Greatest Hits are filling the shops up y/n

I don't know about the state of the industry as a whole, but it has occurred to me lately that it may be a more accurate gauge of a particular record label's fortunes. There will always be the good' ol repackaging urge to pander to newbies, but at least one record label I can think of -- and that would be 4AD -- seems to have gone repackage-crazy lately, with tons of collections of hits/singles, other collections of b-sides, and still yet others of radio sessions, with precious little new content that's made any real impact (save maybe the last Mojave 3). Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough, or my focus has gotten more particular.

I know, it's getting worse and worse. I'm afraid Tom, that no matter how we wish it to be different, the moronic masses only get their 5-6 CDs a year and this ruthless marketing and repackaging exercise is primarily aimed at the non-music fan. The gigantic sales of No.1 LP by The Beatles probably only resulted in a small percentage of first time listeners bothering to check out Rubber Soul or The White album.

I've noticed a lot of comps coming out - the best of ODB, the All Saints one mentioned, Blur...I mean, bands/artists that are great or good in their own right, whatever, but they're still extant artists, some of which without a lot of work under their monitor and they just shouldn't be doing this

I get particularly pissed off when a CD is reissued - now with bonus tracks. So in order to get these bonus tracks I have to buy the CD again? How about releasing a compilation of b-sides? .. And they'll only release *some* of the b-sides, and it's in a compilation of A- sides.

.. Or I can buy them used, make copies, and resell them. I hate to "rip off" the music industry that way, but if they would just package it ONCE!

I was quite happy to be able to get a double CD Ray Charles compilation a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes you don't the albums per se, All Saints being a good case in point. There won't be any more new music (unless they reform in time for the nineties revival) so why not bang out a compilation? Expect before Christmas: Steps, Backstreet Boys, Diana Ross (solo), Pink Floyd, Bee Gees, Colourbox, Deee-Lite, Busta Rhymes, TLC, The Cure, Gabrielle, Boyz II Men, The Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, Madonna, Ice Cube and Outkast.

Madonna is releasing a follow up to Immaculate Collection. I will buy it regardless of the crappy Rain (and various other duds). Why? Because it has Human Nature. Gawd, I love that song. It's so luscious.

Re: Expect before Christmas: Steps, Backstreet Boys, Diana Ross (solo), Pink Floyd, Bee Gees, Colourbox, Deee-Lite, Busta Rhymes, TLC, The Cure, Gabrielle, Boyz II Men, The Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, Madonna, Ice Cube and Outkast.

Mr JoB missed out.. Depeche Mode Ltd edition 3 CDset covering the singles 81-98, Teardrop Explodes, Fad Gadget, Wolfgang Press (available now), Simple Minds, Cabaret Voltaire: covering Virgin/EMI years..Bananarama and um Luther Vandross and on the Siren Disc website in the future releases section..if your unfortunate to live in Sweden - Toto!

Is it because people have short memories?How else can compilations like this year's Smiths best of be explained?Is it that hard to look for a best of that might be a few years older?

it's because they can get reviews/column inches/prime shelf space etc by having a 'new' Best Of, since it will can be pushed as a new release

The new Madonna best-of is going to be ass, btw. Heavy on RoL/Music tracks (inexplicably being as they didn't sell that well and THEY JUST CAME OUT FOR FUCK'S SAKE), and absolutely no new material - not even new photos for the liner. It's a terrible rush job.

While checking through a number of websites to update forthcoming release information for my weblog: I noticed there is yet more greatest hits/best ofs on the way from a range of artists: this autumn

Ice Cube, Pretenders, Morrissey, Midge Ure/Ultravox, Mel & Kim, ELO, Arrested Development, Spandau Ballet, Ten Years After, Eddy Grant, Phil Fearon/Galaxy, Rick James, The Corrs, Freddie Jackson, Go West, Cliff Richard, Enigma, ...this is getting ridiculous! ...and at least Pinefox's parents know what to buy him for crimbo - The Very Best Of Deacon Blue (surely that is against the Advertising Standards Authority rules - for blatant misrepresentation)