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Post by Alan on May 16, 2022 17:47:45 GMT
Alan, why would you remove tracks from either of the two original Greatest Hits albums? Both were released on vinyl with the full original tracklist. Two reasons: to remove some of the tracks that shouldn’t really be on greatest hits albums, and because it’s generally accepted that the longer a vinyl album is, the more the sound quality is compromised. The 15-track Greatest Hits is 48 minutes, which isn’t too bad (though 40 minutes seems to be the norm now, hence Voyage’s 37 minutes). Greatest Hits Vol 2 is way too long at 58 minutes. Not quite sure how they got away with that one but presumably 1970s vinyl buyers weren’t too fussed with sound quality. I’m not saying I like it - I don’t like altering historic albums - but got to be realistic. They just wouldn’t release a vinyl album that long nowadays without splitting it into two discs. From a commercial point of view that’s not good as we’re trying to sell a three-disc compilation. Note that the new albums box has a bonus disc of just 10 tracks, so I’m probably pushing it at 12. Re-releasing historic compilations isn’t that unusual though, however redundant they may be. David Bowie’s ChangesOneBowie and ChangesTwoBowie have both been re-released in recent years, even though all the tracks can be found on numerous other Bowie compilations. One has 11 tracks and Two has 12, so they were able to release them as originally presented. ABBA’s are too long for that. I do see some merit in them re-releasing the original two Greatest Hits albums as they are though. As they both came in gatefold sleeves, a two-disc set for both of them can be done, though keeping the CD versions to one disc. They’d appeal to the same audience as the coloured vinyls and picture discs. I’d want the international park bench design though for the first one. The cartoon artwork has already been done. |
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Post by Michal on May 16, 2022 17:53:48 GMT
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Post by Alan on May 16, 2022 18:00:34 GMT
I’ve edited my previous post before I saw yours, Michal, but I suppose it depends if we’re appealing to a niche market (as Queen are) or a wider one. I did see some very negative comments about the Queen one, but doubtless they’ll sell enough to make it worthwhile. |
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Post by gamleman on May 16, 2022 18:56:29 GMT
I didn't realise Greatest Hits Vol 2 is 58 mins long. Actually, the sound quality is pretty good - at least it is on my UK Epic pressing. I remember the inner sleeve had a strong 'new' smell for quite some time. Did other people find that?
Some of the best sound quality can be found on The Singles album - for some reason, the VV tracks sound much better than on the VV album (UK pressing).
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Post by Alan on May 16, 2022 22:14:07 GMT
A reason for the original Greatest Hits’ slightly odd tracklisting is that it was copied from The Best of ABBA, a 12-track compilation released by Polydor in Europe in August 1975 and also Australia (same tracklisting and running order, different artwork) later in 1975.
Greatest Hits was released to counteract imports of this other compilation. They added Another Town Another Train, He Is Your Brother and (much later) Fernando. Its European origins mean that songs that were hits in only one or two countries were included, namely:
Hasta Mañana - South Africa: No. 2, Italy: No: 28 (later a hit in Aus and NZ).
Nina, Pretty Ballerina - Austria: No. 8
Bang-A-Boomerang - France (minor hit). Svenne & Lotta’s original version only really a hit in Scandinavian countries.
Another Town, Another Train - Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia): No. 18
Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) - not released as a single anywhere.
Greatest Hits Vol 2:
Rock Me - Australia: No. 4, New Zealand: No. 2. However, in both cases the single was quite literally I Do, I Do, I Do flipped over and re-promoted as Rock Me. The 7” singles were identical, and it was not originally intended as a double A-side.
I Wonder - not released as a single anywhere.
It’s therefore these seven tracks that wouldn’t make it onto a modern ABBA compilation. The benchmark here is The Definitive Collection (international edition) which didn’t feature any of them.
Still, if we’re moving away from the idea of this “Platinum Collection” being a mainstream release intended for a wide audience to one that’s merely for fans and collectors, the tracks could remain as part of an historical context.
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Post by gamleman on May 17, 2022 13:29:33 GMT
I think the original tracklisting of the Greatest Hits album with singles and restricted-release singles was part of its eventual success. They wouldn't have had much to put on the album if they'd included only their wider single releases up to that time (seven singles in the UK). Once it was released in the UK in the aftermath of their No 1 with "Mamma Mia" and alongside "Fernando", it served as a catch-up album for new fans featuring many of the highlights of the "Waterloo" and "ABBA" albums. I imagine real ABBA fans were rather thin on the ground in the UK before this album, so it must have introduced many fans to ABBA who would go on to buy their later studio albums. I suppose it was ABBA's equivalent of the Carpenters' "The Singles: 1969-1973". I think it has such importance in the success of ABBA that it deserves a commemorative release on vinyl and CD - that is with the bench cover rather than the horrid cartoon cover.
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Post by Alan on May 17, 2022 17:15:31 GMT
I agree with all of that, gamleman, and I was never disputing it, but I think we were talking at cross-purposes. My thought-process was that it would be a full-on commercial release intended for the masses, but utilising some of the tracklisting, running order and artwork of the original Greatest Hits releases into a completely new set. If we’re talking about a catalogue release for collectors, then yes, re-release exactly as they were and nix the Volume 3 idea. |
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 7, 2022 21:46:29 GMT
Never understood I wonder being on GH2. Think better titles for the Compilations would have been Best of Abba 1 and 2 and 3 allowing for album tracks to be included.
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