People love lists, unless of course the list is on Pitchfork ranking every John Legend song from worst to best.
I have a list. Possibly the first of many, if any interest is shown. Or, possibly the last, if it dies a quick death like so many of my ideas.
But first...
I listened yet again to that recent Kinks collection, "The Journey Pt. 1." It is a brilliant 2 LP set curated by Ray & Dave to tell a story. There are some obvious hits, but what makes it work so well for me are the deep cut choices. It's as if Ray Davies interviewed me and asked for my help, as so many of my favorites appear. I imagine your favorites will differ because that's the way it goes. But I think "The Journey Pt. 1" is one of the smartest anthologies ever put to wax.
It also had me thinking about compilations in general, and how so many of the "greatest hits" of my favorite artists are my least favorite songs by those artists. It's not necessarily because the artists sold out. I mean, "Fool In the Rain" by Led Zeppelin is just barely radio friendly. "Surrender" by Cheap Trick is a killer, I just like 40 other Cheap Trick songs more.
So, in the world of Taylor Swift vinyl variants, what if there were variants on "greatest hits" records? Think of the Rolling Stones' fan vote put to vinyl. Or, as we have been doing lately, modeling the sequencing and selection after The Replacements' "Boink!!," only this time with two more songs.
(Hey, it's been slow in the music world. It's either this or nothing.)
You have ten choices--five on Side One and five on Side Two. NO exceptions or bonus tracks. You get to create your own "Greatest Hits" record that caters to you alone. I imagine the ten songs would have to be your ten favorite songs, as difficult as that may be.
First up, my Kinks Greatest Hits.
SIDE ONE:
A Well Respected Man
Two Sisters
Nothin' In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl
Too Much on My Mind
God's Children
SIDE TWO
Better Things
Get Back In Line
Oklahoma U.S.A.
Days
Waterloo Sunset
("This Man He Weeps Tonight" was a last minute cut.)
"Get Back In Line" -- YES.
ReplyDeleteHi Sal- this is Rick from Germany.
ReplyDeleteLargely agree with your Kinks selection
Just listened to 'Oklahoma USA' again
and it absolutely is one of my favourites,
but I love 'Muswell Hillbillies' to bits anyway.
May I suggest two Additions making it a total of 12:
The single 'Dead End Street'
and'Young Conservatives'from State Of Confusion.
Both always belong on my Kinks playlists, but of
course there is such a wealth of Davis songs
that everybody has their own personal Greatest Hits.
Sal, although I hardly ever write I want you to know
that your work is greatly appreciated by my wife,
my three sons, myself and a whole bunch of people
I know in Germany and greater Europe.
all the best to you and all your relations
rick
Too many great Kinks songs, but here's my take:
ReplyDeleteSide A
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
Rosy Won't You Please Come Home
Starstruck
Dead End Street
Waterloo Sunset
Side B
Misfits
Days
Summer's Gone
Situation Vacant
Where Have All the Good Times Gone
I'm not a big enough Kinks fan to participate in this one, but love the idea, so keep 'em coming!
ReplyDeleteRandy
ReplyDeleteSunny Afternoon
Sweet Lady Genevieve
Days
Too Much On My Mind
Art Lover
See My Friends
Waterloo Sunset
20th Century Man
She's Got Everything
David Watts
VR
I will admit, I'm terrible at sequencing. But I was able to do this for the Monkees going from 17 picks to a final 10 with little effort:
ReplyDeleteSide One:
She
The Girl I Knew Somewhere
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) (Why this? it's Davy's best vocal performance, IMO)
Me & Magdelena
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Side Two:
What Am I Doin’ Hangin’ Round?
The Door Into Summer
Love Is Only Sleeping
Sometime In the Morning
I’m A Believer
And -- Get the Knack without "Heartbeat" and "The Monkey and Me" is a perfect 10 songs. I looked through all my Knack albums and while I love many many other songs, That's a perfect 10 Give me some time and maybe I can come up with a 10-song Turtles Greatest Hits (harder than you might think!) or something else. :-)
Shriner - Excellent job with the Monkees list!
ReplyDeleteI like Sal's list a ton, but would like to find room for Ape Man. Not sure if I could remove anything though...
Here's my 10 song Bob Dylan Greatest Hits.
ReplyDeleteSide One:
My Back Pages
It Ain't Me Babe
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Like A Rolling Stone
Just Like A Woman
Side Two:
Positively 4th Street
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Tangled Up In Blue
You're A Big Girl Now (Biograph version)
Up To Me
ReplyDeleteShriner-
Great job on the Monkees picks. The three Nesmith vocals from Pisces you picked are some of my faves.
Pisces is their best album IMHO.
VR
The Band
ReplyDeleteSide One:
The Weight
Acadian Driftwood
Right as Rain
Hobo Jungle
Stage Fright
Side Two
Up on Cripple Creek
Ophelia
The Great Pretender
This Wheel's on Fire
The Shape I'm In
I got chills just reading that kinks playlist. Wow.
ReplyDeleteLove Dave's involvement with "Journey." It's like they remembered "The Kink Kronikles" was the most timeless Kinks album. no duh.
ReplyDeleteRory Gallagher
Railway and Gun (w/ Taste)
For the Last Time
In Your Town
Tatoo'd Lady
Hands Off
At the Bottom
Edged in Blue
Overnight Bag
Public Enemy No. 1
Barley and Grape Rag
Nice Idea Sal.
ReplyDeleteBill from East Yorkshire here with my take...
Autumn Almanac
Lavender Hill
Lavender Lane
Wonderboy
Misty water
Berkeley Mews
Big Black Smoke
King Kong
Harry Rag
Kentucky Moon
Strangers
ReplyDeleteWaterloo Sunset
A Well Respected Man
Alcohol
Autumn Almanac
This I Where I Belong
Attitude
Better Things
Come Dancing
Drivin'
My Kinks Album:
ReplyDeleteI'm Not Like Everybody Else
Nothin' In the World Can Stop Me Worryin''Bout That Girl
She's Got Everything
Death Of a Clown
Juke Box Music
Celluloid Heroes
A Rock N Roll Fantasy
Destroyer
Hatred (A Duet)
Till The End Of The Day
Bryan
There's no way I can boil it down to ten songs when I have a copy of The Kink Kronikles.
ReplyDeleteGod's Children is a fantastic choice.
ReplyDeleteFirst, thanks for the tip about the Kinks Komp, I was unaware! I try to keep up.
ReplyDeletePretenders:
Hollywood Perfume
Cuban Slide
Time the Avenger
When Will I See You
Tradition of Love
Night In My Veins
Kid
You Know Who Your Friends Are
Mystery Achievement
Revolution
Any Kinks career spanning comp that doesn't include Sitting In My Hotel is a little substandard to my way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'll do the Pretenders.
ReplyDeleteSIDE ONE
Precious
Day After Day
The Wait
Human
Break Up The Concrete
SIDE TWO
Stop Your Sobbing
Tattooed Love Boys
Light Of The Moon
Talk Of The Town
Kid
What, no zip file? ;)
ReplyDeleteQueen, of course:
SIDE ONE
Tie Your Mother Down
It's Late
Fat Bottomed Girls
March of the Black Queen
Spread Your Wings
SIDE TWO
Now I'm Here
Death On Two Legs
Brighton Rock
Don't Stop Me Now
Teo Torriatte
OK, I have two more because it's slow at work today... And I'm somewhat cheating. Here's 10 from "The Alice Cooper Group" and 10 from "Alice Cooper solo" (and this was harder for the solo years than the Monkees list was...)
ReplyDeleteThe Alice Cooper Group
Side One:
Hello Hooray
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Elected
Desperado
Ballad of Dwight Fry
Side Two:
Under My Wheels
Halo of Flies
Alma Mater
Hard Hearted Alice
Billion Dollar Babies
Solo:
Side One:
Go To Hell
Pain
Pass The Gun Around
From The Inside
My God
Side Two:
Cold Ethyl
Only Women Bleed
Sunset Babies (All Got Rabies)
You and Me
Poison
Oddly enough, when you say that it was as if Ray interviewed you . . . here's a quick story. An old friend of mine was the publicist for a publishing co. where Ray was doing his autobiography some years ago. Ray apparently took to my friend after he spent a morning being escorted to various TV studios to promote the book. Instead of heading back to the office, Ray insisted my friend accompany him to a meeting at his record co. and asked for his input in getting a producer and potential track listing, which pretty much flabbergasted my friend. At the end of their week working together, Ray had indeed put forth some of my friend's ideas/suggestions. Further, Ray offered his London apartment in the event my friend was traveling to England.
ReplyDeleteAnd as there are only a handful of artists/bands I know their output like the back of my hand. Here's my shot at my XTC greatest hits album (for which I left off another 10 easily...) and is half-heartedly sequenced
ReplyDeleteSide One:
This Is Pop
Runaways
The Everyday Story of Smalltown
In Loving Memory of a Name
Senses Working Overtime
Side Two:
The Mayor of Simpleton
The World Is Full Of Angry Young Men
Standing In For Joe (Yes, this dumb song that rips off Barrytown is one of my unsung favorites)
Love on Farmboy’s Wages
Travels in Nihilon
I'm not 100% sure I'm (stupidly) happy with this, but this is what I have for today...)
Oh, I'll do XTC.
ReplyDeleteSIDE ONE
Stupidly Happy
Love On A Farmboy's Wages
Dear Madam Barnum
We're All Light
Harvest Festival
SIDE TWO
Mayor Of Simpleton
That's Really Super, Supergirl
Wrapped In Grey
Senses Working Overtime
Church Of Women
Kinks
ReplyDelete1 Waterloo Sunset
2 Celluloid Heroes
3 Days
4 Autumn Almanac
5 Sweet Lady Genevieve
1 Shangri La
2 Australia
3 Better Things
4 Well Respected Man
5 Where Have All the Good Times Gone
I love the love for "Sweet Lady Genevieve."
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, Bombshelter Slim, one of my very favorite 45s is "Sweet Lady Genevieve" b/w "Sitting In My Hotel."
ReplyDeleteVolume 1 of 20
ReplyDeleteSide A
Till The End Of The Day
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
Autumn Almanac
Waterloo Sunset
Days
Side B
Picture Book
Shangri-La
Get Back In Line
Sitting In The Midday Sun
Scattered
Kinks:
ReplyDeleteHere Come the People in Grey
Autumn Almanac
Big Black Smoke
Lincoln County
Young and Innocent Days
Have Another Drink (yeah..I love Soap Opera, so sue me)
Big Sky
This Time Tomorrow
See My Friends
Good Day
Thought I'd do my own variation on The Kinks Album:
ReplyDeleteMy Dave Davies Album; (All songs had to be written or co-written by Dave).
Side One
Love Me Till The Sun Shines
Death Of A Clown
Living On A Thin Line
Strangers
Trust Your Heart
Side Two
Mindless Child Of Motherhood
Dear Margaret
I'm Free
Creeping Jean
This Man He Weeps Tonight
Think I might create this as a playlist to burn to CD for the car. (with bonus tracks)
That was a lot of fun. I'm tempted to create a Dave Davies album featuring cover versions and brother Ray songs Dave covered solo and with The Kinks.
Fun topic Sal!
Captain Al
Blargh... 2 almost great XTC lists, yet neither included Earn Enough For Us. An absolutely perfect song.
ReplyDelete1. Are You Receiving Me?
2. Respectable Street
3. Burning With Optimism's Flame
4. Love On a Farmboy's Wages
5. Harvest Festival
6. Earn Enough For Us
7. Another Satellite
8. Wrapped in Grey
9. Senses Working Overtime
10. Green man
Now to think about Crowded House...
Pretenders
ReplyDeletePrecious
My City Was Gone
I Go To Sleep
Day After Day
977
Message of Love
Property of Jesus (Volcano Relief Concert)
Human
Kid
Tattooed Love Boys
VR
@Martyj. Fellow Soap Opera lover here.. Good Day- great call.
ReplyDeleteWe have a hit! Very popular posting plus Sal is big in Germany and indeed Europe.
ReplyDeleteBrian, fun Dylan but no "Mississippi?" Sal's going to have words!
I always felt Chris Isaak was one perfect compilation from superstardom, an album that would wildly outstrip sales of all of his other albums.
Gone Ridin'
You Owe Me Some Kind of Love
San Francisco Days
Wrong To Love You
Wicked Game
I Believe
Except The New Girl
Somebody's Crying
Solitary Man
Western Stars
Oh, I'll do Crowded House.
ReplyDeleteSIDE ONE
Recurring Dream
I Feel Possessed
Fall At Your Feet
Private Universe
Now We're Getting Somewhere
SIDE TWO
Distant Sun
Four Seasons In One Day
Nails In My Feet
Weather With You
Throw Your Arms Around Me (Live From Anywhere)
My 40 cents worth:
ReplyDeleteKursaal Flyers
A.
Original Model
Speedway
Drinking Socially
Hit Records
Radio Romance
B.
Cruisin’ for Love
Cross Country
Two Left Feet
The Questionnaire
Little Does She Know
XTC
A.
This Is Pop
Senses Working Overtime
Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her
Great Fire
All You Pretty Girls
B.
The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
Ten Feet Tall
Boarded Up
Washaway
War Dance
And for good measure – yet another Kinks:
A.
This Is Where I Belong
Situation Vacant
Suzannah’s Still Alive
Get Back in Line
Dead End Street
B
Village Green Preservation Society
Lavender Lane
Days
Muswell Hillbilly
Waterloo Sunset
and, with apologies for breaking the strict rules, Doug Sahm across all the bands:
A.
San Fransisco FM Blues (the Sir Douglas Band, 1971)
At the Crossroads (Sir Douglas Quintet, 1969)
Sometimes/Cryin' Inside (Sir Doug & the Texas Tornados, 1976)
Keep You Soul (Sir Douglas Quintet, 1971)
All the Way to Nothing (Doug Sahm, 1980)
B.
In the Dark (Sir Douglas Quintet, 1970)
Cry (Doug Sahm, 1963)
And It Didn't Even Bring Me Down (Sir Douglas Quintet, 1969)
I Don't Want to Go Home (Wayne Douglas, 1970)
I'll Take Care of You (Doug Sahm, 1980)
Versions are important, as we all know.
/R, enthusiast.
Pretenders
ReplyDelete1
Precious
The Wait
Kid
Stop Your Sobbing
Bad Boys Get Spanked
2
Talk Of The Town
I Go To Sleep
Message Of Love
Don't Get Me Wrong
Human
Costello
1
Pump It Up
High Fidelity
Big Tears
Just A Memory
New Lace Sleeves
2
Beyond Belief
Man Out Of Time
I Want You
Tramp The Dirt Down
When Green Eyes Turn Blue
Just tried doing The Beatles and I had 15 songs before I hit "Beatles For Sale."
ReplyDeleteCrowded House, I went 9 out of 10 with your choices. I would have to include World Where You Live instead of Now We're Getting Somewhere. Hard to leave off Into Temptation and Better Be Home Soon, but there's only so many slots available.
ReplyDeleteI'm back as threatened!
ReplyDeleteDave Davies cover versions & brother Ray songs:
Side One
One Night With You
Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight
Party Line
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
Wicked Annabella
Side Two
Arthur
Come On Now
Wait Till The Summer Comes Along (Yes I know Dave wrote it but I forgot to include include it the first Dave Davies album!)
I'm A Lover Not A Fighter
Milk Cow Blues
Wow, that would make a great rock & roll album.
Captain Al
Someone To Love
ReplyDeleteRed Dragon Tattoo
A Dip in the Ocean
Little Red Light
Bright Future in Sales
The Girl I Can’t Forget
Maureen
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart
New Routine
Hackensack
FoW is tough for me to narrow down, had to leave off some gems
Oh, I'll do Fountains Of Wayne.
ReplyDeleteSIDE ONE
Red Dragon Tattoo
This Better Be Good
Leave The Biker
I-95
The Girl I Can't Forget
SIDE TWO
Hackensack
Michael & Heather At The Baggae Claim
A Fine Day For A Parade
Valley Winter Song
Radiation Vibe
If we're not already Kinksed-out...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Sal, this is brutal. However:
Victoria
Tired of Waiting for You
Oklahoma USA
Autumn Almanac
Strangers
Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues
Shangri-La
Get Back in Line
Better Things
Waterloo Sunset
Autumn Almanac
ReplyDeleteShangri-La
This Time Tomorrow
Dead End Street
Do You Remember Walter?
All Day and All of the Night
Scattered
Time Song
Two Sisters
Sweet Lady Genevieve
Here's Steely Dan
ReplyDelete-not an easy task
SIDE ONE:
Don't Take Me Alive
Bodhisttva
Home At Last
Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)
The Royal Scam
Side TWO:
My Old School
Any Major Dude
Black Friday
Show Biz Kids
Aja
He's a Whore
ReplyDeleteTaxman, Mr. Thief
Southern Girls
Come On, Come On
Dream Police
Way of the World
Stiff Competition
The Sun Never Sets
Downed
Auf Wiedersehen
Gotta throw a flag here, 15 yards, still third down.
ReplyDeleteBoth of those FOW lists are perfect for this purpose *except* neither includes "Cold Comfort Flowers."
One of the great pop songs, ever. I will fight you.
Otherwise, beautiful thread. Carry on.
Stats for Kinks: 13 lists of ten songs, 87 unique titles, the most mentioned (of course) Waterloo Sunset (8). There are, slightly annoyingly, eleven songs with three mentions or more:
ReplyDeleteTop 11:
Autumn Almanac (1967)
Better Things (1981)
Days (1968)
Dead End Street (1966)
Get Back In Line (1970)
I'm Not Like Everybody Else (1966)
Shangri La (1969)
Strangers (1970)
Sweet Lady Genevieve (1973)
Waterloo Sunset (1967)
A Well Respected Man (1965)
Here’s the full list of songs (including Dave Davies tracks):
20th Century Man
A Rock N Roll Fantasy
A Well Respected Man (3)
Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues
Alcohol
All Day and All of the Night
Art Lover
Arthur
Attitude
Australia
Autumn Almanac (7)
Berkeley Mews
Better Things (4)
Big Black Smoke (2)
Big Sky
Celluloid Heroes (2)
Come Dancing
Come On Now
Creeping Jean
David Watts
Days (6)
Dead End Street (3)
Dear Margaret (not on Spotify)
Death of a Clown (2)
Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Destroyer
Do You Remember Walter?
Drivin'
Get Back In Line (4)
God's Children
Good Day
Harry Rag
Hatred (A Duet)
Have Another Drink
Here Come the People in Grey
I'm a Lover Not a Fighter
I Am Free
I'm Not Like Everybody Else (3)
Juke Box Music
Kentucky Moon
King Kong
Lavender Hill
Lavender Lane (2)
Lincoln County
Living on a Thin Line
Love Me Till the Sun Shines
Milk Cow Blues
Mindless Child of Motherhood
Misfits
Misty water
Muswell Hillbilly
Nothin' In the World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl (2)
Oklahoma U.S.A. (2)
One Night With You
Party Line
Picture Book
Rosy Won't You Please Come Home
Scattered (2)
See My Friends (2)
Shangri La (4)
She's Got Everything (2)
Sitting In The Midday Sun
Situation Vacant (2)
Starstruck
Strangers (3)
Summer's Gone
Sunny Afternoon
Suzannah’s Still Alive
Sweet Lady Genevieve (3)
This Is Where I Belong (2)
This Man He Weeps Tonight
This Time Tomorrow (2)
Till the End of the Day (2)
Time Song
Tired of Waiting for You
Too Much on My Mind (2)
Trust Your Heart
Two Sisters (2)
Victoria
Village Green Preservation Society
Wait Till The Summer Comes Along
Waterloo Sunset (8)
Where Have All the Good Times Gone (2)
Wicked Annabella
Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight
Wonderboy
Young and Innocent Days
And here’s a link to a Spotify-list with one substitution: UK Jive is not available in my part of the world, so I have substituted “dear Margaret” with “Sitting in My Hotel”.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7HQ1vS4w7cc3WoCojVDjte?si=06975accaf834fe1
Also, I have not made any judgement calls on mono, single or remaster mixes, just a quick assembly of the songs for my own listening pleasure. Thanks Sal for the topic!
/R
BOB, sequenced.
ReplyDeleteSIDE ONE
Like A Rolling Stone
I Want You
It Ain't Me Babe
Mama, You've Been On My Mind
Most of The Time
SIDE TWO
Queen Jane Approximately
She's Your Lover Now
Positively 4th Street
You're A Big Girl Now
Mississippi