In 1976 they signed with a company recently launched by ex-Columbia Records head Clive Davis, Arista, making one live and six studio albums for the label during a stay of a decade.

In an effort to reverse diminishing cash flow, the band jettisoned the horn players, back-up singers, and the theatricality of the mid-1970s work and embraced the arena rock styles of the period.

I rented an apartment in New York, and I would take my demo tapes into his office, he'd play the songs and make comments, and I would go back and work on them.

Six consecutive albums covered by this compilation—Sleepwalker, Misfits, Low Budget, One for the Road, Give the People What They Want, and State of Confusion—all placed in the top 15 on the Billboard 200.

It replaces the singles versions of "Catch Me Now I'm Falling", "Sleepwalker", "Misfits", and "Don't Forget to Dance" with the longer album versions, replaces the single of "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" with the 12" disco mix, deletes the intro to "Lola" and the live version of "Celluloid Heroes", deletes "Juke Box Music", "Long Distance", and "Heart of Gold," and adds "A Gallon of Gas", "Full Moon", and "Good Day".