Very Best of Soul Asylum out 01/25 - String of Pearls

[SleazyStreet]

Another Soul Asylum compilation. Your thoughts?

http://www.amazon.com/Playlist-Very-Bes ... d_sxp_f_pt

01. Never Really Been (Live)
02. Cartoon
03. Easy Street
04. Somebody To Shove
05. Runaway Train
06. By The Way
07. Black Gold
08. Sexual Healing
09. Misery
10. Without A Trace (Live)
11. Just Like Anyone
12. When I Ran Off & Left Her
13. I Will Still Be Laughing (Live)
14. Stand Up And Be Strong

[philipgar]

It's not a horrible playlist, but there are some issues with it. First, it's too short, if it's going to be a CD, it might as well be 75 minutes... That means 18 or 19 songs normally. 14 songs just seems short.

There are also some horrible omissions from this.... The most obvious one is Closer To The Stars... give an acoustic version, or an acoustic/electric one, that is a NECESSITY in any soul asylum best of list.

Then looking over the listing, there are a handful of songs they put on there that I can't help but thing "WHAT, why is that on there?" It almost seems like they picked a couple obscure tracks to make it look like they were fan favorites, when they really pulled them out at random. By The Way stands out the most. Sure it's a good song, but seriously? If we're going to dig a song off the runaway train single, go with Fearless Leader, that at least got rereleased later. Then there's Sexual Healing and When I Ran Off and Left Her. . .sure they're both good covers, but of the 14 Soul Asylum songs, you really wanted those covers? I suppose if it was Sexual Healing and Summer of Drugs I'd be happier. Sexual Healing shows their goofy cover side, and Summer of Drugs is a cover song that SA has definitely made their own over the years.

The other strange selection is I Will Still Be Laughing... sure it was the single from CFAS, but I'm pretty sure a selection of Close of Dragging the Lake or Cradle Chain might be more appropriate there. Also, I'd switch Stand Up and Be Strong with All Is Well or Oxygen.

other songs to potentially add:
We 3
String of Pearls or Nice Guys (they need a good story song)
Stranger

It really sounds like a good idea for a collection series like this, but I doubt they had much input from the band or real fans. . . Looks more rushed to me... and besides, what is the target market for a CD like this?

phil

[blueharvest]

huh.

I guess I agree with Phil (as I usually do) except for his saying that 'String of Pearls' is a good story song. Sorry, not a fan of that one. It would be ok if made any sense and had a point.

It's a very GDU era heavy setlist. I prefer the pre GDU era so I'm glad to see it represented with a few tracks. I can't say that there are any really awful choices on here but "Very Best"? No. "Best" Nuh-uh. "Decent Commercially Viable Collection of SA Songs" Ok, I guess.

I'll just stand by my original reaction. Huh.

J

[Sometime to Return]

Does SA have any control of these “greatest hits” that get released? I can’t imagine that Dave or Dan are on board with the idea of a “greatest hits” or if they are; certainly not this list. This is a terrible collection; it’s “someone” trying to “be cute” and it’s to short with to many covers.

Also; much like a concert set list is fun to debate, no SA “greatest hits” can have a song from CFAS.

[philipgar]

I mentioned the bands input due to this "editorial comment" about the series:

Welcome to the Playlist series. Painstakingly compiled by the artists and the music nuts at Legacy Recordings, these collections truly represent an artists' complete body of work. We've fished through hundreds-thousands-of tracks to cherry pick the perfect playlists. Not just the hits (anyone can find those). The life changing cuts. The out-of-print tracks. The fan favorites everyone loves. The songs that make the artist who they are.

You’ll no doubt enjoy the sound of the beautifully remastered songs on this CD (as opposed to MP3's that contain less information, which translate into compromised sound). But we think the thing you'll appreciate most about this Playlist is that even though you didn't make it, you might wish you did.

I figured it was a complete load of BS, but...

Phil

[dells]

Phil already covered the glaring problems with this playlist.

It's def not a "very best of" playlist that Sony Legacy is lying about in the claim that the playlist they came up with "truly represent an artists' complete body of work".

As Phil pointed out, a "very best of" tracklist should def include
Closer To The Stars
We 3
Stranger
a story song (Nice Guys is probably the better choice for a playlist intended to convert new fans, but I could live with String of Pearls, which may be a bit trippy, but does still make sense and tell an interesting story)

I think the covers could have been left off.

[SleazyStreet]

While it's understandable some of the positions taken here with this hits set, a few points to note, from this fan's purview:
- Covers have always been an integral part of the Soul Asylum experience, especially live, so its cool to have a couple examples here.
- The rawer live versions of "Never", "Laughing" & "Trace" to me always accentuated the original songs.
- The Playlist series appears to be limited to 14 tracks (from looking at other titles), hence the lower price point and limited sets.
- This Playlist set seems to attempt to "fill-in" or expand on 2000's "Black Gold" comp, so as not to be ridiculously redundant.
- Quite a few of these "rarities" have not been previously available in remastered form ("By The Way", "Never Really (Live)", "Sexual", "Ran Off")

That said, overall, to me it's a fun set of SA tracks, and perhaps while not definitive, or perfect, gives a fairly decent and rounded portrait of the band.

Just curious, if you saw Soul Asylum play tonight and they did this setlist front to back, would you be disappointed?

[mystic_spiral_3]

There are already several compilation cds. I don't see the need for this one. When I read the post fast yesterday, I thought it was really just some dude's playlist, like people make on I-tunes.

[triumph3434]

Yea, I would rather it just didnt exist. Now People get on amazon, type in, "Best of Soul Asylum" and find this one is cheaper than Black Gold and get it. Then they miss out on a lot, and might find some amazing songs they otherwise wouldnt hear.

I listened to that Best of Bob Dylan 12 Track CD when I was akid, and I loved it. Thought it was awesome. Never bought any full albums though... Then I was given The Essential Bob Dylan, Two Disc Set with like 40 songs. I was like, "holly crap, all these songs are way better than the ones on the best of". Then got a bunch of the albums. i had no idea what I was missing. I diddnt know I was missing anything because I thought I had the Best of CD. Clearly, I Didnt.

So the people who buy this new one will be missing out on a lot


And Cmon, Oxygen diddnt make it? I dont know how oxygen diddnt get more attention than it did. That song is amazing.

[spodiba]

What triumph and phil said.
Also, I agree with your pick of the songs that should have been included.
Come on guys, what's wrong with String of Pearls?
And what elese should have been included - Marionette!
Yeah, the compilation is not even remotely representative of the band's "body of work". And yeah, who makes these compilations? why? I know, Legacy Recordings, but why? No, seriously, I don't get it. why not let the band make the compilation on their own? though I doubt they'd be interested in something like that.