COM005 Idlewild

Idlewild – The Collection (UK: 26th Apr – EMI Gold)

All good things come to an end, Idlewild will be on indifinite hiatus. Their previous label asked the band to select their own favoutire songs to make up this compilation, which includes their finest momnets from their Food/Parlophone years. Just two years before, another compilation called Scottish Fiction was released by EMI for commercial purpose. Back catalogue

COM004 Pavement

Pavement – Quarantine The Past: The Best Of
US: 9th Mar – Matador
UK: 8th Mar – Domino

First official best of compilation for Lo-Fi/Indie God Pavement, to coincide the band’s reunion and tour. Twenty-three tracks from their five albums and one EP between 1991 and 1999. Treasures for new and old fans.

Back catalogue:
Terror Twilight (Matador/Domino, 1999)
Brighten The Corners (Matador/Domino, 1997)
Wowee Zowee (Matador/Big Cat, 1995)
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Matador/Big Cat, 1994)
Westing (By Musket & Sextant) (Drag City/Big Cat, 1993)
Slanted & Enchanted (Matador/Big Cat, 1992)

COM003 NME

NME The Album 2009
UK: 16th Nov – Rhino

As traditional, NME would have presented an album consisted of best tracks of the year. It’s like ‘The best the album in the world’ series or later ‘The band’ series from Virgin/EMI. 40 tracks altogether give a review of 2009, surely commercially. This compilation is the first cooperation with WEA/Rhino, the title was previously known as ‘Essentinal Band’ and were released by Universal.

Essential Bands

COM002 Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol – Up To Now
UK: 9th Nov – Fiction/Polydor
US: 10th Nov – Interscope

The career of Snow Patrol can be split into two parts, part one the indie label years under Jeepster with more Indie sound and the second part in major label Polydor with mainstream sucess. Up To Now is their first best of compilation collecting tracks from all five studio albums up to now. Thirty tracks are included in this double disc collection with each disc contains fifteen separately. Most tracks are from three Polydor albums, with only six tracks from the first two Jeespster ones, along with three new or previously unreleased tracks, and two live tracks, also a cover of Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’. In additional, two tracks of The Reindeer Section (one time Scottish supergroup) are also included.

Back catalogue:
A Hundred Million Suns (Fiction/Polydor, 2008)
Eyes Open (Fiction/Polydor, 2006)
Final Straw (Fiction/Polydor, 2003)
When It’s All Over We Still Have To Clear Up (Jeepster, 2001)
Songs For Polarbears (Jeepster, 1998)
& The Reindeer Section
Son Of Evil Reindeer (Bright Star, 2002)
Y’All Get Scared Now, Ya Hear! (Bright Star, 2001)

COM001 Blur

Midlife: A Beginner’s Guide To Blur
UK: 15th Jun – Parlophone
US: 28th Jul – Virgin

The compilation to be coordinated the re-form of Blur, selecting 25 singles or album tracks over Blur’s 20 years career into a double CD volume. Midlife, the compilation to be introduced to new fans of Blur, is the first official album to feature 1992’s standalone single ‘Popscene’, but it’s a shame that ‘Country House’ which was a massive hit in 1995 is not included in it.

Back catalogue: (studio albums)
Think Tank (Parlophone, 2003)
13 (Food, 1999)
Blur (Food, 1997)
The Great Escape (Food, 1995)
Parklife (Food, 1994)
Modern Life Is Rubbish (Food, 1993)
Leisure (Food, 1991)

Year 2000, Food/Parlophone to release their first ever official compilation, simply titled ‘The Best Of’, which collecting 17 tracks from ‘Leisure’ to ’13’ along with a new track ‘Music Is My Radar’.

One year before ‘The Best Of’, 1999 is tenth anniversary of Blur’s formation, a strictly limited box set which includes all 22 singles, each one with its original b-sides were made in a separate CD. This was also released by Food/Parlophone.

Toshiba/EMI Japan had been released a Japan-only b-sides collection ‘The Special Collectors Edition’ for Blur in 1994, compiling tracks from the first three albums.

#08114 Belle & Sebastian

Belle & Sebastian – The BBC Sessions

UK: 17th Nov – Jeepster

US: 18th Nov – Matador

 

The BBC Sessions collect four sessions Belle & Sebastian ever recorded between 1996 to 2001. Including two Mark Radcliffe Sessions, one Evening Session and one John Peel Session, four previously unreleased tracks. A limited pack also contains disc 2, a live performance in Belfast, 21/12/2001. An essential for Belle & Sebastian and all other Chamber Pop fans.

#08101 The Jesus And Mary Chain

The Jesus And Mary Chain – The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities

UK: 29th Sep – Rhino

US: 30th Sep – Rhino

 

Following the reunion of The Jesus And Mary Chain, a 4CD collection of B-Sides & rarities (just as the title suggests) is put out by Rhino in their traditional way of package. The Power Of Negative Thinking contians 81 tracks mainly B-Sides from their debut single in Creation 1984 thru Blanco Y Negro/WEA years and an end back to Creation in 1998. There are 8 tracks of demo or alternate takes to be issued for the first time, notably the first track ‘Up Too High’, a demo made in cassette in 1983. This set is essential for all JAMC fans.

#08097/98 Daniel Wylie & Cosmic Rough Riders

Daniel Wylie & Cosmic Rough Riders – The Very Best Of

Daniel Wylie – Car Guitar Star

UK: 11th Feb / 18th Aug – Neon Tetra

 

Daniel Wylie was unknown until his Cosmic Rough Riders was signed by Alan McGee to his Poptones label, at that time he had already past 40. Initially Cosmic Rough Riders is actually a one man project for Daniel, then became a band and released two albums in Poptones (one is B-sides collection). Measured label was formed to release Cosmic Rough Riders’ records, but this time Daniel had left and let other memebers continued to use that band name. In 2004, he released an album under Danile Wylie for the first time, Car Guitar Star is the third now released via Daniel’s own label Neon Tetra, the album consisted of 11 tracks of Americana, should be his most mature album to date. Before this, a collection of his early works had been released, credited to both Daniel Wylie & Cosmic Rough Riders.

#08055 Radiohead

Radiohead – The Best Of

UK: 2nd Jun – Parlophone

 

Career-spanning retrospective album for Radiohead, which collects their best songs from their six albums for Parlophone. Over half of the 18 tracks are taken from their most sucessful albums ‘The Bends’ & ‘OK Computer’. In addition to the single disc edition, there’s also a double disc version available, a 13-track disc 2 which is focused on more tracks from the other albums and some rarities. As the popularity that Radiohead made, this compilation is not a big deal for die hard fans, it’s only for beginners.

#08052 The Vines

The Vines – The Best Of

US: 11th Mar – Capitol

UK: 5th May – Heavenly

 

Retrospetive album for Capitol era recordings of The Vines, who were dropped by their label after three albums. The Aussie post grunge band emerged as one of the best band in 2002 for the release of their debut Highly Evolved, the failure of two following albums end up being dropped. This compilation collects 16 tracks from these three albums, simply titled Best Of, is not essential but necesscery.