allen. I think everyone pretty much hit my faves: the Waits, the Archers, the Sugar, etc. I've also enjoyed the recent Freedy Johnston outtakes collection, "The Way I Were." There's also Springsteen's "Tracks," which is a little too much of a good thing (it'd make a killer two-disc set in a less bloated form), but, you know, it's Springsteen. | ||
| frank bascombe Member Username: Frankb Post Number: 145 Registered: 01-2007 |
Rob What coincidence just thinking of getting the Freedy Johnston out tonight as not listened to it in years,and was wandering if anyone on here had heard of him. Most of mine mentioned above the Costello,Waits, Dylan, Springsteen Also the Go-bees: Live on Snap Triffids-Calenture (alternative lp) | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1326 Registered: 03-2005 |
I've wondered many times whether "Dead Letter Office" might be the only REM I'd ever want to have. (I don't have it). I love the odds & sods collections. They are frequently the best. "VU" makes that case emphatically. As usual, my additions will be mostly really old things: Beatles -- Yesterday & Today Bee Gees -- Brilliance from Birth. Ugly packaging but really! Beau Brummels -- Magic Hollow Blue Aeroplanes -- Friendloverplane The Byrds -- Never Before Half of the Cannanes' CDs will qualify but "A Love Affair With Nature" is my pick. Carter-Lewis -- The Carter-Lewis Story Alex Chilton -- Stuff Gene Clark -- Roadmaster Lloyd Cole -- Etc. Easybeats -- The Shame Just Drained Go Betweens -- Lost Album but otherwise, yes, the bonus discs to BH, SHF and LB Hollies -- The Other Side of the Hollies Ed Kuepper -- Butterfly Net Magazine -- After the Fact John Mayall -- Looking Back Monochrome Set -- Volume, Contrast, Brilliance Plug Uglies -- (untitled) Rolling Stones -- Flowers Ron Sexsmith -- Rarities and remember that vinyl XTC set that had the A sides on one record and the B sides on the other? Great set but I guess the A sides part of it disqualifies the whole. Stupid me, I gave it away. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 696 Registered: 08-2004 |
There's more: Talk Talk - A-sides & Besides disc 2 The Wonderstuff - Lovebites & Bruises Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis & Hot Rocks 2 Nick Cave - B-sides & Rareities Pulp - Deluxe reissues etc etc ... & I suppose, all the Peel Session albums that have been released in the last couple of years. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 613 Registered: 09-2006 |
Randy, I think if Singles Going Steady counts, then the XTC one certainly does. And hey, so does 1978-1990! Tons of good stuff mentioned - Yesterday and Today reminds me of one I haven't heard in years, the Beatles "Rarities." Not the US version which was mostly a joke, but the UK one, which had all the songs which didn't make the albums there (a killer bunch of songs) plus stuff like "You Know My Name" and that great version of "Across the Universe." That Freedy one is quite good, Rob...and More Hot Rocks, damn haven't listened to that one in years. I should hunt it down... | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1497 Registered: 04-2005 |
A couple more that work almost as well as the bands' "official" albums: Pere Ubu - Terminal Tower Only Ones - Remains | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 845 Registered: 08-2006 |
Oh, "Terminal Tower"! A classic. Nice, Kurt. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 745 Registered: 01-2005 |
Robyn Hitchcock - Invisible Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock - You & Oblivion | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 261 Registered: 07-2006 |
psb - alternative the smiths - hatful suede - sci fi lullabies pulp - second class ep i thought i had more to offer than that! and that my list would be less predictable.... oddly, all the above are albums i've owned and loved forever, i can't think of any b sides comps, etc i've bought in recent memory.... like, at all! | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 746 Registered: 01-2005 |
A couple of others: Sleepless Nights - Flying Burrito Brothers Especially since it was the only place you could find the three Gram and Emmylou outakes from Grievous Angel for years! They were "Sleepless Nights", "The Angles Rejoiced Last Night" and "Brand New Heartache". Crowded House - Afterglow John Coltrane - OM This one has some history behind it. Supposidly recorded when John was tripin' on acid, he didn't want it released. After his death two years later from liver cancer, it was released. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2178 Registered: 03-2006 |
Sleepless Nights! Excellent one, MB. Can't believe I forgot that one. I'll have to burn a candle at my Gram Parsons shrine as penance... | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 655 Registered: 10-2004 |
First and foremost, I nominate.. The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow and Louder than Bombs Any Smiths obsessive will tell you these albums are absolutely crucial. They are both seamless, highly consistent comps full of largely non-lp a-sides, b-sides, and BBC sessions. It's possible that I've listened to these two comps more times than their actual albums. Gripping and essential stuff. Others would include Pale Fountains - Longshot for Your Love Microdisney - Love Your Enemies Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (easily their best collection of songs) The Cure - Join the Dots Go-Betweens - SHF and SMAL bonus discs Josef K - Young & Stupid Pere Ubu - Terminal Tower REM - Dead Letter Office | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 749 Registered: 01-2005 |
LK, Or just listen to "Rejoiced" and know that Gram forgives you. Hard to believe that any of those three didn't make Grievous, but I read somewhere that Gram didn't want too many Felice and Boudreux Bryant penned songs on GA, so they weren't included. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 656 Registered: 10-2004 |
Oh, and how could I have forgotten this? Beach Boys - 20/20 | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1498 Registered: 04-2005 |
Jeff, I can't believe I forgot "Louder than Bombs" (or the somewhat overlapping "Hatful of Hollow")--it is definitely one of the best of this type of album ever. Really essential Smiths. The U.S. version of "The Clash" might fall into this category too, since it took part of the first UK album and added a number of singles, B-sides, etc. The UK album is more "organic," but the U.S. version is the one I'd pick if I could only have one. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 658 Registered: 10-2004 |
And another crucial and brilliant album of cobbled-together randomness that I'm surprised I forgot to list above: Cocteau Twins - Pink Opaque Pink Opaque contains a few random EP tracks, as well as the lovely and uber-rare "Millimillenary," which, if I'm not mistaken is to this day still only found on PO. (I was annoyed that said track didn't find its way onto Violaine vol. 1). Kurt - I'm with you on the US vs UK versions of "The Clash." Maybe it's a simple case of "that's what I'm used to," but I'm certainly not letting go of my US version. As for "Louder than Bombs," I'm always amazed at how consistent that album is. How often do you get a double-length comp that's listenable almost all the way through? ("Golden Lights" being the sole track I'm prone to skipping). | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 659 Registered: 10-2004 |
And yet another: Wild Swans - Incandescent | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 263 Registered: 07-2006 |
i agree jeff....the pink opaque trumps just about any other cocteaus record. brilliant. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 699 Registered: 08-2004 |
Hmmm, what's missing? Belle & Sebastian - Push Barman... Doves - Lost Sides | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2182 Registered: 03-2006 |
Some also-ran, better luck next time, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, efforts: Bob Zimmerman - Self Portrait, Dylan (which Robert Christgau curiously gives an "E". Wtf?) Van Morrison - the Philosopher's Stone. Better than the two mentioned above by many miles, but still... A middling effort, that is satisfying in many places: XTC - Rag and Bone Buffet. Perhaps Herr AB was alluding to this collection with his thread title.... One surprisingly great one, given its rag tag, humble origins - it seems like swept up table scraps at first glance, but it flows beautifully, frequently astonishes and makes yet another case for what a great artist the raggedy ole Canuck is: Neil Young - Lucky 13. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 616 Registered: 09-2006 |
That XTC was partly on my mind, LK, though I've never heard the album, and I knew that the phrase long predates that album..."rag and bone man" is an old British term for a junk dealer, and has since gone on to become attached to similar things like this. I agree, that Neil Young is a great one, but I hesitated putting it in because I thought that everything on it had been previously released...at most there was like a song or two that were remixed. Am I wrong? And forget "Orphans"...I can't believe none of us have mentioned The Goddamn Basement Tapes, truly the big mama...the only explanation I can come up with is that we all somehow thought someone else MUST have mentioned it previously... | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1329 Registered: 03-2005 |
I forgot all about Pink Opaque and Love Your Enemies. I agree, Jeff. Both are great. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 754 Registered: 01-2005 |
Have just recently bougt Pink Opaque on cd (although I've had a vinyl copy for many years) I can testify to it's greatness as well. I don't think I would put it above Treasure though. I would love to see a reissue of Dead Letter Office. Or how about a Chronic Town cd with some circa 1982 live cuts!!! | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 662 Registered: 10-2004 |
Michael - I've never understood why there's never been a proper Chronic Town reissue on CD. Was it ever released on CD? I know it used to get tacked onto the CD of Dead Letter Office. Given Chronic Town's unparalleled brilliance, I definitely think it needs a release of its own, fluffed out with some period demos and live cuts. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 755 Registered: 01-2005 |
Jeff - I have never seen Chronic Town on cd other than being tacked onto the end of DLO. I would love to see a deluxe cd of CT. It's old enough to be out on it's own, so to speak! | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 666 Registered: 10-2004 |
I just thought of another brilliant compilation: Opal - Early Recordings. | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 306 Registered: 01-2006 |
Barbed Wire Kisses - Jesus and Mary Chain | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 761 Registered: 01-2005 |
Jeff, Great call on Opal! I sent an e-mail to Rhino requesting that they reissue it and Happy Nightmare Baby. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 671 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yeah, it's a shame that Opal's "Early Recordings" is so scarce. CD copies go for absurd amounts of money on eBay. I was lucky enough to have found a vinyl copy a while ago for relatively cheap. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1686 Registered: 05-2005 |
The Bats - Compiletely. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1345 Registered: 03-2005 |
Grrr! What is ON "Compiletely?" | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1696 Registered: 05-2005 |
Early EP tracks Randy. I have it on cassette and a burned CD. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 695 Registered: 10-2004 |
I have "Compiletely" recorded on an old cassette. I should hunt for it when I get home. The contents of "Compiletely" and "Daddy's Highway" have always been my favorite Bats material. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 62 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, prior to the release of their first album, The Bats recorded two ep's and a three track 12 inch single ( By Night; And Here Is...Music For The Fireside; Made Up in Blue ) and 'Compiletely' collects together all the songs from these with the exception of 'My Way' which appeared on 'By Night.' I love it and it is well worth a listen. Jeff, the sound quality on the cd is not that great. I dread to think how it sounds on cassette. 'Compiletely' and Daddy's Highway' are also my favourite albums by the band. |