Doing a 140: From A(retha) to Z(evon)

Okay, okay, we know “Doing a 140” doesn’t have even remotely the same ring as “Doing a 180,” but what can we tell you? These particular reissues are on 140-gram vinyl rather than 180-gram vinyl, so we felt like it was better to be factual. It’s just the right thing to do, you know? (Also, it’s the legal thing to do, so there’s that as well.)

Warren Zevon, A QUIET NORMAL LIFE: THE BEST OF WARREN ZEVON: Anyone who’s read I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life & Times of Warren Zevon knows that Warren’s ex-wife, Crystal, cleared up any misconceptions about whether or not the title of Zevon’s first best-of collection was ironic or not. (It was. It so was.) But anyone who’s looking for the best possible single-disc encapsulation of Zevon’s early years can find it in this compilation, which features 14 tracks culled from 1976’s Warren Zevon, 1978’s Excitable Boy, 1980’s Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, and 1982’s The Envoy.

“Roland the Headline Thompson Gunner” – Listen Here

Aretha Franklin, ARETHA’S GREATEST HITS: While not Ms. Franklin’s first best-of set – it was actually her third, if you’re curious – this collection is one which will doubtlessly thrill longtime fans of the Queen of Soul, as it was never released on CD and has been out of print for 30+ years. Not that you can’t find its songs on other compilations, of course, but there’s something special about seeing a classic like this back in print.

“Dr. Feelgood” – Listen Here

Chic, LES PLUS GRANDS SUCCES DE CHIC - CHIC'S GREATEST HITS: Whenever you’re looking to dance, dance, dance, you can never go wrong with Chic. Originally released in late 1979, the compilation features tracks from 1977’s Chic, 1978’s C’est Chic, and 1979’s Risqué.

“Chic Cheer” – Listen Here

Little Feat, AS TIME GOES BY: THE VERY BEST OF LITTLE FEAT: Those looking for a Little Feat primer will likely find their needs met by this compilation. You should note that the vinyl version isn’t quite as expansive as the original CD release of the set – this version only offers 12 songs – but it’s a strong dozen, to be sure.

Chicago, GREATEST HITS 1982-1989: Although they’d been around for over a decade before the ‘80s got rolling, there’s a certain segment of Chicago’s audience that didn’t discover the band until they became big with their ballads. There’s a lot of love on this LP, and there’s also a lot of chart success here, too: if you don’t recognize every song, then you weren’t listening to very much top-40 radio back in the day.

“Love Me Tomorrow” – Listen Here