Reviews
Gift lists include ‘greatest hits’
By Chuck Love joy
The onset of the holiday season
often brings the consumer the
anxiety and confusion related to
holiday gift-giving.
As Christmas draws closer, and
the time for exchanging gifts
approaches with it, most people
rack their brains trying to decide on
that perfect gift. This year, record
companies across America have
decided to take some of this burden
off the consumer.
This holiday season the record
stores have been flooded with a
wave of “greatest hits” albums by
performers from every area of the
musical spectrum. Because each
consists of an artist’s best-known
songs, the albums are perfect gifts
for any music lover.
Leading the group of albums are
several by a pack of rock music’s
oldest and most successful groups,
including Fleetwood Mac, REO
Speedwagon, Journey and The
Who.
Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits
examines the group’s 20-year
career and also includes two new
songs, Christine McVie’s “As Long
As You Follow, ” a great new single,
and Stevie Nicks’ “No Questions
Asked. ” The cassette and CD
formats contain three hits not
included on the album format.
The Hits, REO Speedwagon’s
greatest, likewise contains new
tracks. The group’s latest song,
“Here With Me, ” and “Don’t Want
to Lose You” are both deserving of
their places on the album.
Journey’s hits collection doesn’t
contain any new songs, but does
contain two songs formerly
available only on movie
soundtracks — “Only the Young”
and “Ask the Lonely. ”
In honor of The Who’s 25th
anniversary, MCA Records has
released Who’s Better, Who’s Best.
The two-record set spans the
group’s one-quarter century career
from their early hit, “My
Generation,” to their ’80s classic
“You Better, You Bet. ”
In the solo rock catergory, Paul
Simon is represented with
Negotiations and Love Songs,
1971-1986, which examines
Simon’s career from his days with
Art Garfunkel to his recent
bestselling album, Graceland.
Kiss, a long-surviving hard rock
group, is destined to make waves
with its album, Smashes, Thrashes
and Hits. Kiss’ hits album contains
a new version of their classic ballad
“Beth, ” with drummer Eric Carr on
vocals.
Two new songs on the record
should drive the Parents’ Music
Resource Center, the conservative
group advocating a rating system
for rock albums, completely crazy.
The songs’ titles, “Let’s Put the X in
Sex” and “You Make Me Rock
Hard, ” speak for themselves.
The best of a couple of newer
pop/rock groups are also in stores.
R.E.M.’s greatest are featured on
Eponymous, an album compiled
by the group’s former label, IRS
Records, against the band’s wishes.
The band objected to the album
because its release coincided with
the release of their new album,
Green, and because they simply do
not like greatest hits albums.
Still, the IRS collection is worth a
look. It contains several R.E.M.
classics and a few reworkings of
older tunes, including the original
version of “Radio Free Europe,” an
alternate version of “Gardening at
Night” and a remix of “Finest
Worksong. ” Another song,
“Romance,” which was previously
unavailable on any R.E.M. album,
is also included.
Another young group, the British
trio Bananarama, has released The
Greatest Hits Collection. Along
with the older songs, the album
contains the group’s latest dance
smash, “Love, Truth and
Honesty. ”
Rock performers are not the only
ones to release hits collections.
Some of country music’s best have
similar albums in the stores.
The mother-daughter duo, the
Judds, recorded two new songs for
their hits album, “Give a Little
Love” and “Change of Heart ” The
remainder of the album consists of
their best gentle songcraft.
Country soloists Kenny Rogers
and Reba McEntire also have new
greatest hits albums, although
neither of theirs contains any new
material. Considering the
popularity of these two stars, their
albums are still a sure bet for a
good gift.
The rhythmic hits of Earth, Wind
& Fire are available on The Best of
Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. II, a
danceable collection which also
includes their latest dance floor
anthem, “Turn On (The Beat
Box).”
The synthesizer-based songs of
albums
Art of Noise make up The Best of
Art of Noise. A highlight of the
album is the band’s new single, a
remake of Prince’s “Kiss,” which
features Las Vegas regular Tom
Jones on vocals. The song also
contains computer sampl ed tidbits
of some of the group’s previous
singles, including “Peter Gunn”
and “Paranoimia, ” both of which
are featured on the album.
For those with a more comical
taste, “WeirdAl” Yankovic’s
Greatest Hits is sure to please. The
Prince of Parody’s album contains
all his classics, including his two
Michael Jackson takeoffs, “Eat It”
and “Fat,” and his Madonna spoof,
“Like a Surgeon.”
Because they contain the best of
some of music’s best, any one of
these albums, or several, are sure
to please any music lover. Plus, the
buyer can be sure they will be
played more than once.
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Thursday, Dec. t, 1988/At Ease/Page 5