Hypothetical Situation:

[nuno75]

Imagine that you're a record executive, and imagine you've just discovered the Wildhearts today. Also imagine that they were literally completely unknown... just some garage band that had been jamming together for fun for the last twenty years and had all of the material that we currently know and love... only none of it was recorded, and no one outside of the band had ever heard it... except for you. You have The Wildhearts' entire catelogue of music, as we now know it, to choose from.

Now, for the question. It's your job to put together one full length album of music to release as the debut album that will introduce them to the world for the first time.

Which 12-15 songs would you choose, if it was your job to put out an album of their material that would be relevant in today's musical climate?

Remember, it's not about what you like the best... it's about what would sell.

[Arabiandisco]

I'd let the band put out whatever they want to.

[nuno75]

Okay... I'll get the ball rolling. I personally would try to push them out there as a heavier band... more of the Ozzfest variety than as the Warped Tour variety. So the album would lean in the direction of heavier stuff. Of course I'd throw in a lighter number here and there to break it up.

1. Inglorious
2. Suckerpunch
3. Vanilla Radio
4. If Life Is Like A Love Bank I Want An Overdraft
5. V-Day
6. Slaughtered Authors
7. Drinking About Life
8. Caprice
9. Destroy All Monsters
10. Greetings From Shitsville

[Keith Richard]

Okay... I'll get the ball rolling. I personally would try to push them out there as a heavier band... more of the Ozzfest variety than as the Warped Tour variety. So the album would lean in the direction of heavier stuff. Of course I'd throw in a lighter number here and there to break it up.

1. Inglorious
2. Suckerpunch
3. Vanilla Radio
4. If Life Is Like A Love Bank I Want An Overdraft
5. V-Day
6. Slaughtered Authors
7. Drinking About Life
8. Caprice
9. Destroy All Monsters
10. Greetings From Shitsville

You've failed at the first hurdle......you specified 12 - 15 songs

[nuno75]

Okay... I'll get the ball rolling. I personally would try to push them out there as a heavier band... more of the Ozzfest variety than as the Warped Tour variety. So the album would lean in the direction of heavier stuff. Of course I'd throw in a lighter number here and there to break it up.

1. Inglorious
2. Suckerpunch
3. Vanilla Radio
4. If Life Is Like A Love Bank I Want An Overdraft
5. V-Day
6. Slaughtered Authors
7. Drinking About Life
8. Caprice
9. Destroy All Monsters
10. Greetings From Shitsville

You've failed at the first hurdle......you specified 12 - 15 songs

Yeah, I know... I just caught that too, after the fact. Throw in S.I.N. and Fugazi somewhere in there.

[Ross]

Could happen, if you're talking about a best of for the American market...

I'd go with...

Inglorious
The New Flesh
The Miles Away Girl
Abhoria (a re-recorded version)
Beautiful Thing You
Caprice
Bad Time to be Having a Bad Time
Urge
Bang!
29x the Pain
I Wanna Go Where the People Go
Love You Till I Don't (It has to finish with this).

[vanrad]

Think it's one of the problems why the Wildhearts haven't reached those dizzy heights, they're just too damm widespread over the whole guitar rock metal spectrum. Too pop for the metal fans, too metal for the pop fans (been said before apologies for stealing!). And everyone here probably understands that whole spectrum.

If I could pick some songs to 'sell' on this fictional album I would pick most of the latest 'The Wildhearts' as it's great and the band are going love playing that live the most as it's their latest stuff, but being an executive I would need some edits and additions.

No need to worry too much about songs missed off as we could release all the rest and make loads of money on the back of this one!

I'd also (ahem) make them re-record the older tracks I've included, nothing to do with how they sound on the original albums, but hey I'm a record executive and want a 'newer' sound. Hopefully I'd have the budget to get Rick Rubin involved too! Well this is a dream.

1. Rooting For The Bad Guy
2. Caffeine Bomb
3. The Revolution Will Be Televised
4. Vanilla Radio
5. Urge (2007)
6. Geordie In Wonderland
7. The Hard Way
8. Destroy All Monsters
9. 29 x The Pain
10. Suckerpunch
11. Bi Polar Baby
12. Love U Til I Don't

[spoon_of_grimbo]

1. Vanilla Radio
2. Sick of Drugs
3. Suckerpunch
4. My Baby is a Headfuck
5. 29 X the Pain
6. Anthem
7. Lake of Piss
8. Slaughtered Authors
9. I Wanna Go Where the People Go
10. Inglorious
11. Abhoria
12. Splattermania (or Nothing Ever Changes but the Shoes, bit of a tie there...)
13. Rooting for the Bad Guy
14. News of the World
15. Sky Babies / Love You 'Til I Don't (As a hidden track...)

[stuff]

I'd let the band put out whatever they want to.

Yes, that has worked out so well for them in the past. What the Wildhearts have needed ever since they left East-West is an A+R person with sway. Someone that can pull together a really consistent album and who is prepared to stand up to Ginger.

[seventieslord]

Think it's one of the problems why the Wildhearts haven't reached those dizzy heights, they're just too damm widespread over the whole guitar rock metal spectrum. Too pop for the metal fans, too metal for the pop fans (been said before apologies for stealing!). And everyone here probably understands that whole spectrum.

If I could pick some songs to 'sell' on this fictional album I would pick most of the latest 'The Wildhearts' as it's great and the band are going love playing that live the most as it's their latest stuff, but being an executive I would need some edits and additions.

No need to worry too much about songs missed off as we could release all the rest and make loads of money on the back of this one!

I'd also (ahem) make them re-record the older tracks I've included, nothing to do with how they sound on the original albums, but hey I'm a record executive and want a 'newer' sound. Hopefully I'd have the budget to get Rick Rubin involved too! Well this is a dream.

1. Rooting For The Bad Guy
2. Caffeine Bomb
3. The Revolution Will Be Televised
4. Vanilla Radio
5. Urge (2007)
6. Geordie In Wonderland
7. The Hard Way
8. Destroy All Monsters
9. 29 x The Pain
10. Suckerpunch
11. Bi Polar Baby
12. Love U Til I Don't

I was thinking the same sort of thing. The Wildhearts pre-2000 are almost a completely different band post-2000. Songs from both periods being on the same disc would only make sense to experienced fans like us. GInger would tell me to go fuck myself if I wanted him to re-record any old stuff, so we're gonna win the fans with the new stuff and let them discover the old stuff when they are hooked. The tracklist would be like this:

1. Nexus Icon
2. Only Love
3. Rooting For the Bad Guy
4. The Revolution Will Be Televised
5. The New Flesh
6. The Sweetest Song
7. O.C.D.
8. Bipolar Baby
9. Only One Hell
10. It's All Up To Me
11. The Hard Way
12. 6:30 Onwards...Eager To Leave 'Er
13. Lake Of Piss
14. Destroy All Monsters

god... you know it's a fine disc when there's no room for putting it on, oh bonita, slaughtered authors, move on, action panzer, get your groove on, vanilla radio, or top of the world.

Yep, I think it's safe to say I'd win producer of the year.

[madbloke]

I'd get 'em to release 'Earth vs The Wildhearts'