One of the discs I chose was a favorite vocalist, who released a so-called greatest hits compilation in 2007. I'd never heard it, but a quick look at the track list made me realize that a few new tracks had been recorded for the CD. Right there, it's not really a list of hits, unless they're making the wild assumption that all the new tracks will be among the most popular for this artist, historically. Even I'm not that optimistic, folks!
I began to listen to the disc in the car, while running my other errands for the evening. I then realized that two tracks, both duets, had been re-recorded with new performers. So the hit songs in this collection of greatest hits are not the versions that became hits. Will these new versions surpass the other versions in popularity? I doubt it, because we often associate the first version with our idea of what the song ought to sound like.
This distills down to seven or eight tracks from the original CD releases. Greatest hits indeed. If I'd bought this disc instead of borrowing it, I would definitely be crying "foul!" Something has definitely gone awry with marketing and advertising in this country. Sheesh. (P.S. Both of the new duets are so-so according to me, as are two of the new tracks.)
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1 comment:
Hi Sharon!
As you know, I am a big fan of Weird Al Yankovic, who has released several compilations over the years. The only one I ever purchased was the "Permanent Record: Al In A Box." This included four CDs of "hits", one original song, and a pretty thick booklet with a biography, etc. I didn't feel cheated, but I already owned most of the songs. I see what you mean about the perils of the Greatest Hits albums.
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