Music in full swing at RV parks
Yuma Daily Sun – I retired earlier and I love music, and I will do it till I drop,” he said. Shaw’s music is mostly country and western tunes, along with pop, classic rock and roll, and easy listening. “The (Yuma) crowds are fantastic,” he said.
Children 18: 3, Children 18: 3
Cleveland Leader – This sibling trio of brothers and sister kick things off with a trite little song called “A Chance To Say Goodbye.” The vocals set apart from the music as they are a full deep baritone backed by sweet cute pop melodies that confuses this critic
Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous
List Price: ?12.99
Amazon Price: ?12.99
Used Price: ?18.79
Customer Review: absolutely lovely
Having read descriptions elsewhere, I decided to give this a go and i’m so pleased that I did! Lovely, soft and seemingly innocent music from the imagination of minimalists. It has a similar style as that of M?m, except it feels younger and (arguably) a little more optimistic. Put it on in the background and surf the net, read, chill out, paint etc. It’s not the kind of music that takes over, but rather facilitates your mood. Some people have described it as depressing, but I don’t agree at all. Great stuff
Pop – the First 20 Hits
A singles band if ever there was one, the hits on Pop make the duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke of Erasure sound like the Rogers & Hammerstein of synth-pop disco. With the exception of The Circus and The Innocents albums, most of Erasure’s full lengths house only a few brief moments of brilliance, the rest of the songs being limp and uninspired. But putting songs like “Blue Savannah” with its sweeping loveliness, the haunting “Ship of Fools”, and the campy, raucous “Love to Hate You” all on the same disc shows that when Erasure is on, they shine like a thousand-carat tiara. The energetic and electronic disco is front and centre here with “Oh L’Amour” and the audience participation number “Stop!”, but the beautifully crafted “Sometimes” shows the band’s true potential. The irrepressible melody line is punctuated by an acoustic riff and a melancholy trumpet solo that actually has to do its best to keep up with Bell’s warm lament. An indispensable collection. –Steve Gdula
List Price: ?11.99
Amazon Price: ?5.97
Used Price: ?1.99
Customer Review: Sounding better than ever…
I remember the complaints of my elders during the eighties as I sat glued to ‘Top Of The Pops’: all modern music sounds the same, it’s tinny and soulless, blah blah blah. Now it’s my turn to do the same whenever I listen to whatever guff has hit the top spot this summer. It’s amazing just how so much eighties synth-pop, written off as transient and lightweight in its own time, now sounds gorgeously substantial. One of the first things that hits you is the quality of Andy Bell’s voice; soulful, yearning, almost operatic in its richness, it performs magnificent swoops and dives over the burbling, multi-tiered landscapes of Vince Clarke’s synth programming. It’s this and the soaring, solidly melodic quality to their songwriting that leaves them sounding better in retrospect than their great contemporaries, Pet Shop Boys, whose downbeat ruminations on love and loss formed the melancholy yin to Erasure’s optimistic, self-preserving yang. And to anyone who thought that the eighties brought an end to craftsmanship in pop, try getting sounds this sweet and resonant out of one of the many synths listed in the CDs inner. You’d have an easier time training to be a concert pianist. The analogue sounds that dominate Erasure’s work to this day have a character and presence that leaves today’s soundcard emissions sounding holographic and homogenous. Much like with the rave classics of the late eighties, a scourge of their time, the beats hit you with a relentless thump which is awesomely infectious. Highlights for me include the rockish, acoustic-driven wail of ‘Sometimes’, the the bright and airy ray of hope that is ‘Blue Savannah’ and the fervent chime and chug of ‘Stop!’. But the real surprise is ‘Chorus’: it all but passed over my head upon its release in 1991 but it sounds plain incredible now. Taking a lead from the mellow, lush electronica of ambient house, a hypnotic tick-tock beat and a liquidic rush of synthesizer frame an unusually meditative, even bitter lyric that could be romantic or political in its theme. The ambiguity of the subject only adds to its power. All in all, an amazing collection that affirms Erasure’s status as one of the major talents of the dayglo decade. Let the old gits prate on about their guitar bands, there’s real talent and musicianship to be found here. And some of the most brilliant and memorable singles ever released.
Customer Review: Unexpectedly Passionate, Romantic, and Bitter
I’m not often enthusiastic about club-dance-techno-pop bands, most of which seem determined to copy each other to the point of exhaustion. But I’ll make an exception for Erasure, which has a great deal more going for it than the vast majority of music you’re likely to hear the next time you hit the dance floor. Chief among the band’s assets is vocalist Andy Bell, who has a remarkably rich and passionate voice–but Erasure does not rely on Bell pure and simple. It is the combination of Bell’s vocals, a bouncy beat, and the often unexpectedly thoughtful and frequently bitter lyrics that do the trick. The result is a consistent sound that crackles with a sensuous passion, and at its best creates one memorable cut after another. POP! suffers from the usual failings of every compilation album, which is to say that it generally goes for the obvious choice even when a lesser-known selection is clearly superior. But even so, it offers a solid overview of Erasure, from the purely danceable to the disquietingly emotional playing against the dancefloor rhythm. “Ship of Fools,” “Chains of Love,” and “A Little Respect” are perhaps the side of Erasure that are most recognized–but when the selections turn to such intense and lyrically sharp selections as “Drama” and “Love to Hate You,” you know that you’ve stumbled into something special. The compilation, in my opinion, saves the best for last, running a gamut from the intensely passionate and romantic “You Surround Me,” to the purely elegant “Blue Savannah,” to angry “Chorus,” to the moody and introspective “Am I Right”–the latter of which may well be single finest thing in this collection. As a garnish, the collection finishes up with a very enjoyable cover of Abba’s “Take A Chance.” But whichever you happen to prefer, it’s all good stuff. Recommended. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
12″/80s Pop Customer Review: 12 Inch – Not etirely true
CD ONE Other tracks are 12 inch versions.
First of all this is a big plus
CD ONE 8. Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days (Remix) the 1989 Remix with Feetmoving RAP =).
CD TWO
1. Yazoo – Don’t Go (Remix) Yes the first part 4:05 doesnt include the
re-remix version which is good cause the re-remix version is the somewhat the dub/instrumental part of the two part CD-single of Don’t Go.
2. Bronski Beat – Small Town Boy (Extended Mix) NOT this is the 5 min album version (the extended is 9 min long).
6. Fine Young Cannibals – Johnny Come Home (Extended Mix) Yes it is 12″ version the right one BUT this sounds like it was vinylripped with the crackle sound untouched… hmmm… I thought I bought a CD =P.
9. The Special A.K.A. – Nelson Mandela (Extended Version) NOT extended
and vinyl crackle sound present… *sigh* oh well…
10. Musical Youth – Pass The Dutchie (12″ Mix) THANKS it IS 12″ 
.
12. Yazz – The Only Way Is Up (12″ Version) The Original MAXI version.
NOW CD 3 THREE (Are ALL 12″ Versions…. NO here is the list of errors)
There are 12 tracks present.
1. Steve Miller Band – Abracadabra (12″ Mix) WRONG it is SINGLE Version
4. Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out (12″ Mix) There is only an ALBUM Version
11. Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hanging On (12″ Mix) the 9 min long version
12. Jan Hammer – Miami Vice Theme (Extended Remix) It is NOT the Ben Liebrand remix I think DMC won’t let that one go so easily to the public.
Still the question remains. Was it worth it.
With the few errors it is still worth the money you pay for it with a little reservation for the WRONG information on some tracks info of beeing 12″ mix when in fact they are not 12″ mixes… good thing I have them already… (…)
Customer Review: Not bad, could be better…….
A few good treats on here such as Dance Hall Days, Poison Arrow, Living on the ceiling, and Rip it Up. Not the cream of the crop as 80’s music goes though (in my humble opinion), with so many class tunes from that era surely the creators could have done better than the Miami Vice theme, Yazz and Nik Kershaw to mention a few? Still, its alright to throw on at a party……. :.)
Urban Rhythms: Pop Music and Popular Culture (Communications & Culture)
