(Interscope)
(Geffen)
I'd like to preface this review by saying that greatest hits are a waste of everyone's time. Instead of releasing a package of old singles with a couple of new songs, the band should just release new songs, b-sides or live material.
But two bands are trying to break the mold. U2 claims to have the best music from the 1990s and Nirvana is supposed to be the best band of the past decade. But when it comes down to it, maybe what would best define the '90s to our generation is a \Saved by the Bell"" greatest hits. Mark Paul Gossler was a god before Kurt Cobain and as Zack he did once stand in line to buy U2 tickets (of course he ended up winning them for being on an episode on ""Candid Camera"").
U2's is a throw away because it simply panders to the common radio-friendly listener. If they wanted to release a best of this past decade, why not just re-release ? Aside from those tracks and collecting ""Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Kill Me"" from the ""Batman Forever"" Soundtrack and ""Miss Sarajevo"" from the Passengers side-project, nothing else from this collection is worthwhile. Since the fans hated and , Bono and the boys decided to remix those songs so you wouldn't hate them the second time out. Good one guys.
As for the new songs, it seems that Bono is in a bit of a dry spell these days. Lyrics like ""I hope the weather will break soon,"" and ""The coffee is cold, but it will get you through"" from ""Electrical Storm"" sound like they were written by the Zack Attack. Yet, ""Friends forever, we'll always be friends"" is a lot catchier. And how can ""Electrical Storm"" be a greatest hit of the 1990s when its now being released in 2002?
Like U2's earlier , this collection comes with a bonus b-side disc. But unlike the previous greatest hits, almost every song ends in mix. Not a good sign.
As for Nirvana, this album offers you 12 songs you already own, one new one and one remix. Save your money instead and buy Pavement's rerelease instead. Or if you really want some Nirvana, scam your friends with a dating video instead of making the video yearbook like Zack did. Foolproof!
The collection simply titled (no greatest hits needed here) does a decent job of representing all the studio albums, but some live tracks from From the would have been nice to follow up the acoustic live tracks and end out the album.
All the world waited for Kurt's bandmates to get along with his wife so we all could hear ""You Know You're Right."" I think the hype took over the song's actual merits. ""You Know You're Right"" is a good song, but it's not the lost Nirvana song that will save the musical world like everyone says it is. Sure its better than ""Sliver,"" but its not better than, say, ""Serve the Servants.""
As for the new ""Pennyroyal Tea,"" can anyone honestly tell a difference? Prove me wrong children, prove me wrong.
In the end, I'd rather have a copy of the Hot Sundae album or the original cast recording of the rap version of Snow White and the Seven Dorks (or eight if you count A.C. Slater as Studly.)
