Mostly another rehash of 80s tracks and incorrect mixes, wit
Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 11/09/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This 6 disc set for a little more than 20 bux seems like a treasure, but almost all of these songs have appeared in nearly the same exact order on other numerous "original 80s 12" remix" compilations. However, the cheap cost makes it worth it for the few tracks unique to this collection and never before on CD. The compilation is issued on EMI, so the sound quality is clean, but clearly they've opted for the easiest to acquire mixes rather than ever risking a version collectors are still waiting to see on CD. In fact, a good number of these tracks are remixes done in the nineties!!! Those tracks shouldn't even be on a disc called 80s 12"s.
Some notable 12" mixes that are not generally on these compilations include "genetic engineering" by OMD, "Ghost Town" by the Specials, "Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley, "Is it a Dream" by Classix Nouveaux, "summertime" by fun boy three, "respectable" by Mel & Kim, and "Telephone always rings" by Fun Boy Three.
CD1
1. don't you want me...human league (6:15) (a modern mellow trance remix)
2. gold...spandau ballet (7:15) (original 12")
3. war song...culture club (6:20) (as always, the shriek mix mislabeled as the Ultimate Dance Mix)
4. girls on film...duran duran (5:46) (original night version)
5. temptation...heaven 17 (6:53) (brothers in rhythm mix from the 90s)
6. genetic engineering...OMD (5:08) (this is a treat, because you don't usually see this song's 12" version on CD)
7. sometimes...erasure (5:16) (original 12")
8. together in electric dreams...phil oakey and Giorgio moroder (6:23) (original 12")
9. too shy...kajagoogoo (5:27) (this is like the `alternate' 12" mix, which is almost entirely a dub, with vocals finally coming in nearly 4 minutes into the song, and giving only one verse and chorus)
10. icing on the cake...stephen duffy (7:09) (this is the `remix' 12" mix, not the original 7:40 12")
11. it's my life...talk talk (6:17) (this is the more dub 12" mix, not the original vocal 12")
12. love's great adventure...ultravox (5:43) (original 12" mix)
CD 2
1. atomic (diddy 12" mix)...blondie (6:51) (this is a remix from the Blondie 1995 remix album)
2. love missile F1-11...sigue sigue sputnik (6:56) (ultraviolence mix)
3. kids in America (d-bop mix)...kim wilde (4:03) (90s remix)
4. dancing with myself...generation X (5:24) (I guess this is an edit of the Billy Idol 12" mix from Vital Idol. Not sure)
5. wild wild life...talking heads (5:30) (12" mix)
6. simply irresistible...robert palmer (5:13) (this is the `extended version', as compared to the Eric "ET" Thorngren 12" mix, which runs 6:32)
7. don't you forget about me...simple minds (5:01) (jam and spoon mix, done in the 90s)
8. flesh for fantasy...billy idol (7:05) (the original below the belt 12" mix)
9. reap the wild wind...ultravox (4:45) (original 12" mix)
10. ghost town...the specialists (5:59) (original 12" version)
11. rat in mi kitchen...ub40 (6:49) (I believe this is the 12" mix, which is like 13 seconds shorter than the album mix)
12. tomorrow people...ziggy Marley (6:31) (reggae this remix) (great to have this 12" mix on CD)
CD3
1. some like it hot...power station (6:37) (original 12" version)
2. waterfront...simple minds (6:11) (union jack mix, a 90s trance mix)
3. hot in the city...billy idol (3:35) (original album length)
4. call me...blondie (8:03) (this is the original long version from the American Gigilo soundtrack)
5. crushed by the wheels of industry...heaven 17 (6:19) (an instrumental mix)
6. all stood still...ultravox (5:05) (long version)
7. the sound of the crowd...human league (6:30) (the complete version)
8. situation...yazoo (5:45) (original US LP version)
9. is it a dream...classix nouveaux (7:13) (long version)
10. imagination...belouis some (3:33) (LP version)
11. today...talk talk (4:33) (long version)
12. she blinded me with science...thomas dolby (5:11) (original long version)
CD4
1. solid...ashford & simpson (6:11) (12" mix)
2. hangin on a string...loose ends (5:57) (long version)
3. everyone's laughing...phil fearon & galaxy (7:30) (there were a few 12" mixes of this song. Not sure which one this is)
4. some guys have all the luck...maxi priest(5:37) (this is the album version, not the 12" mix)
5. cherry oh baby...ub40 (5:41) (mostly instrumental, I think this is the dub)
6. every 1's a winner...hot chocolate (6:41) (this might be the remix done in the 80s)
7. we close our eyes...go west (6:43) (this is not the Total Overhang mix, it's the longer 12" mix with the orchestral intro)
8. union of the snake...duran duran (5:52) (original 12" mix)
9. Christian...china crisis (4:43) (longer than the single version, shorter than the album version--don't know if this is an edit)
10. he ain't no competition...brother beyond (5:41) (extended mix)
11. true...spandau ballet (6:05) (I assume this is an edit of the album version)
12. summertime...fun boy three (6:28) (12" version)
CD 5
1. 19...paul hardcastle(5:13) (original 12")
2. the politics of dancing...re-flex (6:36) (original long version)
3. set me free...jaki graham (4:16) (extended version)
4. living in a box...living in a box (6:10) (12" version)
5. respectable...mel & kim (6:12) (there are a couple of 12" mixes of this one. Not sure which mix this is)
6. mony mony...amazulu (7:09) (12" mix)
7. whatever I do...hazell dean (6:46) (original 12" mix)
8. I thank you...adeva (5:05) (there were quite a few mixes of this house track. Not sure which one this is)
9. ain't nobody better...inner city (6:03) (groove corporation mix)
10. labour of love...hue & cry (4:28) (12" version)
11. the reflex...duran duran (6:35) (original 12" mix)
12. it's a miracle/miss me blind...culture club (9:14) (original 12" mashup mix)
CD6
1. fascination...human league (4:58) (the original EP extended mix)
2. I'll tumble 4 ya...culture club (4:38) (original 12" mix)
3. chant no. 1...spandau ballet (5:45) (12" version)
4. we don't need this fascist groove thang...heaven 17 (5:49) (90s mix)
5. is there something I should know...duran duran (4:06) (original single version)
6. telegraph...OMD (5:36) (12" mix)
7. hyperactivate...thomas dolby (5:07) (long version)
8. the circus...erasure (4:05) (I think this is just the album mix, not one of the remixes)
9. life's what you make it...talk talk (6:59) (one of numerous mixes of this song)
10. and she was...talking heads (4:56) (long version)
11. shattered dreams...johnny hates jazz (5:13) (12" version)
12. telephone always rings...fun boy three (5:35)(extended version, but Bananarama did't sing on this song with them as credited on this CD)
"
Not Worth the Price
Rogue | Michigan, USA | 02/22/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The good: You get a lot of music on 6 CD's.
The bad: Some tracks are album tracks or 7" singles - not the 12" versions even though that is how they are labeled on the CD. Sound quality on some tracks is remarkably poor. Makes me wonder if EMI just grabbed them off of a tape lying around the office rather than trying to find a master.
Conclusion: Worth it if you can get it cheap enough and you don't have most of the songs on the discs. Pass if you are looking for good sound quality because it's a crap shoot as to whether any given track sounds good or not. If there is a particular track you are looking for, be sure to check the previous review because he notes which tracks are actually album tracks or 90's remixes instead of original 80's 12" mixes."
