Assorted compilations

It is often said that the arrival of the compilation album is one of the big reasons why the music industry is now in its death throes. Compilation is when tracks from various albums, most of them big hits, are compiled together in another album. These sell very well but also very effectively kill the album experience.

The album experience is when a listener gets into the heart and mind of an artist by listening to a complete album with songs, arrangement and even song sequence dictated by the artist. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, Thriller by Michael Jackson and Purple Rain by Prince are excellent examples. Listening to only one cut, even an extraordinary one can be compared to watching a scene from a movie. It may be great but is not the total picture.

Still these compilations are nice to listen to and keep old catalogues active. They are also great for the budget-conscious. Buyers get all the hits for the price of one album. And in this era of streaming, they help keep record sales alive. Here are some good ones among recent releases.

 Ultradance by Various Artists led by the big hit Summer performed by the really hot EDM king Calvin Harris. And I don’t say hot because he is currently Taylor Swift’s boyfriend and he makes hit albums. Harris is hot because he is the model for Armani’s underwear campaign. And you know what underwear models look like.

Anyway, back to Ultradance, which is made up of 38 EDM hits and remixes of big favorites. Among the cuts are All Of Me by John Legend remixed by Tiesto; Love Never Felt So Good remixed by Freddie Le Grand; Adore You by Miley Cyrus versus Cedric Gervais; Last Chance by Kaskade and Project 46; Under Control also by Harris but with Alesso featuring Hurts; Britney Spears’ Work B**** Dank Club Mix; Heart Of Glass by Gisele and Bob Sinclair; When The Lights Go Out by Will Sparks featuring Troi; Keep On Rocking by Basto; Crack by Brass Knuckles and The Cataracs; and others.

The Real…Frank Sinatra has the iconic recordings from the pre-Reprise period

For rockers, here is Playlist The Very Best Of Incubus with all of the big hits by the ‘90s alternative band led by Brandon Boyd, one of contemporary rock music’s greatest vocalists. A Certain Shade Of Green, Drive, Pardon Me, I Miss You, Wish You Were Here, Nice To Know You, Warning, Megalomaniac, Talk Shows On Mute, Dig, Anna-Molly, Love Hurts, Promises Promises and In The Company Of Wolves.

Here is something for those who think that the only recordings that the Ray Conniff Singers ever made were the Christmas songs in those much-loved Christmas albums. And I know there are many of you out there who do think that. This is your big surprise. From The Real… collection of original masters and for only P355, which is cheaper than if you were to stream all these songs, you get 60 recordings of pop hits from the past by the Ray Conniff Singers. Listen and get enchanted. 

It includes The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, The Way We Were, The Way You Look Tonight, Moon River, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, All By Myself, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, It Had To Be You, The Power Of Love, Unchained Melody, Where Do I Begin, Love Me Tender, Speak Softly Love, Somewhere My Love, Blue Moon, A Time For Us, I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing In Perfect Harmony, Up Up And Away (In My Beautiful Balloon), Seventeen and many others.

 Still from The Real… collection series from Columbia. This one is The Real…Frank Sinatra and it has the iconic recordings from the pre-Reprise period. Here is Sinatra before he started thinking he also had to sing New York, New York. Here he is tortured by love, a pained romantic who only looks forward to that one more for the road.

I’ve Got A Crush On You, Night And Day, I Only Have Eyes For You, I’ll Be Seeing You, Someone To Watch Over Me, I’m A Fool To Want You, Easy To Love/ I’ve Got You Under My Skin, The Nearness Of You, Stardust, That Old Black Magic, Autumn In New York, Blue Moon, One For My Baby (And One More For The Road), April In Paris, You Do Something To Me, There Will Never Be Another You, Embraceable You, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Hello Young Lovers, I Believe, September Song, Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread) You Go To My Head, The Birth Of The Blues and others.

Meanwhile, talk about artists who have taken it into themselves to do their bit towards saving the dying music industry. Did you know that the recordings of the Beatles, Prince, Garth Brooks, Bob Seger, Tom Yorke of Radiohead and Neil Young are up to now not available on any streaming site? You want their music? You can’t stream. Buy their albums.