As we all well know, Mew released their first ever compilation album last year. Eggs Are Funny contained some of the band’s favourite tracks from their career, but when you talk about a band like Mew, one CD full of hits is just not enough. Not at all. So many wonderful tracks were left out, even when we agree on many titles that actually made the cut. If Mew had released two discs, it would’ve been a more versatile view on their material. Although, it would definitely feel weird to have a two-disc collection set from just five albums. This is just to show what the second Greatest Hits -album could look like…
Front Cover
Back Cover
Total length for this is approximately 71 minutes, and as you can see, the order of the songs has been quite carefully thought of. The beautiful That Time On the Ledge would make its first appearance on an actual album.
In comparison, one of the most successful compilation albums ever is Gold by ABBA, and if you compare that track listing with their More Gold -collection, there’s a huge difference. The first album had all the hits and the second one – well, not so much. Queen managed to have two great collection albums, but even they didn’t have enough material for the third one. Now, of course, Mew are not even close to being as successful as these two bands, but maybe they should be. If they want to be.
What would your Mew collection be like? And how many Mew -songs can you spot from the artwork by Akiko (over at Lolmew – naturally)?
The artwork is absolutely gorgeous (and I’m partial to anything with the Frenger and Comical Bird)! As for the tracklist, I might just have to burn this as a mix CD.
I see a web for the She Spider, some Seething Rain, a small moth trying to escape from Behind The Drapes, a nice Ledge off the hand, a Wolf, the Zookeeper’s giraffe, a horse I’ll try to like, silver-lined clouds…there are so many. 😀
That is so beautiful. I wish Mew would release a compilation album with that track list and art work.
Seething rain – namewise – is not eligible (it’s not on the track listings), but Mew like them rains in many occasions anyway. You have a very good eye (especially for spotting the “ledge”)!!! There are still more.
Keir: Mew would need to get in touch with Akiko then 😀
Loving the artwork.
I love the artwork and the songs!
This fictional album is way better than what they ended up picking. “An Envoy to the Open Fields” is my favorite Mew song.
Instead of “That Time On the Ledge” being on a greatest hits album, why not that song appear on a Mew B-side compilation. God knows there are enough b-sides (never released, remixed & alternative version songs) to fill 3 albums! In that way, “That Time On the Ledge” could become a de-facto single (with music video [animation or live footage as the band probably would not want to shoot an expensive video for an “old” song] and radio airplay) plus 1 or 2 other songs as singles (Safe as Houses and Killer would be my choice).
Can you guys come up with a tracklist for a possible Mew b-side compilation??!! I mean you don’t have to re-imagine any album artwork or anything, just for us to see and debate that tracklist. Please??!!!
Yep, I definitely think there are some picks here that should have been on the first one. Leaving out Repeaterbeater, White Lips Kissed, Apocalypso and Hawaii are huge oversights I think!
That’s just me, though; Repeaterbeater is absolutely one of my favourite songs.
But this selection definitely would fill all the holes in the first and give people are much more complete idea of what Mew is 🙂 in terms of, like, what I’d show people whom I’m introducing to Mew.
And yes, it would be good for Ledge to appear on an album, it’s a lovely song…