The greatest hits in one package

A record company’s most important asset is its catalogue. That means the list of masters of recordings it owns. If stored properly, these will never depreciate and will continue to bring in revenue for years and years to come. The ownership of recorded masters is one case wherein two of the most important rules for responsible living in this planet can be put to excellent use. Those are reuse and recycle.

Reuse and recycle in the case of old recordings means releasing reissues and compilations in new formats, like today’s MP3 or is it now MP4? Or new packagings. These can also be sold or better yet licensed to other users. Oldies are always being used in motion picture scores. Think Elvis Presley songs in the Disney animated feature Lilo & Stitch, on TV shows like songs by The Who in the CSI series, and even video games.

You can also breathe new life to old recordings through sampling or remixes or even duets like the departed Nat King Cole singing Unforgettable with his very much alive daughter Natalie. An astute owner never sees music masters as non-performing assets. These may stay in storage for a while but can suddenly be in big demand. The success of the movie Walk the Line opened up a new and huge new market for the Johnny Cash catalogue.

But of course, the one record companies have total control over is the release of compilation albums. And this has never been more evident than in the new Essential Series from Sony BMG, which must be the most extensive compilation series ever put together. Featuring famous artists like Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra, these CDs come in two or three discs per package. It also goes beyond the greatest hits concept by including noteworthy recordings that did not make the charts but would delight fans.

Most enjoyable of the lot is Earth Wind & Fire in three discs with 42 songs. It looks like whoever put this together got all the cuts right. It has Reasons, September, Fantasy, Serpentine Fire, Can’t Let Go, After The Love Has Gone, Boogie Wonderland with the Emotions and Celebrate. The original Journey pre-Arnel Pineda, is in three discs with 40 songs including Faithfully, Open Arms and Separate Ways.

Another big treat is Yo-yo Ma in two discs of 35 cuts. Yo-yo Ma’s cello always sounds divine even in something like a greatest hits collection and I like the way the two discs have been divided. Disc One has the old masters, Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms and others while Disc Two has tracks by Jobim, Morricone, Cole Porter, John Williams and other modern works. Tony Bennett, fans though, who want everything by Bennett are advised to get the boxed sets. This one has only 46 cuts and he has certainly done more than that. But it has almost all the hits from Because of You and Cold Cold Heart from the early years to a lovely This is All I Ask and a sultry Mood Indigo.

The series also includes Elvis Presley, three discs with 48 cuts has my two favorite Elvis songs, Suspicious Minds and Always on My Mind; John Denver in two discs with 36 cuts including Leaving on a Jet Plane, Take Me Home Country Road and Sunshine on My Shoulders; Billy Joel, three discs of 43 tracks with Piano Man, Just the Way You Are and It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me; Michael Jackson 3 discs 45 cuts that ranges from ABC to Off the Wall to Blood on the Dance Floor; Bruce Springsteen, three discs with 42 cuts, from Born in the U.S.A., to the Streets of Philadelphia and sadly without the theme from The Wrestler; Heart in three discs with 45 cuts with Barracuda, These Dreams, All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You and an oh-so-heartfelt live version of Unchained Melody.

The Essentials is all great stuff and not to forget. The Series will also solve your storage problems. The CDs come in eco-friendly digipacks with three discs taking up the same space as a regular CD in a plastic jewel box. Collectors can now also get rid of their other greatest hits albums. Sell them if you can or be generous and give them away to friends. With The Essentials you pretty much have everything you would want around by these particular artists.

Well, not everything. Would you believe somebody again missed out on that big local favorite, One Day in Your Life by Michael Jackson? But I guess this only goes to show that nobody really gets everything, even with something termed The Essentials.