Favorite Compilation Albums

I love Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968.

Then you might be diggin' these as well:

Yes, need to get those

History of Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton At His Best
Golden Butter: Best of the Butterfield Blues Band
& countless others

The 7 cd Skydog : The Duane Allman Retrospective box set comes to mind (mine is 04392/10000)...

How could I forget The John Prine Anthology, that’s the one I’ve been listening to - people come & go, music lives on - he was a gift, & RIP John

I posted years back B&P's for the Warner Brothers Loss Leaders series.
Some good and obscure stuff on those.
'

Rolling Stones: The Singles Collection

Wow those Nuggets disks look interesting. The Loss Leaders sound good too.
Funny in this era of deep catalog blitzkriegery how my go to compilations as a youngster were Hot Rocks, Worst of Jefferson Airplane, Skeletons From the Closet, and Duane Allman Anthology.

Yes, need to get those
I personally prefer the San Francisco set. Music and packaging wise. I would recommend getting that one first.

Some of these are huge sellers. Eagles Greatest Hits is the second best selling album of all time behind Thriller by Michael Jackson. 29 million copies. The band wasn't consulted about the release and Don Henley, Glen Frey and Don Felder all criticized the song selection and order and Henley said it was the lable making millions off the band without investing in production costs. Of course the band member writers of the songs have made millions of dollars of additional income and did nothing for it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd has one that is actually their biggest selling release. 5 million copies with the biggest tracks from their first several albums. The band had dissolved when it was released after the plane crash. Record lable MCA cashing in!!
Polygram cashed in with the Allman Brothers in 1991 with 1969-1979 A Decade Of Hits. Over 2 million copies and millions for the lable that acquired the bankrupt Capricorn catalog and Gregg, Dickey and the other writers. Duane Allman's estate made money off Little Martha. It is the only release by the Allman Brothers to sell over a million copies since 1973's Brother and Sisters. Butch Trucks was pissed in the 90's about not making a dime off it while Dickey and Gregg cleaned up.
I guess my most recent compilation album I like is the live tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Warren Haynes is on a song and Gregg and the others do a fantastic version of Tuesdays Gone.
[Edited on 4/19/2020 by blackey]

Here is Gregg Allman doing Tursdays Gone. Anyone know who the guitarist is? He is spot on with that SG.

Bob Marley's Legend is a good one. Only a single disc collection, but it feels like an actual album, not just a greatest hits album.

Audley Freed

Bob Marley's Legend is a good one. Only a single disc collection, but it feels like an actual album, not just a greatest hits album.
Yes, good call & I feel the same way about the Buffalo Springfield’s Retrospective album
Worst Of too somewhat - always liked how Volunteers followed We Can Be Together on that comp - the songs flow seamlessly
Flight Log is a much-overlooked Airplane comp
[Edited on 4/19/2020 by Stephen]

Bob Marley's Legend is a good one. Only a single disc collection, but it feels like an actual album, not just a greatest hits album.
YES!

There are a bunch of great tracks on this one. It's Senegalese music with a strong Latin influence. https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/senegal-70-sonic-gems-previously-unreleased-recordings-from-the-70s
The long jam in "Ayiro" might remind you of a section of "Back Where It All Begins" or something by the Dead," maybe.
Putumayo has a bunch of great world music compilations. My favorite might be "Mali to Memphis," which has songs by Rokia Traore, John Lee Hooker, Amadou & Miriam, Jesse Mae Hamphill, Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/mali-to-memphis-an-african-american-odyssey-mw0000602475

I was in high school in the mid-90’s and they came out with two 2-disc Beatles compilations.
One was in red packaging, which was the early years.
The other was blue packaging, and was the later years.
I LOVED the blue set. Great start to a bit of a deeper dive into the band.

There are a bunch of great tracks on this one. It's Senegalese music with a strong Latin influence. https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/senegal-70-sonic-gems-previously-unreleased-recordings-from-the-70s
The long jam in "Ayiro" might remind you of a section of "Back Where It All Begins" or something by the Dead," maybe.Putumayo has a bunch of great world music compilations. My favorite might be "Mali to Memphis," which has songs by Rokia Traore, John Lee Hooker, Amadou & Miriam, Jesse Mae Hamphill, Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/mali-to-memphis-an-african-american-odyssey-mw0000602475
I have a few compilations of music from Africa and South America that are great.

Thinking at least a double album. Have these from when I was amassing my record collection in the early '80s as an 11-14 year old (with older brothers). I got individual albums in addition to these later.
Neil Young - Decade
Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks 1964-1971
Skynyrd - Gold & Platinum
Beatles - 1967-1970
The Who - The Kid's are Alright
The Who - Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy
Bob Marley - Legend
The Kink Kronikles
CCR - Chronicle, Vol. 1
Heart - Greatest Hits/Live
And others.....

This is a good one.
Disc 1
"Are You Ready" - Sasquatch (originally performed by Grand Funk Railroad)
"Crazy Horses" - Puny Human (originally performed by The Osmonds)
"Red Hot Mama" - Clutch & Five Horse Johnson (originally performed by Funkadelic)
"Rock Candy" - Dixie Witch (originally performed by Montrose)
"Don't Lie to Me" - The Brought Low (originally performed by Big Star)
"Sin City" - Novadriver (originally performed by AC/DC)
"One Way or Another" - Colour Haze (originally performed by Cactus)
"Man on the Silver Mountain" - Alabama Thunderpussy (originally performed by Rainbow)
"Mongoloid" - Dozer (originally performed by Devo)
"The Stake" - Acid King (originally performed by Steve Miller Band)
"Honky Cat" - Halfway to Gone (originally performed by Elton John)
"Those Shoes" - Antler (originally performed by The Eagles)
"Outlaw Man" - Brad Davis (Fu Manchu) (originally performed by The Eagles)
"Season of the Witch" - Gideon Smith & the Dixie Damned (originally performed by Donovan)
"Runnin' With the Devil" - Whitey Morgan and the Waycross Georgia Farmboys (originally performed by Van Halen)
Disc 2
"I Just Wanna Make Love to You" - Throttlerod (originally performed by Muddy Waters, covered by many 1970s bands)
"Saturday Night Special" - Red Giant (originally performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
"Bonie Moronie" - A Thousand Knives of Fire (originally performed by Ritchie Valens)
"Rock 'n' Roll Singer" - The Glasspack (originally performed by AC/DC)
"When the Levee Breaks" - Roadsaw (originally performed by Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis Minnie & covered by Led Zeppelin)
"Super Stupid" - Greatdayforup (originally performed by Funkadelic)
"Turn to Stone" - Fireball Ministry (originally performed by Joe Walsh)
"Born to Be Wild" - Los Natas (originally performed by Steppenwolf)
"Two of Us" - Scott Reeder (originally performed by The Beatles)
"New Rose" - Orange Goblin (originally performed by The Damned)
"Garden Road" - Mos Generator (originally performed by Rush)
"Snortin' Whiskey" - Honky (originally performed by Pat Travers)
"I Don't Need No Doctor" - The Muggs (originally performed by Ray Charles & covered by Humble Pie)
"Neighbor, Neighbor" - Amplified Heat (originally performed by ZZ Top)
"Parchment Farm" - RPG (originally performed by Bukka White, covered by many 1970s bands)
"Dreamweaver" - Valis (originally performed by Gary Wright)
This is the follow-up. I don't have the first one, but this one is good.

Stones had a bunch, Through The Past Darkly, Metamorphisis, The 2 xclnt Hot Rocks albums, Sucking in the 70s, 40 Licks, the newer Jump Back
Must also mention Boston Gets Stoned, a comp of Stones covers by various Boston area bands (mine is on cassette:cool: )
That is some comp right there nebish, the title made me think of the Stones ones (hadn’t known about Jump Back) - eclectic songs/bands, eclecticier cover ya, way cool
[Edited on 4/20/2020 by Stephen]

Maybe IPowrie is open for any kind of compilations but i was under the impression that he meant "various artists" compilations of a certain genre / theme. But i guess all recommendations are welcome!

What's Shakin', an Elektra compilation from 1966. There's no theme to the album, so I figure it's leftovers that the company parlayed into a random collection. Amazon lists various versions. It includes The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Lovin' Spoonful, Al Kooper, Tom Rush, and three songs by Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse: Eric, Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Paul Jones (Manfred Mann's lead singer), Pete York, and Ben Palmer. https://www.discogs.com/artist/298085-Eric-Clapton-And-The-Powerhouse.
Billastro

Maybe IPowrie is open for any kind of compilations but i was under the impression that he meant "various artists" compilations of a certain genre / theme. But i guess all recommendations are welcome!
I was but this is a pretty good list especially when it comes to groups that all you need is a compilation album from.

Istanbul 70- Psych, Disco, Folk Classics is another favorite of mine

Any of the Fat Possum compilations.

Lots of good ones mentioned already.
The Eagles: Both volumes one and two. If you want the radio hits, they are there.
Bob Marley: As was mentioned it is only one disc and the songs are short but they sure are fun. When I had a boat years ago I always played that when I took her out. Awesome fun, summer songs.
John Prine: Another great one.
Along those lines, Emmylou Harris: She had a nice history working with John Prine. Her anthology is great.
Audley Freed? Didn't know he had one.
Duane: Of course. That release is awesome. With all of the session work he did? Wow.
Skynyrd: That three disc set is really good. Very inclusive of their work.
Few others: I'm surprised One More Try by Gregg hasn't been mentioned.
Buddy Guy: Can't Quit the Blues.
Freddie King: Taking Care of Business. Might take you two days to listen to all of that.
Etta James: The Essential Etta James
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.

Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,

Wow JSZ, I did not realize that "Rainbow: Ballads and Instrumentals" even existed!!!
I have often thought that a Blackmore-all-instrumental was merited, whether compilation or new stuff. And there it is.
From the DP days, we have a few more of those to toss in...
- 75 Forums
- 15 K Topics
- 191.6 K Posts
- 70 Online
- 24.7 K Members