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When reviewing a compilation, the tracks included are only one part of what
needs to be evaluated; the packaging and liner notes are equally important. This
collection features 30 songs spread out over two discs and really captures the
pop charts of the 1980s. Thirty tracks are not going to completely cover a
decade, but it does pretty well. Other ‘80s collection records which I own like
Living in Oblivion: Volumes I – V, the “Valley Girl” soundtrack(s)
and the “Grosse Pointe Blank” soundtrack(s) (each movie released an official
soundtrack and then a “more music from the movie” second disc) focus on more
obscure ‘80 ditties, new wave acts and one-hit wonders. Ultimate 80s
covers the pop landscape. A couple of one-hit wonders do make appearances like
The Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and Escape Club’s “Wild
Wild West” but ‘80s hit makers like Roxette, Huey Lewis and the News, Duran
Duran and Richard Mark are all represented on the collection. The only ‘80s
chart appearances of artists as diverse as Yes (“Owner of a Lonely Heart”) and
the Doobie Brothers (“Real Love”) are also included.
The liner notes offer a paragraph on each song/artist and list year of release
and top chart position. This is a decent presentation, although I prefer a
little more in-depth information. Some of the notes tell you a bit about what
the artist (or members of the group) has been up to lately, while other
paragraphs focus on the chart success of the group or song. I would have liked
each to have all that information in it on each entry, but that is just my
preference.
This is a decent couple of discs to put on the old CD player and laugh at
pictures of your bangs and parachute pants. This is good, but a little too “top
of the pop charts” for my taste. It is an enjoyable collection, but if you are
looking for a little bit of edge, investigate the titles I mentioned earlier.
~R. David Smola
pretendcritic@aol.com
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