Not A Greatest Hits
Donovan Woods
Not A Greatest Hits is a fan‑curated compilation by Canadian singer‑songwriter Donovan Woods, released in 2024 as a limited‑edition red‑vinyl LP on his Meant Well label. Because many of his most beloved songs had only ever appeared as standalone singles or on digital‑only releases, Woods invited fans to submit their top five favourites, then built a tracklist from the most‑voted titles that would physically fit on an LP—insisting on the tongue‑in‑cheek name Not A Greatest Hits since, as he’s said, he doesn’t consider himself to have actual “hits.”
The 13‑song collection leans heavily into his intimate, narrative folk and country‑pop writing, featuring “Portland, Maine,” “Grew Apart,” “I Ain’t Ever Loved No One” (with Tenille Townes), “Next Year,” “Burn That Bridge,” “Clean Slate,” “Put On, Cologne,” “On the Nights You Stay Home,” “Man Made Lake,” “Seeing Other People,” “That Hotel,” “What They Mean,” and “When The Party’s Over.” Together, these tracks highlight the traits that have slowly built his cult following: plain‑spoken but emotionally precise lyrics, gently melodic guitar‑driven arrangements, and a dry, self‑deprecating perspective on love, regret, and everyday compromise. Framed by Woods as “just a compilation of songs that a certain set of people enjoy,” the record functions less like a canonical best‑of and more like a listener‑shaped portrait of his catalogue—an accessible entry point for new fans and a way for long‑timers to finally own favourites on vinyl, complete with “vintagey crackley‑pops.”
Not A Greatest Hits
Donovan Woods
Not A Greatest Hits is a fan‑curated compilation by Canadian singer‑songwriter Donovan Woods, released in 2024 as a limited‑edition red‑vinyl LP on his Meant Well label. Because many of his most beloved songs had only ever appeared as standalone singles or on digital‑only releases, Woods invited fans to submit their top five favourites, then built a tracklist from the most‑voted titles that would physically fit on an LP—insisting on the tongue‑in‑cheek name Not A Greatest Hits since, as he’s said, he doesn’t consider himself to have actual “hits.”
The 13‑song collection leans heavily into his intimate, narrative folk and country‑pop writing, featuring “Portland, Maine,” “Grew Apart,” “I Ain’t Ever Loved No One” (with Tenille Townes), “Next Year,” “Burn That Bridge,” “Clean Slate,” “Put On, Cologne,” “On the Nights You Stay Home,” “Man Made Lake,” “Seeing Other People,” “That Hotel,” “What They Mean,” and “When The Party’s Over.” Together, these tracks highlight the traits that have slowly built his cult following: plain‑spoken but emotionally precise lyrics, gently melodic guitar‑driven arrangements, and a dry, self‑deprecating perspective on love, regret, and everyday compromise. Framed by Woods as “just a compilation of songs that a certain set of people enjoy,” the record functions less like a canonical best‑of and more like a listener‑shaped portrait of his catalogue—an accessible entry point for new fans and a way for long‑timers to finally own favourites on vinyl, complete with “vintagey crackley‑pops.”