Posthumous Compilations

Paedantic Basterd · 12-11-2011, 03:53 PM

I can't help but feel like posthumous compilations are a bit of a stain on an artist's career, some effort to capitalize one last time on their death, and ultimately, a bit of an inconsiderate display by those who were involved in them seeing the light of day.

Listening to Elliott Smith's From a Basement on a Hill, I feel that there is some very good work on this album, but can't help wondering how much of it violated his original intentions for it. How many pieces included in such compilations were never meant to see the light of day? How much of this material is incomplete, a shadow of the original vision? How much of it is an embarrassment to the creator, being caught in half-finished, imperfect work? Is the release of this material what the artist would have wanted for their fans, or would they prefer it to be buried? When does the flow of material from a deceased artist cross a line? It seems that many artists are still having their scraps milked for dough (Courtney Love, I'm looking at you), and that these compilations are more about taking advantage of fans than rewarding them.

Thoughts? Favourite posthumous releases and why?

12-11-2011, 03:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Posthumous Compilations I can't help but feel like posthumous compilations are a bit of a stain on an artist's career, some effort to capitalize one last time on their death, and ultimately, a bit of an inconsiderate display by those who were involved in them seeing the light of day. Listening to Elliott Smith's From a Basement on a Hill, I feel that there is some very good work on this album, but can't help wondering how much of it violated his original intentions for it. How many pieces included in such compilations were never meant to see the light of day? How much of this material is incomplete, a shadow of the original vision? How much of it is an embarrassment to the creator, being caught in half-finished, imperfect work? Is the release of this material what the artist would have wanted for their fans, or would they prefer it to be buried? When does the flow of material from a deceased artist cross a line? It seems that many artists are still having their scraps milked for dough (Courtney Love, I'm looking at you), and that these compilations are more about taking advantage of fans than rewarding them. Thoughts? Favourite posthumous releases and why?