Curb Imitates Art With Incessant Greatest Hits Releases
Sometimes N
ashville’s major labels behave so ridiculously, they do things you thought could only exist in a make-believe world, and this is the case with Curb Records and their incessant, redundant “Greatest Hits” album releases for perfume magnate Tim McGraw.
Almost two years ago to the day, Curb cheesed off Tim McGraw by announcing they would release a 3rd installment of his Greatest Hits instead the new album that Tim had sitting on the shelf.
I am saddened and disappointed that my label chose to put out another hits album instead of new music. I’ve only had one studio album since my last hits package. It has to be just as confusing to the fans as it is to me. I had no involvement in the creation or presentation of this record… the whole concept is an embarrassment to me as an artist.
Curb’s voluminous Greatest Hits releases became the brunt of jokes, with the website Farce The Music predicting in 2030 that Curb would release a Greatest Hits #14.5, and Country California writing a mythical article about a Greatest Hits Volume #4 and Tim’s reaction:
These people are *%$&ing nuts, man. I thought Shelton [Hank Williams III] just had a burr in his saddle with all his complaining, but naw”¦ Curb’s bat sh*t,
Well apparently Curb IS “*%$&ing nuts, man”. Would you believe that even after Tim’s negative reaction to Volume #3, even after Curb’s incessant Greatest Hits releases became joke fodder on Music Row and beyond, they have actually decided to release YET ANOTHER TIME MCGRAW GREATEST HITS ALBUM!?!
You can’t make this up people. From The Boot:
Call it “Tim McGraw 101.” On November 30, the country superstar will release ‘Number One Hits,’ a double-disc celebrating his double-decade long career.
Curb has actually released 7 Greatest Hits altogether when you consider repackaged limited editions and collector’s editions, including 4 in 2008 alone. That is 7 Greatest Hits albums for only 10 studio albums.
- Greatest Hits (2000)
- Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (2006)
- Greatest Hits: Limited Edition (2008)
- Collector’s Edition (2008)
- Greatest Hits 3 (2008)
- Limited Edition: Greatest Hits: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (2008)
- “Tim McGraw Number One Hits” (2010)
Call it life imitating art, call it the definition of insanity, or just see it as a one of many wrong steps Curb continues to make that has led to them getting sideways with LeAnn Rimes, clashing with Clay Walker, and squandering the Hank Williams legacy. Either way, Curb Records has become the joke of Music Row, and continues to have their stable of talent trimmed by poor decisions.
Though the joke is probably on us, because I’m sure Curb will make a truckload of cash, preying on consumers with a weak mind who will buy this repackaged garbage.
Tim McGraw has released a video statement about the new, unparalleled, unnecessary, redundant, and ridiculous Greatest Hits installment:
October 12, 2010 @ 10:47 am
According to wikipedia this will be Tim McGraw’s 7th Greatest Hits collection with all of the various repackaging Curb has done of his Greatest Hits albums. He’s only had 10 studio albums so far…I like some of his music but it’s not 7 Greatest Hits albums worth.
October 12, 2010 @ 10:54 am
Haha, yeah! They repackage the repackaging in “limited editions” and such. This is the fourth actual album, but look at this laundry list:
Compilation albums
* Greatest Hits (2000)
* Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (2006)
* Greatest Hits: Limited Edition (2008)
* Collector’s Edition (2008)
* Greatest Hits 3 (2008)
* Limited Edition: Greatest Hits: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (2008)
* “Tim McGraw Number One Hits” (2010)
They release four Greatest Hits just in 2008!
October 12, 2010 @ 11:11 am
Thanks for that man. That’s so funny I had to add it to the article. It’s so ridiculous you couldn’t make it up. Actually, I guess someone did.
October 12, 2010 @ 11:17 am
I love how Greatest Hits: Limited Edition is a package of Vol. 1 + 2 and Limited Edition: Greatest Hits is a package of Vol 1, 2 and 3.
October 12, 2010 @ 10:52 am
i think curb is preparing for the end. make as much money as you can and leave the sinking ship…
October 12, 2010 @ 10:57 am
I totally agree. Reap the world and retire with a golden parachute. Not a bad plan the way the top tier of the music industry is going.
October 12, 2010 @ 4:33 pm
That makes Mike Curb the world’s shittiest captain.
I actually sympathize with Tim McGraw. As an artist, that is one slap in the face. The sooner Curb Records gets out of dodge, the better.
Great blog Triggerman
October 12, 2010 @ 11:37 am
So when does Tim McGraw Limited Edition Greatest Hits Vol.8 The Cologne Wars Excusive Edition get released.
October 12, 2010 @ 11:47 am
Haha! Maybe he’ll team up with George Lucas on that one, and come out with a line of action figures. Curb’s headquarters could be the Death Star.
October 12, 2010 @ 12:15 pm
That WOULD be a good way to boost new interest in Star Wars. Have it “go country”.
October 12, 2010 @ 12:25 pm
The deluxe edition includes the hit son Livivng on refried hits.
October 12, 2010 @ 12:30 pm
Don’t give them any ideas, it just might happen.
(see above)
October 12, 2010 @ 11:58 am
I was gonna complain that you didn’t post that ridiculous perfume photo of McGraw, but the video made up for it! I think I heard that they’re digitally inserting Tim McGraw into the 3-D re-re-re-release of the Star Wars trilogy. Speaking of “reaping the world” before the end…
October 12, 2010 @ 12:32 pm
October 12, 2010 @ 12:40 pm
Can’t stand Tim Mcgraw but Curb really are assraping him here
October 12, 2010 @ 6:28 pm
Can’t stand Tim either, but I will always defend artists over the suits trying to screw them. Wrong is wrong.
October 12, 2010 @ 10:58 pm
Oh, Gawddamn!…It almost breaks my heart that THIS LINE …-> “These people are *%$&ing nuts, man. I thought Shelton [Hank Williams III] just had a burr in his saddle with all his complaining, but naw”¦ Curb”™s bat sh*t,” <-… is mythical!?! I read that before the sentence computed and I thought…hey!, has the blind awoke? Has the "Perfume Magnate" seen past that cloud of hyper intensed commercial BULL SHIT?…Don't tease the dumb Triggerman. REALITY SUCKS! MIKE CURB IS JUST PADDING THE LIFE BOAT BEFORE THE WHOLE SHIP SINKS!
October 13, 2010 @ 1:57 am
McGraw should’ve had the heads up to get a lawyer like Shelton did. Shows how business minded Hank III was
October 13, 2010 @ 10:24 am
There’s also Curb’s mishandling of Jo Dee Messina’s album, which sat around on a shelf for 3-4 years and came out as a series of EPs. Then there’s Hal Ketchum, who released some very good albums with absolutely no promotion — one of them was only released overseas, and two of them were essentially the same album released twice.
October 13, 2010 @ 10:39 am
There’s so many it’s hard to keep up. Thanks for the heads up on those.
October 13, 2010 @ 11:09 am
Payback to Tim McGross is 10 fold…..that’s what he gets for putting out crap pop music in the first place. He deserves what he gets from Crud Records just because WE have to see that damn perfume pic over and over!!!!!
October 14, 2010 @ 4:45 pm
This is pretty funny, from Farce The Music again:
http://www.farcethemusic.com/2010/10/cover-of-tim-mcgraws-4th-greatest-hits.html
October 15, 2010 @ 6:32 pm
and a “click here for interesting read”……way to go Triggerman
October 15, 2010 @ 12:20 pm
I am looking forward to the
“Greatest Hits from the Greatest Hits package 1 & 2, Vol. 1, b- packages 1,2 & 3. Bonus Hit makers 1 thru 5, pre-Faith (good music), married to Faith (bad music), Ultimate party songs, Country Dance Mix…. Disc 1.”
Coming out this afternoon… Look for Tim’s new “Ultimate Greatest of the Great, better than the other, but still the same…Disc 2” out tomorrow afternoon.
October 15, 2010 @ 12:51 pm
I am surprised this site didn’t shut down or melt down from the collective gasp that many must have taken when for many of you an “all that is wrong with country music” poster boy like McGraw mentions HankIII (which many of you idolize) by given name in an interview like they are beer drinkin buddies, and basically agrees with him. Tim and Shelton probably do get along well, but we would never admit that would we.
It will be a cold day in… when someone on this site gives a tip of the cap to a Nashville star for being right sometimes.
October 15, 2010 @ 1:19 pm
That was a self-proclaimed “fake” news story from Country California. He has a whole collection of fake stories. They are pretty funny. You should check them out if you have time.
http://www.countrycalifornia.com/category/humor/fake-news/
What’s funny is they put that article out months ago, and then Curb played right into their critic’s hands.
October 15, 2010 @ 1:26 pm
Thanks for the clairfication. I stand corrected or now get it.
October 16, 2010 @ 11:44 pm
You have to better understand the politics of the Row system and the strategies behind what Curb Records does. They are milking their vets for everything they’ve got, because the roster will soon be clear to start a whole new generation of artists many with a lot more credibly, aka Lee Brice and others of his ilk.
Curb isn’t just another label, it helps run the town. Belmont producers HR product (graduates who become signed artists, writers, staff) for the entire business not just themselves. It’s a town based on consumerism and getting the community at large infused with cash from dreamers. Curb is an entity not just a “label”.
And where is this going down with the ship stuff? A deal with Curb has been legendary for decades as one of the worst in the business yet people sign. Why? They want fame and fortune that’s why. Nobody needs to sign with Curb to have a recording career today. Yet they still sign, because Curb when it wants to can deliver on the big time fame people covet. Perhaps the younger ones got better attorneys and signed fairer deals, but only the involved parties know any of that.
If it makes you feel any better, some of these executive successes (Mike Curb and some others) are in part based on old friendships and relationships with Gram Parsons, which oddly carries tremendous inside weight and credibility although he is still primary unknown to the general public. People here go way back with each other and they aren’t going to “shut down” or anything like that anymore than they could shut down Clive Davis 20 years before he was ready.