Best of CD - what could have been

Travis · #1 02-14-2007, 06:57 PM

I know not all will agree with me but,
if we have to settle for another best of
CD instead of all new material, I think the
track listing could have been a little better.
I also think we should have "new" photos
of Stevie. I had a friend make a front and
back cover for me. This is what I plan to
make once CV comes out and I'm able to
use the live stuff.

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My reasons for this new listing and running order:

Give us at least one new song. "My Heart" has a nice solid intro.

I took out “Silver Springs.” We got it on CD back in 1992 on the
Fleetwood Mac boxed set “The Chain.” We also got it on “The Very
Best of Fleetwood Mac” in 2002. Twice after that we got it on the
re-issued “Rumours” CD on both CD 1 and 2. I really don't think we
need it again. It’s taking up space where another song from her solo
career could be. I also don't think we need the studio master (or
whatever they are calling it) of “Edge of Seventeen.” I don't think
we are going to hear much difference, with the exception that it will
be pressed to sound better than what is on “Bella Donna.” She’s giving
us a new live version of “Edge …” so that is enough. Save the
“master studio” version for a re-release of “Bella Donna.”

There are various listings out there for Crystal Visions and some have
“Has Anyone Ever …” listed and some do not. Either way, we don’t
really need that again since it’s on both “Timespace” and
“Enchanted.” Normally I wouldn't have put “If You Ever …” and “Touched
By An Angel” on this compilation. The reasons I did are, this could have
been an opportunity to show case a song or two that tend to get
over looked. “If You Ever …” was technically a single. Both “Touched By
An Angel” and “If You Ever ..” were the only soundtrack songs that didn't
get a chance to be featured on “Enchanted”, obviously because they
were released afterwards. So instead of the same ole same ole, throw us
a couple of bones. I also included at least one song from “Street Angel”
so that each solo album is represented. I'm sure most of you would
have preferred “Blue Denim” over “Maybe Love …” but to be fair, “Blue
Denim” was featured on “Enchanted” and “Maybe Love …” was a bigger
hit. So at the very least, give us the remix of “Maybe Love …” that only
went to the UK.

Also included "Love's A Hard Game To Play." When this was released as
a single, a remix was commercially available, but only on cassette. It
would be nice to have the remix on CD for fans that like the song.

As far as the running order, obviously starting out with something new
is refreshing. Then it kind of goes in chronological order but not exactly.
Mixing it up can be nice and I think “Timespace” was sequenced well,
but sometimes I like to see the progress of the artist. And since
“Timespace” mixed it up already, we'll go with chronological order on
this one.

Tracks 13 and 14, (Planets ... and Dreams) Stevie’s recent big
club hits. “Dreams” has a nice solid ‘cold’ ending and I think it’s
a nice transition into the live tracks. I will assume the live "Rhiannon"
will be from one of the more recent tours (just as Landslide, Edge and
R&R are) so that would bring Stevie up to date on this collection.

Yes I was bored today

JazmenFlowers · #2 02-14-2007, 07:19 PM

I actually really like that!

jwd · #3 02-14-2007, 10:32 PM

Love the first pic and I would have opted for that over the beret pic. It's more contemporary, and I think, she's almost smiling there.

Don't care for bohemian rhapsody. I think of Queen. Really, I don't think it was necessary to tag this record with anything but, "THE VERY BEST OF". That would have sufficed.

Generally, I like your way of thinking on the song selections. Alternates, different mixes, ONE new song, and a few that we didn't get on her previous collections(IYEDB and Touched By An Angel) would have made this album a little better. But, I'm not complaining either.

foxyluva · #4 02-19-2007, 12:08 AM

I really like that front cover, but the back is a little too microsoft publisher for my tastes...

And the title is horrid - I'd stick with Crystal Visions

estranged4life · #5 02-19-2007, 12:40 AM

Wished Stevie could've done similar to what Gamma Ray did with their greatest hits compilation, "Blast from the Past", and that is let the fans pick their 3 favorite songs off each of the studio releases and after final tally, the 3 tracks from each studio with the most online votes would make up the compilation.

Travis · #6 02-19-2007, 01:05 AM

A non Stevie fan created the covers for me. He actually does great work but you're right about the back cover. I don't know much about design (which is why I asked someone to do it) but I too thought the text was not as professional looking, this was just a quick thing he put together for me. I'm just annoyed with the cover of CV and I wanted something new and current. As far as Bohemian Rhapsody, I simply borrowed the title from the Australian mag where it came from, along with the pictures. If you look up the meanings of the words, they actually fit Stevie.

Bohemian - a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others

Rhapsody - a highly emotional literary work

At least it would be something new and different from Stevie and not something predictable.

Dreamz19 · #7 02-19-2007, 03:00 AM

I'm loving the cover. I perfer that picture over the actual one. I agree that the title should be "Crystal Visions" but I don't think the one you suggested was that bad either.

ontheEdgeof17 · #8 02-19-2007, 11:51 AM

Great use for that pic! That would have been a fabulous cover. I agree with everyone else that "Crystal Visions" is the best title for this release.

LikeAWillow · #9 02-19-2007, 11:59 AM

I love it, especially the idea of having various edits and mixes of the songs to add something fresh.

PenguinHead · #10 02-20-2007, 02:02 AM

Just goes to show us how inspired the fans are and how uninspired Stevie and her "people" are. The continuous re-issuing of the same old songs in a new context is not only frustrating, but embarrasing!

Yes, they should have used a more current image of Stevie on the cover. The one you picked is perfect. By using such an old photo of her, it pretty much communicates that her career is suspended in the past, as if she were dead! Fortunately she's very much alive, but it's her career that's died....condemded to the past.

gldstwmn · #11 02-20-2007, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis

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Bohemian - a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others

Rhapsody - a highly emotional literary work

At least it would be something new and different from Stevie and not something predictable.

I am very fond of the title Bohemian Rhapsody.

DeadliestPoison · #12 02-20-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estranged4life

Wished Stevie could've done similar to what Gamma Ray did with their greatest hits compilation, "Blast from the Past", and that is let the fans pick their 3 favorite songs off each of the studio releases and after final tally, the 3 tracks from each studio with the most online votes would make up the compilation.

I believe Patti Smith did something similar for her "Land" compilation a few years ago, and it ended up being a pretty nice collection. One disc was fan-selected tracks, the other was rarer demos/live stuff.