There are a lot of things unexpected about 2020 that are less than enjoyable… You know, like the raging pandemic threatening to destroy civilization as we know it and ruining pretty much all joys in life. One surprisingly pleasant thing is the return of the “Greatest Hits” record. With the whole “spending 100% of my time at home” business that comes with life right now, I’m finding myself putting more music on my turntable and doing a lot less streaming and making playlists. The sound is warmer, and the ceremony of putting on a record continues to fill me with great joy. The “greatest hits” format also means you get the songs that have followed you around- the songs they played live, the tracks you’d hear out and about, back when going out and about was a thing you could do without risking your life and the lives of all your loved ones. It’s comforting to reminisce about the pre-pandemic life over the joy of a hits compilation.
I’m also an apartment dweller in the Bay Area, so shelf space is at a premium.
To celebrate John Lennon’s 80th Birthday, the Lennon estate has released the 150th John Lennon “hits” collection. And, normally, that wouldn’t be cause for must interest. But, although I have a great love for Lennon’s solo work from a songwriting and arrangement perspective, a lot of those recordings sounded sort of “tinny” and thin. GIMME SOME TRUTH. THE ULTIMATE MIXES. features 36 of the finest cuts in the Lennon canon, re-mixed by Dhani Harrison collaborator Paul Hicks. Everything sounds more alive and vital… You can feel how angry Lennon would be if he were alive today. This release can be picked up here in both 2 and 4 LP sets.
Somehow, The Beastie Boys have avoided getting “overly compiled,” with only one other proper greatest hits album to their name. And that record was released before their swan song, The Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2 was released. The record, simply called Music, is coming out on October 23rd, and features hits from every record they’ve released, starting with License To Ill. And, of course, to quote “Sure Shot,” be sure to “listen on wax, not using the CD.” Music can be preordered here. Oh, and Record Store Day Black Friday is giving us the compilation of their hardcore punk days, Some Old Bullshit. You can pick that up at your local indie record store on November 27th.
I’ve been spending a lot of time with The White Stripes during the last seven months that the entire world has been stuck at home. My one year old seems to really like them, and it puts me back to a time when I was at a show three or more times a week. Since all of their music was recorded straight to analog, anyways, vinyl is the way to go. But my current collection consists of De Stijl and their Peel Sessions. I’ve been wanting to flesh out my collection, but that’s both expensive and would take up a lot of real estate. I am greatly relieved that, on December 3rd, My Sister Thanks You, And I Thank You is coming out to help me get the breadth of The White Stripes on vinyl, without needing to buy a second record shelf. You can preorder the regular 2 LP version here, or you can join the Third Man Records Vault and get a full third LP of b-sides and rarities, plus White Stripes magnet poetry and other goodies. You have to join by October 31st to get this package, however.
