The Best of the Art of Noise is the name of a series of compilation albums with songs by the British synthpop and industrial band The Art of Noise. The first version was released on the China Records label in November 1988.
The Best of the Art of Noise was released with at least ten different track listing variations from 1988 to 1997. The first version was on LP format and contained 7" single mixes, while the corresponding compact disc release that year contained the extended or 12" single remixes of all of the tracks. However, LP releases in territories such as Korea and Argentina featured a combination of both tracks listings. A Japanese CD version from 1991 was identical to the standard CD but contained two more mixes of "Kiss" as bonus tracks.
In 1992, China Records reissued The Best of and added "Yebo," "Instruments of Darkness" and "Robinson Crusoe," while omitting the three tracks that were licensed from ZTT Records and included on the 1988 release: "Beatbox," "Moments in Love" and "Close (To the Edit)." Once again, a number of different variations were issued. The United Kingdom and Holland issued a double disc limited edition version with both the standard disc of 7" mixes and a second disc of extended and 12" remixes.
The compilation has also been issued with two different color variations on the cover. All editions prior to 1992 were issued with a blue cover, while most editions afterward had a pink cover. The German and Australian editions as well as the UK/Holland limited edition two disc set all retained the blue cover.
Famous quotes containing the words the best, the, art and/or noise:
“O, there’s a wind a-blowing, a-blowing from the west,
And that of all the winds is the one I like the best,
For it blows at our backs, and it shakes our pennon free,
And it soon will blow us home to the old countrie.”
—William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)
“Listen, that’s the one that done it. The dusters. They started it anyways. Blowin’ like this year after year. Blowin’ the land away. Blowin’ the crops away. Blowin’ us away now.”
—Nunnally Johnson (1897–1977)
“All married couples should learn the art of battle as they should learn the art of making love. Good battle is objective and honest—never vicious or cruel. Good battle is healthy and constructive, and brings to a marriage the principle of equal partnership.”
—Ann Landers (b. 1918)
“who chained themselves to subways for the endless ride from Battery
to holy Bronx on benzedrine until the noise of wheels and children
brought them down shuddering mouth-wracked and battered bleak of brain and drained of brilliance in the drear light of Zoo,”
—Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926)