The Best of Friends

A very different compilation with little or no overlapping material could just as easily earn the right to be titled The Best of the Durutti Column. Vini Reilly's discography is so deep that any track selection would look somewhat arbitrary. Despite that, this two-disc set, released in 2004, does an admirable job of distilling over 20 years of material into a digestible introduction. Even most of Reilly's longtime, fanatical followers would have to agree - with some reservations, perhaps - that this is a representative way to gain an understanding of one of the most prolific and unique individuals to have started during the punk era. If this set should happen to hit all the right nerves with you, there are no less than ten good to spectacular studio albums waiting to be devoured.

The Best of Everything but the Girl is divided between selections from their early records and remixes of '90s hits such as "Missing." Consequently, the album draws a slightly misleading portrait of their career, yet it still functions as an excellent introduction to the band, since it features many of their best songs, including "Apron Strings."

MCA's 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection is a good, basic collection of Robert Palmer's biggest hits, including "Sneaking Sally (Through the Alley)," "Bad Case of Lovin' You," "Can We Still Be Friends," "Looking for Clues," "Some Guys Have All the Luck," "Addicted to Love," and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On." Although there are a couple of hits and good album tracks missing, this has enough of the hits to make it worthwhile for casual listeners on a budget.