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BUY THE CD
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With the release of every best-of compilation comes the inevitable controversy. Fans debate song selection, complaining about songs that made the cut that shouldn’t have—and those that should have but didn’t. Then come the usual arguments against compilations in general. Some say that it’s just a way for bands and/or labels to drain fans’ pockets. Others complain that you’re not really a fan if you buy the compilation instead of the band’s entire discography. After all, you just can’t get deep enough into the band’s very soul if you just listen to the singles.
As for me, I’m still a fan of the best-of compilation. I’m also a fan of Radiohead’s The Best Of. This 17-song album is a great introduction to Radiohead’s music for newbies—a kind of Cliffs Notes for music lovers. It’s also a great compilation for those who like Radiohead’s music and want to enjoy their favorite songs without shelling out the cash for their entire discography.
From the opening strums of “Just” to the enigmatic and electronic “Everything In Its Right Place,” The Best Of is like a scrapbook of the growth and transformation of a ground-breaking band throughout the last decade and a half. In this compilation, you’ll find a variety of styles and sounds—from graceful to moody, airy to electronic. You’ll find Eastern twists and psychedelic twists. You’ll find an almost hypnotic mix of heavy and light sounds. Throughout the album, the style is constantly changing—but it’s always a work of musical art.
Sure, I could go into all kinds of discussions about which songs deserve to be on the album and which don’t. I could talk about the order of the tracks or how many tracks came from each album. But that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that The Best Of is a strong sampling of great Radiohead tracks—from “Creep” to “Karma Police” to “Idioteque.”
For casual Radiohead fans, the standard, one-disc edition of The Best Of is a near-perfect collection. If you’re a die-hard Radiohead fan, however, just one disc won’t be enough. After all, you already have all 17 tracks somewhere in your collection. So you’ll want to pick up the two-disc limited edition of The Best Of—with its 13 additional B-sides, live recordings, and other extras—instead.
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