Supplanting the 1991 collection
Together Forever
,
BMG Heritage
's 2002
Greatest Hits
also runs 18 tracks and shares ten of the same songs -- namely, all the big hits and usual suspects. Of the eight tracks left behind, there are some big ones -- no
"Peter Piper"
or
"My Adidas"
-- and the sequencing, while flowing much better than its predecessor, is still non-chronological, which robs the narrative of some power even if the music retains all of it. So, that means we're still waiting for the perfect
Run-D.M.C.
collection, but until that arrives, this is still an excellent listen and works well as both a summary and introduction to one of the greatest bands of the '80s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine