egmond said on April 10, 2006 08:05:

Hey all
What do you think will be the new album title? And the tracklist? I’d think so:

1 New Song
2 The Look
3 Listen to your heart
4 It must have been love
5 Joyride
6 Fading like a flower
7 How do you do!
8 Almost unreal
9 Sleeping in my car
10 Crash! boom! bang!
11 You don’t understand me
12 June afternoon
13 Wish I could fly
14 Stars
15 Centre of the heart
16 Milk & toast & honey
17 A thing about you
18 Opportunity Nox
19 New song

Maybe they’d include Dangerous and Dressed for success and leave out JA. Who knows. Hope they include ON though.

rox-kuryliw said on April 10, 2006 11:41:

ON wont be on for sure i think. Not saying i dont like the song cos i do.

arnie said on April 10, 2006 11:42:

hi eggi, I need to talk to you, please email me:
[email protected]

eBay said on April 10, 2006 14:06:

@rox-kuryliw
I have to agree with you. I like ON myself, A LOT actually, but it was probably the biggest Rox-Flop ever..

sweepi said on April 16, 2006 16:58:

Well, I can’t help it to feel somewhat bothered too by the coming release of a new Greatest Hits album. Not bothered in the sense of annoyed, for another Greatest Hits album going to be released, though, as also to me it seems like something certainly at least logical, to have a compilation released, for a band’s 20 years anniversary. But bothered in the sense of concerned. As I can’t help it to feel concerned, about how the media and particularly the radios will refer to such a Greatest Hits release, when it comes out 3 years only (and nothing else released in between) after the release of the previous Greatest Hits package “The Ballad Hits” / “The Pop Hits”.

Can’t help it to antecipate the reactions and comments of the media and radios and feel somewhat concerned about it (and that any of it might possibly result to prejudice or compromise or somehow be unfavourable to Roxette’s international credit in any way)... So, as the cause of my bother is, not so the fact that a compilation is coming, which, as I say, sounds a perfectly logical release for an anniversary...

—

(And all fans know and should understand and respect it that at this point there are no conditions, yet at least, to make no greater effort by Roxette than to put up one or two new songs, and just thank God for there being conditions to at least put up one or two new songs at this point, this ought to be our thought and a thought which ought to be kept in mind always!

“You work for 14, 15 hours, four to five days in a row, go home for a couple of days, then back...” - Per’s just put it in words for us how the recording process for a new album works. And maybe, just maybe, Marie, and even if it might be her wish too, either way maybe she isn’t at this time capable of facing such a demanding effort and hard chalenge (and all the rest that comes attached with it when we’re talking Roxette)? (Not quite the same as recording at one’s own home studio, at one’s own set pace, one has to understand.)

It were Per’s own words too: “Marie’s life has totally changed, she sees life through different eyes”. Cos sometimes one does go through such things in life that does make you see life through different eyes. Make you take life from a different view. And maybe suddenly you become aware that tomorrow may indeed become too late for living today’s life. And you re-set priorities and take it as that you rather live it today.

“I’m gonna take my time. Cannot take anything for granted.” Certainly the simplest lyrics one could ask for. But the meaning couldn’t be made any greater. And Marie has shared her “sight over life through her different eyes” with us too. Her “message” is there for everyone to take. And for us, the fans, too. Especially for us, the fans, I’d say. And from this view I sincerely could not appreciate it any more greatly that Marie has shared “The Change” with us. And what if indeed tomorrow becomes too late?

I mean, for instance, in some other thread I see fans debating whether this very album, “The Change”, was a “good move”. Well, maybe beyond any discussion of whether it may have been a “good move” or not, maybe one should rather question self, perhaps it was as simple as it just was Marie’s wish at the moment, to make and release that album? It is known that Marie always had the desire of doing a solo album in English. So perhaps she just felt it was the right moment and the right motive to do it? What if tomorrow would become too late for?

Or when she did her art-exhibit, many fans frowned their eyebrows and twisted their noses, for she had done paintings, instead of doing music. But perhaps that was the wish of Marie at that time? It is known her enjoyment for painting. And what if tomorrow would become too late for?

Or now, when she has chosen to make a covers album of the music she was influenced by in the early years of her life, the beginning years of her career. Now that she is re-beginning her life. Maybe she just felt like wanting to be re-estimulated by those very sounds she began her life with and re-appreciate and re-experience them again? For what if tomorrow would become too late for?

And Roxette. Here we are now, with one, at best possibly two new songs in perspective, to be included in a coming compilation in celebration for 20 years of Roxette’s career. And here we are, again frowning the eyebrows and twisting the noses, in a demanding/expecting/hoping-for-more-kind-of-way.

Well, in some way and to some extent, also I even share too of such view of other fans, as when saying that, for the 20 years anniversary, why not then just put out the RoxBox? Then the anniversary wouldn’t go uncelebrated, yet anything more might be left for sometime later, when there might be better conditions for something else than one, possibly two new songs to be included in a new Greatest Hits following to another Greatest Hits only 3 years after. But and what if later will become too late? Just for whatever reason it may be (be it lack of interest, lack of motivation, lack of strength, lack of physical capacity). But what if?

So if the decision of those who boss is that a compilation is to be released for the 20 years anniversary, if then Roxette wish to present us still something new with it, and are up for doing it, why not let it be and take it then? What if tomorrow would become too late for? Maybe we could then just appreciate what the present brings. And the future? Maybe we can also appreciate what it may bring, if anything, no? And still remember, there is one heck of a past to continue appreciating for life.)

—

But anyway, as I was saying before this parenthesis, as the cause of my bother is, not so the fact that a compilation is coming, which, yes, sounds a perfectly logical release for an anniversary, but more like the fact that a Greatest Hits is to be the release following to a previous Greatest Hits release (which then again does make it sound something “odd” and “unjustified” from any outsider’s perspective), then I guess I’d just make this compilation release in a somewhat no-Greatest Hits alternative way, then...

I’d call it simply “20 Years. 20 Favourites.”. As in an immediate allusion to that this was a compilation album celebrating the 20 years of Roxette’s career, but at the same time leaving out any Greatest Hits or Best Of concept. (Even though, at this stage, and after the previous “The Ballad Hits” / “The Pop Hits” package, if anything else, a Best Of concept for the coming compilation would still be better than repeating again a Greatest Hits concept, at least under a Best Of concept there can always be included songs which aren’t necessarily greatest hits only.)

And I would, as indicated by the title, obviously, have 20 songs be included on the album. (Not much room for copy control in it, then, I guess... >:P) 20 songs which I’d pick this way:

5 would be the top 5 of Roxette’s best selling/most airplayed singles. As in representing the top 5 of the world’s favourites. (Which I suppose would cover the essential classics “It Must Have Been Love”, “Listen To Your Heart”, “The Look” and “Joyride” and, well, one other of the essential classics of Roxette... And which I suppose would grant the compilation to be appealing to the casual buyer...)

Another 5 would be a top 5 of Per’s favourites of Roxette. (Here to be included one of the new songs. And then, well, if he would want to have “Queen Of Rain”, as he recently said to be one of his favourites, so be it “Queen Of Rain”. Or if he would want to have “The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye” or “Vulnerable”, also known to be favourites of his, or just whichever song, so be it. It would be his favourites, no questions asked!)

And another 5 would be, as obvious, as well a top 5 of Marie’s favourites of Roxette. (Here to be included the other of the new songs, should it be two to be recorded. And then, as well as for Per, well, it would simply be Marie’s favourites, be it “Watercolours In The Rain” or “Anyone” or “Sleeping In My Car”, no questions asked either!)

Then, the last 5, it would be the top 5 favourites of us, the fans. To be chosen by online voting, for a limited time, as obvious, so that everything might be done in time. The list of songs for the fans to vote should include all the Roxette songs which have been released untill this date (regardless of whether it was included on an album or a B-side to a single).

Only exception would be the songs from “Pearls Of Passion”, which should be subject to a separate/exclusive voting, so that it would be ensured that a favourite (the fans’ favourite) from this album would too be included in the compilation. (After all, if it’s a 20 years anniversary compilation, it’s a 20 years anniversary compilation, and it should necessarily feature the whole 20 years of Roxette’s career, thus also a “piece” of “Pearls Of Passion”, the actual first album, as it reads on the cover of the 1997’s re-release!)

The one thing to regard into consideration, if by chance any of the songs to primarily be included in the top 5 chosen by the fans was to coincide with any of the songs to be included in any of the previous other 3 top 5 mentioned (top 5 best selling/most airplayed singles, top 5 Per’s favourites and top 5 Marie’s favourites, neither of which was due to be revealed previously, of course), then the song which had been the 6th most voted song by the fans would be chosen instead for the compilation, and so on...

Then, and in some way contrasting with the primary idea that this is intended to be a release appealing also to the casual buyer, I’d somehow try to still make this release to be appealing also to the fan, and this by, as many other fans too have idealized it before, by presenting the songs in, so to speak, “different clothings”.

(At this point I’d add that, the tracklist sequence, I’d choose it random if best, not necessarily putting the songs by chronological order, if it might make better sense otherwise, as it probably would, and as it probably would even be required.)

For example, by including a mixture of live cuts of the songs. (Previously unreleased I suppose would be ideal, but also there aren’t all so many live songs which have been released, only some in some singles, and then those on “Tourism”, so, maybe there might be some handful of songs in live versions that would make it worth the release in such a compilation... For instance, I’m recaling the live version of “Stars” in ballad style, which impressed and delighted so many fans by the time, well, should “Stars” be among the 20 chosen ones to be on the compilation, why not then include it in this “different clothing”, should it exist?)

A mixture of live cuts of songs, of some of them, of course, not all; firstly because the new song/songs will be studio songs, so it certainly wouldn’t make too much sense that all the rest of the songs would be live recordings while those are studio ones; and secondly because perhaps and even most probably there wouldn’t be live recordings of each and every song of those chosen to be in the compilation. So the live songs should come as a sort of “bonus spot” in the record... (I would even add, why not make it in a style like a “junior-suite” kind of thing, by having a sort of “live-suite” thrown in the middle of the compilation?) And also at the same time it would serve to “illustrate” the “touring side” of Roxette in these 20 years of their career.

Then, and as for the other songs, which would not be featured live, they could still come too in “different clothings”, by including a mixture of remixes/edits of the songs.

(Some might even be previously released mixes, which aren’t available elsewhere but on previous deleted singles, like for instance the U.S. remix of “Listen To Your Heart”, that so many fans long so much for once being released on album... Or also for instance, should “Wish I Could Fly” be among the 20 chosen ones to be on the compilation, then maybe the R&B remix of it might be a nice bet? It certainly is some “different clothing” to this song, and being it such a successful and popular song among the radio community, and being this version rather radio friendly too, yet so different from the original, yet again not too moved away from the original essence of the song, maybe it might even revive djs’ interest for this hit?

And other songs, well, they might just get some new remixing/editing all along. As anyway possibly some songs would require some editing anyway, even to make it possible to fit 20 songs in the disc... And I mean, not remixing in such a way as to convert each song into dance/club ones, no, not quite that the idea, not at all! I mean, I know zero about mixing or even just what that is, but, just simply “doing something” with the songs just to make them somehow “sound freshly different”, know what I mean? Let’s say, simply provide the songs some kind of a “different touch”, to “surprise” and captivate the fans too...)

In the end the bottom line idea resumes to the presentation of the compilation in a somehow alternative concept by including a somehow alternative-souding contents. (Something appealing and pleasing to any other casual buyer. Something appealing and pleasing to any other fan.)

Anyway... Just a humble thought. A humble thought from this humble fan... (Just too bad I can’t whisper it at “the bosses’” ears...)

animalkingdom said on April 16, 2006 19:24:

Oh my god, what a thread!

Hello! Where are the moderators now? There are already TWO topics about the same thing - - the tracklist of the forthcoming collection.

RobS said on April 18, 2006 08:40:

Interesting read, i like your idea about the favourites compilation rather than a GH/Best of. And also of using different mix’s/versions of songs so we don’t have another version of the same songs, as has been mentioned a few times.

The only problem is, it seems that it’s pretty much been decided that it will be a single disc with the hits as it is intended to replace the DBUGTTC GH.

Now that i think about it, it seems that the TBH/TPH compilations were almost done as a release for the fans, in that they have an extensive tracklist with new songs and the EP’s (where available), compared to this new release which seems to be just a standard GH with nothing much of interest to fans.