COLLECTIVE SOUL WITHOUT `RIVER FLOWS` IS LIKE DEEP PURPLE WITHOUT `SMOKE ON THE WATER`

https://youtu.be/pdm842CZNRc?si=oeVmUh5T0gVqisg3

Back in around 1993, a unique soul infused power grunge band from America hit the

airwaves with this simple and straightforward rock heavy song that was far from being virtuoso but one of the most grainy guitar driven songs outside the alternative sphere. 

The song is called `Where The River Flows` by AOR crossover band Collective Soul. How a gem of a song like this didn`t make the band's greatest hits collection 7EVEN YEAR ITCH, which was released in early 2001, defies all logic. 

Maybe the band members thought the song was match practise only for the many well crafted rockers that followed after the song
was released, maybe the analogy was that the mega successful single `Shine` was a much more definitive and better refined expression of the three chord guitar riff that powers `Where The River Flows`from start to finish. 

I`m not knocking `Shine` whatsoever, it is a great song, but it would have been a lot better if both these tunes were on the greatest hits compilation. 

There is absolutely nothing between them, it would be a bit like having a Van Halen compilation with `Jump` on it but without `Dreams`. 

It never made sense to me, I ended up getting my mate's dad to burn a CD with  'Where The River Flows' for me, naughty naughty me - when it was still 'technically legal' to do so. 

Whether it was a case of the record company dictating to the band what was considered to be their best music, or whether the band members were just stupid and didn`t know what their best song of all time was, the biggest oversight in the history of 90`s rock was having `Where The River Flows` snubbed instead of being song number 1 on the greatest hits.