Intro

Tim: We are compiling an episode of compilations like what I did there. J: Compiling? Tim: Yes compiling. What? Is that not a word? J:  Like it's very tight. It sounds very technical like we're writing the code. Tim: Yes. We are J: we're going to compile it. Deploy it. We're going to put it into production J: Tim: exactly. We're doing all those things.

Tim: We're talking 90s compilations J. And what we're not talking about our soundtracks, which we've already covered. For both TV and movies we're also not talking about tribute albums, which we've covered a number of tribute albums people want to go back and listen to those Twisted Willie Reed most recently.

They also did the Depeche Mode tribute album Kiss My Ass the Classic KISS  Regrooved episode, so what we're talking about is actual compilations made by labels or put together in terms of a genre or possibly for a charity or a benefit something like that  we don't want to just talk about this ourselves, so of course for around table.

Special Guest Introductions

We're going to bring in a group of guests to help us. discuss. all these compilations starting. Down in well actually everybody's North this one. I usually have somebody in, Texas besides J or in this in the southern part of the United States, but will go well go east to west. I guess starting in Cambridge Mass. From WMBR 88.01. You find him on Twitter @zaxon25 Mr. Keith Sawyer welcome back Keith now. Keith: Thanks for having me again. Tim: It's always a pleasure and I'm looking forward. You've commented on our Patreon page, so we'll be getting to your compilations. I think we're going to cover chronologically every CMJ release starting in January of 1990 each month, so that'll be fun, but Keith:  I stole the CMJ from the from the radio station, which is kept them all nicely categorized categorized in a row so nice.

Tim: That's  that's probably a rarity. Those things are yeah, let's put Keith: one cent Rarity Tim: yeah, there you go those things are easy to find. It just probably there like Garbage Pail Kids now. There's a there's a lot of some of them, and then some of them are probably pretty hard to find randomly joining us from.

Ann Arbor wait a minute so OK I gotta figure out the geography of who's farther east now.  is Ann Arbor farther east than Jim  you're in Milwaukee? Jim: I am Tim: which ones farther east Jim: Ann Arbor Tim: ok. I'm have to go with Eric then second on our guest list in the east to west is a mister Eric Peterson.

Welcome back Eric. Eric: Good evening whenever you're listening to this Tim: yes. I hope you are donning your Dig Me Out shirt that you recently acquired Eric: not at the moment, but I don't do that. Tim: No you can lie you can nobody can see you. Eric: Yeah, well. I wasn't thinking what can I say that's right Jim: this podcast doesn't have enough clothes changing.

Tim: Yes. Yeah, Keith: I didn't realize the dress requirement yeah there. There is actually. Everybody should have their logo shirt on for this day for the episode you can Eric: There will be a wardrobe change before the second set right Tim: yeah, Keith: there you go. Tim: Define Eric and Love That Album podcast and also on YouTube doing some book toobin.

Discussing books and whatnot   head on over to there and just  Google Eric Peterson. You'll find them. And then farthest west although. It's not really that far. West. I guess Jim: Midwest Tim: Midwest yeah. Jim Hanke from Vinyl Emergency you can find him at vinylemergency.com. Welcome back to the show first one since this John Spencer episode.

I believe Jim: yeah, I think so I think so and I got some good John Spencer memories after seeing Baby Driver the other night. Tim: Yes, Jim: because the first song in there is a jam from Jon Spencer Blues explosion so but yeah, thanks so much for inviting me on this is a topic. I could certainly go on a long long time about so this.

This is prime for for me to you know hang out with you guys.

What makes a good compilation?

Tim: Excellent so what do I want to start with with everybody and I'll throw it around the room. Is  we're talking about compilations. I want to ask everybody give me one thing that you think makes a good compilation. We did this last episode when we talked about Guitar Gods. I said everybody give me one qualifier for what makes a guitar God so in this episode one thing that makes a good. Compilation album I'm going to start with the man I just spoke to Jim. What is your thing that makes a good compilation Jim: so and I might be? In the minority on this from the our guests tonight as well as our listeners, but um I really like a major band or a couple major bands on a compilation performing covers will dig into I'm sure some of those this evening, but that at least in the nineties when compilations were more prevalent that was something I looked forward to and those are. You know vagrant put out some of those you know with bands performing New Wave covers there are several. Just random kind of covers on some of the compilations. I jotted down for discussion tonight, but it's something like it didn't need to be all covered certainly, but one or two where I was like oh, I want to hear that band do that song and sometimes you're disappointed and sometimes you're not, but that is one for me, and it's it's it has to be a band that I'm familiar with for me, too. Up that compilation not necessarily. You know a band that was just kind of starting out or maybe tacked onto the compilation later that not a lot of people know about had to be a band that I was familiar with I was a fan of and you know a song that I would like to hear them do even if I didn't necessarily recognize the song there plenty of songs throughout the 90s that I got turned on to the originals of just because one of my favorite bands covered.

So it sends me down the rabbit hole of checking out that original artists and their discography, so so I would say at least you know one two three covers would be nice on a compilation.

Tim: Okay, that's an interesting approach. I like that because I can think of a couple compilations that are really like and they have a few covers on them that especially ones that I wasn't expecting that I really ended up liking so that's a that's an interesting way to start off. Eric give me your one criteria for what makes a good compilation album Eric: a cohesive theme whether it is all bands from a certain scene or from a certain genre or that are doing. Paying homage to it. You know with with a cover compilation to a specific genre as well. No um you know there's something about having a compilation.

That's just a scattershot of stuff that can be very disjointed so if it fits all. You know if it's the label compilation where it's all bands on one label that tend to be especially with the Indie labels be all part of a genre, or if it's all bands from a scene like the and these are ones. I will surely talk about later the the Nordic Rock scene and the kind of Calgary Edmonton garage Rock scene where compilations from both of those that you got bands from the scene that were kind of all.

Playing with each other or tied together, and what they didn't all sound exactly the same there was a through line. Tim: Okay, I like that cohesive theme Keith. What would be one criteria for your ultimate or reasoning for a good compilation.

Keith: Well for me in the nineties. It was Discovery. It was just a way in a really compact way to be able to get exposure to a bunch of different bands that you know I might not necessarily seek out their releases, otherwise, but I could get a song from them.

You know on a compilation it might pique my interest or might just sort of tell me right away and no need to look any further with that particular. That's why I always look for with a good healthy amount of bands that maybe had heard of before, but I wanted to discover a learn a little bit more about cool, so we've got some covers.

We've got a cohesive theme Discovery. J you have anything you want to add to what makes a good comp. J: I think it's good to have a little exclusivity on their right you don't want to have a bunch of tracks that appeared on other albums. Yes, completely you want to have at least one or two if not more that you can't get anywhere else makes it special.

Tim: Right yeah, the worst thing is a compilation of all songs that you already have access to on albums that would which I'm sure some labels did when they were just like showcasing. Whatever bands that they had, but yeah the way to go is the exclusivity good. Good one there, so that's along with Discovery cohesiveness and and the covers.

I don't really have a 4/5 one you guys kind of covered everything Keith: That was the risk you took. Tim: I know. I always put myself last and I always have the risk of not having anything left to say so OK excellent. We've got our criteria for what makes a good. Compilation so. let's talk about some of them the ones that people probably are going to know from from what I see available in UCD Benz are ones like the no alternative comp which has.

A bunch of bands that everybody knows it has the covers Soul Asylum covering Marvin Gay Sexual Healing is probably the more well-known one and then I think there's also the Goo Goo Dolls cover of the Rolling Stones bitch on there with the incredible Lance dimon singing lead vocal. That one in the other one be like the dgc Rarities is another one.

That's always around for people to pick up for 50 cents at their local Half Price Books, so let's talk about someone's that maybe our specific to you guys that you think are. Excellent comps that people should check out if they haven't checked them out. I'm going to start in the middle this time Eric.

What is a comp that you think people need to check out from the 90s and tell us why.

Compilations you need to check out.

Eric: So there. I mentioned a couple of scenes earlier, and we start with the big one for me, which is the Nordic Rock scene, which really was the international high energy Rock n Roll seen that encompassed bands from mainly the US Canada, Australia, and then the Nordic countries which are.

Finland Norway, Sweden and Denmark the band that most you guys are going to know from from that scene is going to be the helicopters followed by Lucifer and the Flaming sideburns and turbo negro and there were a couple of cops that came out of that scene that focused on a lot of bands there was a label comp from of course.

I'm totally bad afro records other Denmark that was pushing Scandinavian rocked to the man, and then there was a Swedish sens 97. And 99 but I'm going to go with Spain's Safety Pin Records Riot On The Rocks volume 1, which has got 27 tracks on it. He's got the helicopters. It's got Lucifer. It's got flaming sideburns.

It's got. Bombshell rocks it's got misdemeanors got my favorite band from that era and seen the ultra bimbos. It's got the launderettes who are involved with the little Steven underground garage thing. It's a lot of punk high energy Rock. Bands from mainly Finland, Sweden and Norway.

To me that's one that's a really good intro into that scene you get the bigger bands you want to use you want to cover. There's Chinese Takeaway covering the Damned on there. So it's just a great compilation. That's extremely listenable you're going to find some bands that don't do it for you. It's good goes from Power pop to kind of stone Iraq with Punk energy rock n roll some girl group stuff some you know retro garage stuff all of that kind of kind of music is on this compilation, and if you're a rock fan at all if you're an alternative fan at all you're going to find something on it that you like.

Tim: How many songs are on their Eric: 27 Tim: Is that one CD it is so those are some songs for the most part? I don't think there's anything over three or four minutes, Tim: So I like it get in get out. Yeah. Eric: Well. You know speaking of which listen to throw this one in there real quick. There was the compilation short music for short people which had 99 tracks on it.

Yep, and they're all under 30 seconds in length, and it came out in 1999. It's all Punk stuff, but yeah, that's the ultimate getting get out one Jim: They even they even crammed to Hidden tracks Track 99. So it's like a hundred and one bans on one CD of 99 tracks. It's insane. It's the whole range of punk everyone from classic punk bands like the Damned and D.O.A. Right on up to the then-current you know Rancid, and Groovie Ghoulies, Green Day, but anyways the yeah the high-energy stuff. That's kind of my my big area of interest from that. And especially under the 90s and entered the 2000 and that Riot On The Rocks volume 1 is the the Gateway I would hand anybody. One word of warning the the cover is not safe for work.

Tim: Okay. That's a good warning. Is it available online. Can you can you. Eric: I don't know about online, but I mean the time discogs, so you can take a look and see what's on on it, and you can. You can probably find at least you know forty fifty sixty percent of the tracks on Spotify or looking on YouTube for whatever gotcha

Tim: okay, Keith. Tell us one of your pics for a favorite come from the 90s. Keith: Oh if I was to take inspiration from that because I agree I love Sweden Finland the Nordic area the just the production The Sounds. They do such a great job. If I go totally to the other side of the meter and just picked this the sweetest most gooey indie-pop.

There was a compilation which came out in 1999 so just some of the wire called The Sound of Young Sweden on summer sound records that had 14 tracker it has the concrete's on it. That's probably one of the better. On ones in America, but it really exposed to me some bands that had not gotten to strip distribution in the US like Edson who were just too you know amazing amazing band.

Leslie's around their Club eight is on their people remember them Happy Dead Men was another one that was a huge huge Discovery for me, and these are all I mean I look at sort of late 90s to the early 2000s is like. The epitome of sort of that seek sweet sickly Indie pop sound and Sweden. You know nobody did it better than Sweden.

Tim: Oh nobody did a better.  Right well will will say that for another show we can debate that Keith: Absolutely I'd love to debate that.  Tim:  Jim. What's your pick for a comp from the 90's?

Jim: So mind you know I'm gonna kind of go mainstream on everybody because I not as hip to all the stuff from Sweden and the Nordic and and all that stuff.

I am gonna go with with No Alternative with you had mentioned earlier, which probably is as you mentioned one of the biggest most known compilations in the 90s, but I feel the reason for that is because it is it. It kind of when you sent out the request for all of us to join the conversation here tonight it kind of touched on all those levels of like what makes a great compilation.

What is kind of like a snapshot in time of a certain era um No Alternative does that for me and for those who might not know what it is. I was a compilation that came out in 1993 to benefit the Red Hot Organization which was an AIDS relief organization, and they've had a lot of compilations over the years with different genres.

Jazz there was an indie-rock one in 2009 called Dark was the night with edits, which has you know people like the national Aaron and wine Sufjan Stevens. You know bunch of that crew  so so this compilation 1993 just going through this track list and talking about the nineties and and and where these bands were in their career and that sort of thing Matthew Sweet kicks off the album he's one of my favorite.

You know guitar pop heroes basically. Buffalo Tom, a band that got on pretty much every compilation you can think of in the 90's and and and good for them because I mean they're one of my favorite bands.  but it's nice for this song for all to see which is. Really great song could have been on any one of their albums.

Um. You know it's really great track on people slag the Soul Asylum cover of Sexual Healing. I just think it's kind of fun. I like it. Yeah. It's not it's you know. I think a lot of people slag Soul Asylum unfairly. I certainly don't can you know I don't hold them in the same life that I hold a band like Pearl Jam, but you know they they meant a lot to me during that time, and um I think I think some of their records not all of their songs, but I think some of their records hold up.

Um your Urge Overkill, American Music Club, Goo Goo Dolls with the Rolling Stones cover as we mentioned and they don't even sing that they have Lance Diamond come in and sing that for him. Yes people pavement has a song about REM like this goofy like dirge song about REM and then right after that though you've got Smashing Pumpkins and Bob Mould with two like absolutely beautiful tracks even right after that Sarah Mclaughlin withhold on that's three like really really pretty. You know songs all in a row um The Beastie Boys. There's a. Another cover on this Uncle Tupelo does CCR's Effigy which is fantastic.

That's the whole reason I even I was a CCR fan at that point, but that's the whole reason I even knew Effigy was a CCR song.

Beastie Boys and Breeders have some live tracks on it of course there was the hidden track of Verse Chorus Verse from Nirvana.  which went on to get radio play and stuff when the CD came out even the bands that you don't really know today like straitjacket fits and the ver Lanes these are two incredible incredible songs that are some of my favorites on the album from bands who I didn't really follow all that much after this compilation, but to really stand out tracks and in 2013. It was reissued. It was pressed to vinyl for the very first time for record store day and being a vinyl geek um that hit all my buttons basically the guy was super super excited to get this and was was actually kind of nervous about potentially not getting it because it is pretty much my favorite 90's compilation and have it on vinyl was really cool.

What at what I would have liked to have seen. Was a kind of a reissue for lack of a better term of donating proceeds to the Red Hot Organization again. I don't know legally um you know for the label that went and repress this. I don't know. What they had to jump through in order to you know again like to repress on vinyl and you've got all these bands.

I have no idea who holds the rights to all those songs. What are those bands hold them individually. I have no idea, but I would have liked to have seen like a public statement along you know with all the records all the records on Record Store Day with all that information, maybe something in there being like Oh and because it's a 20th anniversary of this record.

We're also going to be giving it to a portion or some of the proceeds made off this vinyl. To the Red Hot Organization, but you know they if they did that it wasn't made public, but that's pretty much my my go-to 90s compilation. Tim: Excellent yeah, I think that's the one where a lot of people who listen to this show and are familiar with any compilations are going to that's going to be the one that they they know because it had to so many huge artists on it that we're so important and relevant to the 90s.

J do you have a pic for a compilation that you like from the 90s. J: I'm gonna pick some Oddball material here, and it's mostly just for the time capsule quality of it um. For whatever reason I wasn't a huge fan of the compilations that weren't from a soundtrack or from a artist tribute so when you narrow it down to that.

I for whatever reason didn't I don't know I wasn't attracted to a lot of these records, but in the early nineties when I was of little funds. There was a lot of like cassette Samplers around that you could get and it was just at that time kind of the only way to learn about new music other than maybe MTV in scenes, so I remember Coca-Cola did all of these and they might still I don't know they might have done all throughout the 90.

They were doing these Partnerships with Sony, and they would put together these compilations cassettes, and I don't remember if you had like. Send in like can tops or something to get tapes, but um I did get volume one and two of rock and they only had one volume of alternative. So I think whats just interesting about it is to look at so selling at the time was Columbian epic and it kind of look.

At what their rosters were like in 1991 for rock and alternative, so I'll just give you a sampling of volume one. You've got artists like Chris Whitley. You've got people never to be heard of again like Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers hey, I'm sad to you've got the new Iron Maiden song and the new Motorhead and then right in the middle of that.

You got Pearl Jam Alive, and that's followed up with dangerous toys in Europe. It kind of put myself it drop yourself in them and the Time Capsule 1991 that is what Sony was investing in and you kind of go through the others you have everything from Henry Lee Summer which was on volume 2 to the new Bruce Dickinson his first solo song to the band Burning Tree.

Which was kind of a pretty cool like alternative Blues Band. And when you go danger danger, or enough is enough on their oh yeah, no, but  you go to the alternative that it's Toad the Wet Sprocket, Shawn Colvin, Screaming Tree is a band. We're going to review here soon Mind Funk. So yes some some pretty interesting.

A contrast there in 1991 just before I think alternative music had really kicked the door down. You can kind of see some of these major labels. Just by looking at some of these compilations and Samplers of where they were putting their money in their marketing dollars, and what bands they were investing in and in some cases trying to figure out what the hell's going on

Tim: wow well that was an interesting pick J. I had did not know that Coca-Cola was so big in the compilation game meat. Um what I wanted to mention is the Emo Diaries these started in 1997 they were put out by Deep Elm records they exited 12 them between 97 and 2011 obviously. I'm mostly concerned with the ones that came out of the 90s. They were each had their own individual titles the first one is called What's Mine is Yours, and it's lead off by a Jimmy Eat World track. There's a lot of interesting bands in here they never heard of. And it's also paired with bands that I didn't think were necessarily Emo like the first compilation has a Triple Fast Action song. I didn't really think of triple fast action as being emo, but I guess for the because they were on deep Elm for their second record.

I guess they got you know added to the. Compilation other bands of people might Sam I Am is on there and a Zune is on there, and then there's some other bands that I never heard of that put out there really cool songs on here like red level and Timbre and lazy cane you know a lot of these bands.

Don't even have Wikipedia pages. I mean they they might have this might have been their only song for all. I know is that it was on this one particular. Emo compilation, but um this would fall under the no genre comp and it gives you a pretty wide swath of what is considered emo. You know you have you sort of slow burning slower tunes, and then you know with Sam.

I Am and some of the other songs even the Triple Fast Action much more high energy and the second compilation gets into stuff like Branston and the Appleseed Cast and the Jazz June along with a lot of bands that again never heard of them after the the compilations came out, and then the third one gets into like planes mistaken for stars Sweep the Leg Johnny.

That's about as far as people, but what people might know that's where I felt like the third one gets a little weaker, but the first two are really strong in the first one. Especially is a really cool. Look at emo. Just before it kind of explodes in what their early late 90's early aughts emo kind of morphed into with the the mall Emo or the whatever you want to call those bands in the.

Early 2000s. refer back to our e-mail episode for the specifics on that so what I want to talk to you guys or get your opinions on is compilations are great time capsules for that period especially with the genres. Which now with the Riot On the Rocks the sound of young Sweden in the ones that Jay mentioned that they're really pinned to a specific time um.

Are compilations relevant now in the same way. I know that you know there's still labels that and they're still compilations coming out, but it seems like with the advent of online music playlists at Spotify and Apple music. And then with people being able to. Make their own playlists on their iPhone or whatever they use for the music doesn't seem like holds the same weight that it used to just curious about what you guys think about that.

Are compilation albums still relevant?

I'll throw it out for anybody to comment on that it has a. Annie. comments to make on it. Keith: Yeah, well at least I know from the radio station we we rarely get them anymore and usually they're either tribute comps those still go around because I think it's it's pretty easy for a website to pull together a tribute comp.

Or it's something backward-looking. It'll be you know a focus on a particular period of time I'm like I'm really enjoying Cherry Red has been doing these compilations C86 off of C86 likes C87 C88 just looking at specific periods of time, but as far as like comps the way that they used to come out especially label Samplers, or like you said focuses on a current John ra you really don't see them anymore, and I'm you know I think in today's day and age if I'm a kid. You know 16 year old kid who wants to find out more about emo. I've got Spotify to do that.

Eric: I think you're right. I think that you have labels like Sour Jazz out of Europe who are doing? You know retroactively looking at scenes like you know they'll do L.A. Punk 77 to 83 or something like that otherwise?

What do we see like the uncut Magazine still comes with a compass on the kind, maybe yeah, Keith: Mojo does as well Eric: Yeah, but I mean who knows I think maybe also worked or might put out a comp every year for the bands on the tour, but. It's been awhile since I've seen him a recent one so aside from that.

You know you're right. It's either going to be retro stuff, or you know I could see some scenes where kids want to put out or people want to put out a vinyl comp or cassette comp just to do it. But there's no mass marketing to that I think they're very genre specific and Niche. J: Yeah, the ease of releasing singles now digitally and then.

The advent of the playlist have made them almost completely on non-viable other than the couple that edge-cases you guys just mentioned where you're maybe the medium itself for the packaging is obviously so such a part of the story, but you can really singles and then comp no put together playlist that set the context it's tough to make a case for me more.

Jim: Yeah, at least from my angle with vinyl Wax Mage records, which is kind of the small division of Gottagroove out in Cleveland. The the ladies who run wax Mage have been on my podcast talking about you know the varied really beautiful hand press records that they make and they made a compilation for vinyl only called heavy Haze last year and that primarily was twofold one it showcased a lot of Cleveland area, Ohio bands that they liked, but also it was basically like an advertisement for the vinyl pressing that they do because it came out on this very random colored vinyl they did a very very limited run sold out very quickly so you know inside from the copies that went to the band. That's now kind of like a you know like a discogs. Type. Item you know to snag if you want it, so there is something. I think with the. with the vinyl aspect where you could you know do a very limited Record Store Day run or even like 500 or something if it's not on record store day and still have the need or the drive of people to hear it go up because it's going to be this limited vinyl pressing, but agreed. I mean the the digital Market has kind of squashed any real need for people to have these specific songs in one specific place when people can make their own playlists and basically make their own compilations, so easily now.

That would be it's just kind of gone the way of the way of the Buffalo so to speak for me specifically there's going to be a final press of this John Prine tribute record that came out in 2010 features Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, Justin Vernon Justin Townes Earle  but a great band Sarah Watkins.

And that just had kind of like a celebration the other night in Nashville where these you know they have a house band and a bunch of these singers are going to come sing a bunch of John Prine songs. It was a big deal kind of announcing that they're going to you know press this thing two vinyl that for me the tribute album thing is still really big thing especially for somebody like John Prine so for me.

I'm going to seek out a compilation. I do feel that it needs to be a tribute compilation through and through or something that nature a covers album something like that. Ben Gibbard just did it's not a compilation, but Ben Gibbard just released through Turntable Kitchen I believe. Um this tribute to Bandwagonesque from Teenage Fanclub.

Which is a well from what I've heard really good that kind of stuff really intrigues me as far as the tribute album goes that stuff I would seek out, but I definitely don't seek out any scene or those kind of compilation soundtracks. Don't really do that much anymore again unless there's some sort of kind of wild vinyl pressing associated with it.

Compilations that don't stand the test of time.

Tim: So were there any compilations that you guys went back to listen to in preparation for this that maybe were a genre compilation that was full of a bunch of bands you weren't familiar with or maybe it was a lesser-known comp and you went back and listened to it and thought.  Wow, this did not stand up, or there is there is stuff on here that I'm I liked years ago, but now when I listen to it. I can it really does not sound good to me anymore  with anyone's that  that stood out ahead like a sore throat sore thumb so to speak. Yeah, I went back and definitely listen to some things that there was one comp and I think it's the be ubiquitous Rave comp of the time called Rave Till Dawn that was in college just like such a huge presence in our house because it turned into The defacto Workout Mix. You know where you could hear it pretty much every day. And the songs were just sort of seared in my head, and you know I have that definite nostalgic feel for them, and I probably haven't listened to it and twenty years, and I pulled it back out listen to it the other day, and I was like these songs kind of kitschy kind of weak.

I still really like him know, but I don't know if I'd be able to make it through another another spin of it Tim: Anybody else? Jim: Um I was going to throw out. I haven't listened to it, but it you know one that I think I like quite a bit in high school and now probably couldn't make it all the way through would be and this isn't really a soundtrack because I mean I don't think these songs were used in the television show, but the Beavis and Butt-head experience compilation so this was like again another Nirvana song I Hate Myself and Want To Die is the first track on it, but he made you know I am not a big Anthrax, Megadeth, Jackyl is on this Red Hot Chili Peppers fan. I'm um that really into any of those bands. There's a couple throwaway hip-hop tracks with. Sir Mix-A-Lot, Run-DMC, I used to be a big Aerosmith fan when I was a lot younger so maybe I was really into this Aerosmith song, but in general.

I remember that was one that you know I would play quite a bit in my in my walkman to and from school, but I think now would probably be you know not if they repress it on vinyl I guess I would say I wouldn't run and go by it anybody go back and listen to The Jock jams. Never listen to this time don't listen to it now.

Yeah, that Rage til Dawn has Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited on there, which automatically makes me think of you know cheerleading movies, yeah. Tim: Yeah, and that's all yeah, that's on a lot of compilations that are sports-related. In some way or another the ones that I I went back and tried to listen to a little bit were MTV's amped which were like their dance music.

you know techno Electronica compilations those did not stand up for me as well as. I was kinda hoping because I like a lot of the Bands, but a lot of it was like. It was quite a bit that was like material by or something that a lot of it some of it was material. That was we were already familiar with because it was like an albums, so like you have the first MTV amped which came out 97, and it has like Block Rockin Beats like okay?

Well that was a huge single. Why do you need to put sonic compilation? And then there's other stuff on there. That's like by bands that are much less well-known least for most people like Tranquility Base or Fluke that are not necessarily going to be huge compared to The Chemical Brothers, and then post like you know Crystal Method's Busy Child on there and again this was a massive single like we don't need to have. That particular song on this record and listening back Keith: I think the MTV comps tended to do that too, and they would try and pick a few really big hits to lure you in ya. Tim: Yeah, the second one had the same thing it was like they had the Battle Flag by Lo Fidelity Allstars, which was big and then Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim along with something was much less well known whether it was Pitchshifter or Propellerheads or something. So those those when I felt like faltered because they this the songs are too ubiquitous now in terms of. They're already associated with that genre, and they didn't really bring anything new to the. to the sound or to the to the genre that they're supposed to be representing.

Songs on compilations worthy of being an album track.

So let's talk about everybody go around now. I'll throw out mine here, but um. Pick a song from one of your comps that you would say you know. This is this would have been worthy of an album track by a band. In terms of. you know it was released on these  these compilations. It gets stuck on it on a comp and may be willing a chance to hear it, but really this is just as good as anything.

That was put out by these by these fans and that 1. I'll mention is um.  on the dgc Rarities. Volume one there's never been a volume 2 still waiting on that. There's a song by the Counting Crows called Einstein on the Beach for an Egg  Man. To me that's probably as good as anything on their second record.

They had so many hits off the first record. I'm not going to debate that but this came out in 94 so I'm guessing this is like in between the two records. When did the first Counting Crows record come out? Jim: 1993. Yeah, this is in between  August everything after and. And Recovering the Satellites, but that wrecked that song to me listening back to it like it's so good in the fact that it's stuck on a compilation like halfway through a compilation record that has a lot of good stuff on it mind you I'm just shocked that that's on there and that they didn't even bother to include it

Eric: and that would have been my pick. Tim:  Sorry, I'm sorry to say okay. Keith: He gets to go first this time. Tim:  Do you need time for your second option, or do you want to go with. Eric: No, I got I got I got a cheat for the second optionally. Okay, go right ahead. What's your second pick their State of Love and Trust From The Singles soundtrack by Pearl Jam.

Eric: Good call. Tim: You cannot pick that. That is a movie soundtrack and we have not realized that we have negated well. I stole your first pick so Eric: No, no that that's that's okay. Um, but this is long. It's worth long. We're gonna going to throw soundtracks out. I just you know state of love and trust is is a killer song but um.

So what would also I go with OK. There's compilation called Punk Rock Jukebox, which is 90s current punk bands covering classic punk songs, okay, and there's a band band on their called the goose who were a kind of power poppy punk band, and they do a cover of stiff little fingers barbed wire love that was easily as good.

If not better than anything else they they ever put out right glad you were able to bail that one out there. Tim: And.  Jim, what is your pick for a song on a compilation that deserves to be Unearthed once again, and is worthy of included on the net being include on an album. Sure, well. I am going to go back to DGC Rarities and not pick Counting Crows, but I mean that's a that's a big one.

That would have been one. I would have mentioned at least in you know the top three year so but I'm actually going to pick Jamie from Weezer. Yeah off this this album because I mean this song feels it had to be recorded. Along with everything on The Blue Album. It sounds exactly like everything on the Blue Album, and this was a for Weezer. I'm not a, to be honest, like the first to Weezer albums do it for me. I followed the band a little bit after worth Maladroit in the green album, but pretty much fell off after that and and this is just like. You know this one and then Suzanne which is not on this, but Suzanne would be another one. I think that's probably on the mall rat soundtrack, but yes, it is.

Yeah, but Jamie. Here is like classic Weezer to a T. I mean, this is a song that your your gigantic cult-like Weezer fans love to death um and and I do too. It's a it's a great Weezer song and that would be one where it deserved to be you know on The Blue Album. If they're going to add another song this would have been.

That one thing I will say on the vinyl side for this DGC Rarities thing.  it's actually some DGC Rarities As We Know It in America has not been pressed two vinyl ever however. It is unveiled in Europe under the name Geffen Rarities, and there's a different tracklist.  between the two so the DGC Rarities in America has Teenage fanclub, and it has the Sundays and on the European side for Geffen Rarities those two bands are out and replaces it with Urge Overkill and Maria McKee, so that's just interesting.

It's a final collector myself. I'd you know really wanted to know if there's a pressing of dgc Rarities in there wasn't but. I've got pretty much all the tracks aside from you know teenage fanclub in the Sundays on this LP version, but it's weird to look at a compilation album that you've known.

You know since your high school days and like see the cover change. Just slightly. I just always looks weird to me because it's a it's the Geffen logo and not the DGC logo, but yeah, it's a great compilation. I mean that this thing. It's probably easily in my top five of the 90s for sure.

Tim: Keith what's your song?

Keith: There's two I could go for but I think that the more recognizable one. You know we talked about no alternative a little bit earlier the other Red Hot indie rock one was Red Hot and Bothered. And one thing I really liked about red hot and bothered is it did some team ups in there, so you know you had like Louis along with the spins, and you know they did that one song and that was it that was the only place.

You could get it, but there's the Deal sisters with Guided by Voices doing Sensational Gravity Boy under the name of Freedom Cruise is what they called their band. And it's I mean it's just as good as any peak Breeders or Guided by Voices song of that era. You know it clocks in at just under two minutes, and it's just so like goddamn, sweet yet, catchy, and it's like I wish they had just stuck in even made an EP out of this.

You know they've certainly they had to have more than just this one song, but nope that's it. Tim: J. You have a pic. J: Yeah,  I think the the track Summer of Drugs by Soul Asylum, actually I've to Soul Asylum songs. I think their cover Sexual Healing is actually pretty brilliant. I think that would been a fun song to put out like as an album ender somewhere later on, but I think Summer of Drugs.

Could have been between 93 and 95 when they're working on their follow-up to Grave Dancers Union could have been a hit for them on the radio like that song could have done really well and could have carried them over to the next record so. I know they put it on their best of later greatest hits or warbirds phrase, but I think that could have been an album track for sure Jim: yeah no that would have been my number two.

Tim: I think for sure such a great song and then. I want to mention because it was brought up in our comments on Patreon. The Schoolhouse Rocks comp that was brought up by a couple people and then the also the Saturday morning every morning. Yeah. Yep. That was a good 1i think that was superior to the to the Schoolhouse Rock From The Schoolhouse Rock does have a couple of a couple of you know bright stars on it like wien is on it and Lemonheads, but that that Saturday morning one is actually still holds up.

And just so people who don't know it came out in what year did it come out 95 and it's covering a bunch of kids shows from like the 60s and 70s so it's not like stuff. You're going to its not the Smurfs. It's got like its speed racer and Underdog and Scooby-Doo and Johnny Quest. And you have a lot of I mean this is this is smack dab.

You know. All the 90s bands You're Expecting Liz Phair material issue sponge semi Sonic, Matthew Sweet, Juliana Hatfield, Collective Soul, helmet is doing Gigantor. Eric: That's a great track. Yes, and then the one with the. I got a hold on I got a question for you, so the Ramones are doing Spiderman the theme for Spider-Man on their The Ramones were featured in the recent Spider-Man movie, so I'm wondering why they went with Blitzkrieg Bop and not the Spiderman theme song cover, but have been too on the nose.

Tim: I think I'm really on the nose. Yeah, Keith: I think they should have done it TEric: They should dropped it in there somewhere. Tim: I think they could have done it at the end waked yeah, there you go. Yeah, like I know they use it in the actual movie. But like at the end of the movie when you're rolling the credits, and you're showing your ridiculous post credit scenes. You could probably snuck it in there.

I did like their use of the orchestral Spider-Man theme. They did it good job integrating that. Without it being too obvious. I mean you could you could hear it, but they are they adjusted it enough so that it was a bit more Grand than just the. Melody everybody knows so I did want to mention.

Thank you to Tara McCook. She mentioned the compilation Who Needs Pants When You've Got a Nice Hat came out in November 94. It was a compilation featuring bands such as DADA, Over-the-Rhine, Single Gun Theory, Paladinos. Needed to say thanks to Bradley Melonbacher our latest subscriber at the $2.50 level he mentioned the Saturday morning cartoon album said Superfund record with the some really good performances, and then Darren Leach said so many great compilations with rare tracks annoying.

I couldn't Ford to buy them all. Just for the one or two tracks that I liked for example Crazy Mary on the Pearl Jam cut the program song on the sweet relief. Again, you know in terms of Pearl Jam. I believe that was like ended up being a single they got played on the radio  from a compilation in the same way that like Yellow Ledbetter was a B-side in that got played on the radio.

Yeah, pretty much could just like. Record anything it was going to get turned into a radio single in 1991 and 93 I think so and they still do. Jim: And they still do Crazy Mary live to this day like it is a big like when they started um crowds go nuts, so it's it's one of those like if you're a die-hard Pearl Jam fan, and didn't just follow the radio singles.

You know about the song, and they they still play it some you know twenty-plus years later. Tim: That's crazy. Jim: Crazy Mary has a matter fact. It's crazy Mary be nice ouch. Right well we are literally about to hit the one-hour mark here, so I think this is probably good time for us to wrap up with cover.

What are we picked for our favorite comps our favorite songs off Those comp we talked about. What are what makes a good compilation and. Why compilations are kind of going the way of the dodo in a lot of ways in terms of not seen as many of them anymore. Especially these genre specific ones or label specific ones we didn't even get touched on really that much the there were ones that were put out by magazines like CMJ the college Music Magazine, and yeah, there's another one called, MMQB.

J: Ones from Northeast, Ohio and it's like Scene Magazine did a partnership with Best Buy. 'em then we've got as the web started to emerge. I have a couple that are from like you know music websites that started in like the late 90s and. It's a think the tough thing for this was a lot of this stuff is just impossible to find.

I mean is you don't have the CD still. Probably not going to be able to hear it unless you go find a used copy right. Keith:  I mean because they have that a lack of cohesiveness that just end up being pretty much. You know completely dispensable. I'll like you said if you were trying to complete your Alternative Press collection and probably be pretty difficult to do

J: Even one as big as no alternative. I mean the when you go, try to stream it like depending on the service or using, you know half the album is great out. You can't play it. Yeah, so. Tim: Yeah, the other the other frustrating thing with the. Yeah, the streaming service is say you because of Rights issues you're going to lose songs off of these comps.

I think the DGC one was the only one where I found where it was not, you know, affected in some way by that make the entire DGC album is up on Spotify, but you know alternative one is like half. Which is frustrating so alright? Let's let's put a bow on this and say, thank you to our guests Keith,  Jim and Eric.

Thanks for stopping by once again and sharing all of your compilation knowledge with us.