Greatest [Limited Edition, Import]

Ian Brown | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Limited Edition, Import
• Label: Universal
• ASIN: B000A0BC02
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #582,251 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. My Star

2. Corpses In Their Mouths

3. Can't See Me (Bacon & Quarmby Remix)

4. Be There (Unkle)

5. Love Like A Fountain (Single Version)

6. Dolphins Were Monkeys (Single Version)

7. Golden Gaze (Single Version)

8. F.E.A.R.

9. Whispers

10. Forever & A Day (New Version)

11. Keep What Ya Got

12. Time Is My Everything

13. Longsight M13

14. Reign (Unkle)

15. Lovebug (New Version)

16. All Ablaze

17. Return Of The Fisherman

18. Can't See Me (Harvey's Invisible Mix)

19. My Star (2002 Version)

20. Dolphins Were Monkey's (Unkle Remix)

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

UK only limited collectors edition comes with 48 page hardback book, extensive sleeve notes, rare photos and a bonus 10-track disc with rare and previously unreleased tracks. The first disc features 17-tracks including 'Love Like A Fountain', 'Time Is My Everything', 'Corpses In Their Mouth', 'Can't See Me', 'All Ablaze', 'Dolphins Were Monkeys' while the bonus disc includes 'Can't See Me' (Harvey’s Invisible Mix), 'My Star' (2002 Version), 'Dolphins Were Monkey’s' (UNKLE Remix), 'F.E.A.R.' (UNKLE Remix), 'Thriller', 'Billie Jean', 'Time Is My Everything' (Stateside Hombres Over Easy Mix), 'Kiss Ya Lips (No I.D.)' (RRS Mix), 'Superstar' & 'Time Is My Everything' (Ant Genn Mix). Universal. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ian Brown. Surely The Greatest., September 25, 2005

By 

Lina (Singapore, Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest (Audio CD)

Let me just get straight to the point. This is a must have for any Ian Brown fan. This album is not just a collection of the best of Ian Brown's solo work... It chronicles how far King Monkey has come in the eight years since he launched his solo career.

Listening to this album, it is evident that Brown has grown as a musician. He has managed to create his own distinctive sound, casting off the shadow of his former band to become a star all over again.

Ian Brown not only works well on collaborations but is also more than capable of producing excellent tracks on his own. "F.E.A.R." has got to be one of my favourites.

One new track on here is the new single "All Ablaze" - a mix of middle-eastern beats combined with lo-fi electronica. Downright genius. From the opening chord to the final majestic uplifting finale, it is nothing short of breathtaking.

There are some fine remixes and remakes on the bonus disc as well. Ian Brown's "Thriller" sounds better than the original as well, if I may say so.

My only complaint is why the original "Kiss Ya Lips (No I.D.)" wasn't included in the first CD. But hey, I'm not criticizing. This is a perfect package of how music should be: creative and catchy.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plenty Of Brownie Points, November 15, 2005

By 

The Wasp (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest (Audio CD)

He's never come across as the most accomplished musician or cerebral character, but thanks to fronting The Stone Roses, Ian Brown's legacy was assured a decade ago. Even so, the King Monkey hasn't let ex-bandmate hatred, allegations of being a smelly bastard or a stint in Strangeways prison get in the way of a solo, post-Roses career, aligning himself with a number of talented co-writers and musicians to ensure his career has outlasted that of nemesis John Squire's The Seahorses project. Many of those that have gathered around Brown over the course of his four studio albums are former Roses affiliates, with Squire's guitar replacement in The Stones Roses, Aziz Ibrahim, helping out on early singles My Star and anti-Squire missive Corpses In Their Mouths, early Stone Roses drummer-turned-Fall-member Simon Wolstencroft co-writing Golden Gaze and the funky lope of Can't See Me being powered by the bassline of Primal Scream and Stone Roses veteran Mani.

As displayed by his programming of Rage back in 1996, Brownie has always been primarily inspired by black artists, with the Master Blaster groove of Love Like A Fountain professionally plundering Stevie Wonder with blind abandon. Although Noel Gallagher lyrically hints at the glory of the Stone Roses on Keep What Ya Got (with the lines `Remember where you came from' and `if you and your next neighbour, you don't quite get along,' being the most obvious references), most of the tracks on The Greatest mark a fresh route away from the mystical aura of the Roses.

Brown's guest appearances on UNKLE's majestic Be There and REIGN ensure the Manc's contribution to DJ James Lavelle's side project rates alongside the UNKLE appearances of fellow UK rock icons Richard Ashcroft and Thom Yorke, while the similarly orchestral FEAR is another impressive tune unrestricted by its rigid lyrical construct.

Aside from a photo montage (including a still from the set of his only movie appearance to date - stirring a coffee cup and reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History Of Time in a single scene from Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban), there's precious little of revelatory worth in the booklet accompanying this release, however as a round-up of the monkey man's solo career to date, there's plenty of golden greats, monkey business and Brownie points on offer with The Greatest.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the best!, October 21, 2005

By 

tak1 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest (Audio CD)

To be honest I've only heard the song "be there" back in 1999 and some of his solo work released afterwards. I thought he was pretty good but never really got the chance to hear his work as a whole until this release came out. I took a chance on it and now i'm glad i did. It seems that it's pretty complete and honestly this compilation proves that this man has a lot to offer and let's hope he does.