There's A Bright Side. (Compilations in general)

Name: Irp13

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Product:	Compilations in general
Date:	12.04.01 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See opinion.

Disadvantages: See opinion.

It seems that people are split down the middle on whether compilations are worth the money. Some people like to get all the latest hits on a couple of CD's, whilst others much prefer to buy the artists individual albums.

Pluses:

• Well you don't have to buy all those one hit wonders albums where all the album bar the singles are mediocre. Lets be honest there's nothing more depressing than when you get home with your brand new shrink wrapped album just to find that it is blandness incarnate, except for that single you heard on the radio the other week (exceptions may apply).

• You can get relatively good value, even in HMV, with two CD's at seventy minutes plus. After all they only cost around the same as three and a half singles these days.

• Generally they'll give you a good range of chart music of their specialist area of.

• You can find new artists. This is my personal reason for the acquisition of compilation albums, now whilst you are not likely to find anything great on the latest addition of the Now series, if you delve into the more obscure depths of the compilation rack your liable to find an album with a couple of artists that you know and a load you've never heard of, what opportunity for discovery. This really is the only way I discover new artists, as the kind of music I buy doesn't get played on the radio or TV (probably rarely even has a video). After all unless the mass media touch a song its never going to chart and never be played on the smaller radio stations.

• Some of the really bad ones make a rather attractive pair of coasters.

Minuses:

• Its got all those great hits on half of it and then it goes to the tracks where you have to grit your teeth to stop yourself fetching the axe and destroying your hi-fi.

• Can be an expensive way to buy those no longer published tracks, especially if you own
the most of the album.

• You can have large overlaps on the track listings if you buy several released at around the same time.

• Seems to be a trend to include a lot of classic tracks on certain types of compilations, a lot of these your already going to own.

• Most of the major high street chains will only stock chart and dance compilations unless your really willing to go through the racks.

• Some have that annoying tendency to be mix compilations, which can really, really irritate if you absolutely loath a song.

• It is really annoying when every compiler decides to use exactly the same song by a band when you desperately want to find out if they have anything else of comparable quality.

• Why is it that the CD you manage to spill your beer/coffee/other beverage on your favourite compilation?

Well there are the main points about compilations I can think of at the moment, however if I come up with more I will add them. A lot of the same points – especially the plus section – can be applied to soundtrack albums.

Summary: