Why are my iTunes file listings inconsistent?

Question

As a new Apple user I have been ripping my CDs to my Macbook's hard drive, in order to transfer to my music player and create my own compilation CDs etc, but am finding the album and track listing inconsistent. When bluetoothing files to my mobile phone I found the file listings all over the place. For example I ripped the 4 disc anniversary set of John Barry's film music and when looking for the files found discs 2 and 3 listed under John Barry and, after a long hunt, discs 1 and 4 under the 'Compilations' sub heading. All the title information is the same and in the same order and I can find no reason for the discrepancy. The listings in iTunes are fine it's just the file transfer boxes. I have also experienced the same problem with other artists where their greatest hits albums have, for inexplicable reasons, also been arbitrarily placed in the 'Compilatons' file despite clear titling e.g. Janis Ian's- Souvenirs placed under 'Compilations' NOT Janis Ian. Any ideas out there in etherland?

Answer 1

Dear Chris CA,
Many thanks for the swift reply and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. The 'File transfer boxes', apologies for that, I let my computer illiteracy run away with me. I suppose they are the windows found when you click on 'bluetooth' at the top of your screen then 'Send File-Music-iTunes-iTunes Music-Artist-Album-Track' to make a selection for a music file to be bluetoothed to a mobile device.
I take on board your point about compilations, but it still does not explain why a four disc set from a single album by the same artist would find discs 1 and 4 under the artist's name (John Barry) and discs 2 and 3 under Compilations. I will, however, try to follow your advice when the Christmas rush is over.
I must take issue on the 'Compilations' comment though. I know there are those amongst us, I can be one myself, who are a tad anal-retentive, over protective or plain nuts when it comes to their music collection and filing systems (people have been known to file by date, artist and even, believe it or not, autobiographically), but I've found nobody who places single artist Definitive, Greatest Hits or 'B' Sides collections under compilations. They're always listed by artist because using any other system leads us to chaos and the collapse of the world as we know it. Imagine hunting through racks of albums of N.O.W. CDs (1 to infinity) to try and find that Olivia Newton-John Greatest Hits!!! Having to scroll through several thousand Amazon compilation pages to get to 'The Best Of Captain Beefheart'. My friend the system is flawed and I am saddened that Apple have let me down in this way when Windows, of which I am now no friend (that's a different story), have this problem licked!!!
Kind regards,
Barksandbytes.