Alternative Rock Compilations music reviews

The rest of the tracks on the latest RETRO ACTIVE CD are nice additions your your 80s 12" collection, but...FINALLY! HERE IT IS! WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION: the first-time-ever-on-CD anywhere - TIN TIN's (aka STEPHEN DUFFY) seminal should-have-been hit "HOLD IT" - while many fans know "KISS ME" or "ICING ON THE CAKE," THIS in my mind is Stephen Duffy's BEST song ever - a perfect, slight synth-pop dance classic - I've literally been waiting for this 12" version to appear on CD for over 20 years! WOO-HOO, thanks Hi-Bias for another carefully, craftily selected CD compilation - I hope more are on the way - do you take requests for rare 80s 12" dance/new wave tracks?

The series from hi-bias continues with more great 12" versions. I even found a couple of new wave gems I'd never heard before, like Stephen Tin Tin Duffy's Hold It. I wonder if Hi-Bias takes requests--because I have a list of vinyl only new wave 12"s that could bring them right up to volume 20!!! This disc includes:

1. New Song...Howard Jones (5:33) (this is the B-side to the ORIGINAL US 12" of new song (the a-side was the LP version. It's more like a dub--not full vocal)
2. In Between Days...The Cure (3:58) (an "extended version" that gets to the point. Not the same version as on their "Mixed Up" CD)
3. hold it...Tin Tin (5:53)
4. Burning Flame...Vitamin Z (7:01)(thought this would never make it to CD, but here it is!)
5. Underneath the Radar...Underworld (7:59)
6. This Charming Man...The Smiths (5:34) (how often do you see an extended remix of a Smiths song??? This sure is a collector's dream)
7. Don't Walk Past...Blue Peter (6:16)
8. All That I Wanted...Belfegore (6:06)
9. Wouldn't It Be Good...Nik Kershaw (7:19)
10. A Letter From Afar...B-Movie (8:10)
11. Secret...OMD (6:12)
12. Living on the Ceiling...Blancmange (5:36)

ITS A 2 CD SET PLUS MUSIC VIDEO DVD OF 32 CLASSICS. THE 2 CD'S ARE WORTH 5 STARS. VERY EXCELLENT SOUND QUALITY. I NEVER HEARD THE SONGS SOUND SO GOOD. I HAD TO GIVE IT 4 STARS. THE MUSIC VIDEOS WERE TRANSFERED FROM VHS TAPES. SOME ARE OLD WITH DOTS IN THE PICTURE. THE FIRST 2 VIDEOS HAD JUMPING AND TRACKING ADJUSTMENT. THE AUDIO WAS TERRABLE IN VIDEOS LIKE CLOUDBUSTING- KATE BUSH, NOTHING COMPARES 2 U-SINEAD O' CONNOR, DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME-CULTURE CLUB AND VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR-THE BUGGLES. ALL ARE FULL FRAME, EXCEPT 2 VIDEOS (WIDESCREEN).

An UK complilation of some of the best 80's pop hits. What makes this compilation precious is that it has a bonus DVD with all the videos of the songs. Some of the videos masterpiece of the 80's are included, David Bowie's "China Girl", Dire Strait's "Money for nothing, Robert Palmer's "Addicted to love" Genesis' "Lands of confusion", Duran Duran's "Rio" and Herbie Hancock's "Rock it" etc. Most of them are not available in the market previously in any format. Only the bonus DVD is already worth the price of this set and you get all the songs on CDs too. My final words for this collection "BEST BUY OF 2004".

This CD, unlike most compilations, is not filled with afterthoughts. While the beginning of the CD is a bit weak, it really gets set off with the remix of the Beta Band track "Squares" which is a ridiculously good blend of Brit indie/electro with gritty stateside hip-hop intertwined with the best beat Timbaland never made. Dove's song is one of the loudest and most energetic of their entire catalogue. These two songs alone make it worth the purchase. The fact that others songs are also satisfying just makes it so much better.

This project is excellent! Putting 12" extended versions from the 80's on CD with remastered sound quality is an idea who's time has finally come.

Some of the selections on this volume are exceptional versions of the songs. (someone, somewhere in summertime and one thing for example).

Some of them, however are terrible and should have been passed over for better versions or other songs. The versions of breakaway and cruel summer, in particular are terrible versions of what were two excellent songs.

It's especially good to find some gems never before on CD, like the 12" of "Have in Mind" by Cetu Javu (synth pop dance perfection), the 12" mix of "Witchcraft" by Book of Love (although the very different album version is still better), and the 12" of Peter Schilling's "Different Story." Some bad choices include the annoying "popper mix" of big pig's "Breakaway" rather than the slammin 12" extended version, the 89 remix of Cruel Summer, and another remix of When in Rome, since the good mix was on another volume in the series. Let's just hope Hi Bias keeps the good new wave 12" compilations coming, because there's a whole list of stuff i still want on CD. Track times:

1. the promise (6:29)
2. someone somewhere (6:05)
3. breakaway (6:02)
4. one thing (6:08)
5. have in mind (5:34)
6. romeos (5:57)
7. witchcraft (5:17)
8. soft core (4:23)
9. cruel summer (5:18)
10. take me to the girl (6:35)
11. save a prayer (7:20)
12. wanting (5:41)
13. different story (6:39)

THIS IS AN AWESOME COMPILATION OF '80s CLASSICS, IN REMIX or EXTENDED VERSIONS. [I SPECIALLY LOVE, WHEN IN ROME - THE PROMISE]
ALSO, DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS VOLs [1 &2]...
[MxMallo]

This series is so close but yet so far from being perfect. Every volume gives you a load of 7" versions you can get on any other compilations, and throws in just a handful of 12" versions to make it different. This volume gives a few more 12" versions than the others, but still too many short versions for my taste. Here, you get the long versions of: rapture (9:59), hyperactive (5:04), tarzan boy (6:13)(the US 12"), we don't have to take our clothes off (5:52), big fun (7:40), s'express (5:58), pump up the jam (5:22), and Keep on Movin (5:46)