CD-Charts Position 61
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The Platinum Collection

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: Blancmange

Release Date October 02, 2006
Having had Happy Families and Mange Tout on vinyl for some time, and disposed of their ill-advised third album, Believe You Me, after one listen, I was wary about buying a 'best of'. However this budget issue is a real gem, the sound quality is sympathetically mastered and picks up some of the layers of ethnic percussion my poor old stylus never quite got hold of! What's also good is this album collates all the real hits in the first 8 or 9 tracks, then adds some interesting (ok, "Now Get Out Of That" is fairly dire) b-sides, then some choice album tracks and even a 1990 farewall song. The irony of this title "Your Time Has Gone" just reaffirms Neil's often tongue-in-cheek lyrics, although his approach to the dark subject matter on "Running ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 62
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The Final

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: Wham

Release Date April 05, 1999
Wham were, possibly, Britain's most commercially successful pop group of the eighties. The duo began recording funky dance manic but their biggest successes came when their music mellowed.

Wham's funky period yielded the UK top ten hits Young guns go for it, Wham rap, Bad boys and Club Tropicana. Their last really funky song, Wake me up before you go go, gave them their first UK number one. After that, most of their hits were ballads beginning with Careless whisper, which was credited as a George Michael solo although Andrew Ridgeley co-wrote the song. It made the top spot in the UK and was followed to the top spot by Freedom, credited to Wham.

Next came the double-sided UK hit combining Last Christmas with Everything she wants. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 63
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Murder Ballads

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Release Date June 23, 2003
Tales of murder and death, sometimes hilarious though often heartbreaking... regardless of how far he goes with his lyrical content, Cave’s genius has always been in creating and sustaining a mood that the listener can totally lose themselves in.

Here the underlining concern is in the creation of a bleak and suffocating atmosphere, only occasionally broken by Cave’s amazingly dark wit and always-colourful use of language. The form is taken straight from the tradition of the English ballad, with confessional structures, biblical imagery, lurid subject matter and larger than life caricatures all jostling for our attention. It works because Cave doesn’t take it too seriously. Songs like Stagger Lee, The Curse of Millhaven ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 64
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The Definitive Singles Collection 1984-2004

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: A-Ha

Release Date April 25, 2005
The video of Take On Me would not play on either of my (XP) machines for some reason. (No info is provided about the video to help). Otherwise the music's fine. Just me?

CD-Charts Position 65
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Sound Affects

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: The Jam

Release Date August 04, 1997
So, this is the penultimate album by The Jam. Of course it's fantastic, in my opinion it's their best. In eschewing the rather more slightly bombastic elements of the overall miraculous "Setting Sons" LP from the previous year The Jam here create an aural landscape which refines their obsessive opinions on English life.

It should be said that this album is one of the many miletones in (what is commonly known) as post-punk. Although the most impressive moments come from Paul Weller's nagging realisation that The Jam need to stay one step ahead of any prevailing fashions.

A few random highlights include the sub-funk bassline of the opener "Pretty Green", & the startingly brilliant "Set The House Ablaze" wherein Weller attempts & succeeds ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 66
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Tin Drum: Remastered

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: Japan

Release Date May 29, 2006
OK, la, here it is:Tin Drum was the band's one and only masterpiece. This is not pop, this is cutting edge stuff, merging world music influences with modern technology to create a blend of music that has never quite been replicated.In other words, this band was unique. African rhythms, oriental melodies,pulsing synths, and Mick Karn's elastic basslines, cohere with Sylvian's effeminate crooning, to form an album that is simultaneously arresting,primal,and hypnotic.'Talking drum' exhibits a bouncy, quirky, addictive bass, 'Still life in mobile homes' is soaring fast paced opener, and 'Visions of China' is possibly 'Tin drum's most accessible song, hypnotic drumming emebellished by Karn's compelling bass.
There's danceability,ambience,and eerie atmospherics aplenty here.There's poetry ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 67
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Flashdance

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: Original Soundtrack

Release Date August 17, 1998
The song Flashdance is of course part of musical history now, so of course you want it...is the album from which it came a gold-mine of similar hits...? Well, nearly.
There are some great songs here, in fact I'd buy the album alone for the two very strange tracks "He's A Dream" by Shandi and "Manhunt" by Karen Kamon" which are SOOOO 80's you just have to love them. Then there are two tracks by major artists (Donna Summer and Laura Branigan) that don't appear on any other album by them (as far as I know). Both pretty good, unusual productions.
The rest of the album is made up of drippy ballads and the WORST power-pop track you will ever hear - "Seduce Me Tonight" by Cycle V (who???). And I'm sorry, but even the celebrated track "Maniac" sounds pretty ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 68
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The Best of Ultravox

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: Ultravox

Release Date December 01, 2003
A superb selection of many of ULTRAVOX's best songs, the ones that represented their breakthough into mainstream acceptance and subsequent commercial success. VIENNA remains the benchmark album and saw the arrival of MIDGE URE (so if you only own one complete Ultravox recording, make it that one). There's no doubt that his keen pop sensibility and impressive vocal range steered the band away from their previous Kraftwerkian experimentalism, infusing it instead with a warmth and depth that lasted for several more years.

PASSING STRANGERS
VIENNA
THE VOICE
DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES

All classic songs, and especially so if you were there at the time of their release. It's not just Ure that should be praised of course, original members BILLY CURRIE, WARREN CANN and ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 69
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Brotherhood: Collector's Edition/Remastered & Expanded

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: New Order

Release Date September 29, 2008
Well, the actual album is not that bad - it seems to have been remastered and, thus, improved in sound quality. For those that already know the album, the sound quality on this disc is much better than the original Factory CD, which, to me, makes it a worthwhile purchase...

However...

The bonus CD seems to have been comprised of dodgy vinyl-to-cd rips, most noticeably in Touched By The Hand Of God. It is quite frankly embarassing that such bonus tracks with pops and clicks exist (just try and listen to the first 30 seconds of the track), especially since Touched By The Hand Of God was available on CD single.

So, three stars for the remastered album, but loses 2 stars for the sub-standard bonus disc.

CD-Charts Position 70
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Substance 1987

CD-Charts > Music > New Wave and Post-punk
by: New Order

Release Date October 04, 1999
I bought this album for my wife as part of a birthday present. I'd not been a great New Order fan at the time of their rise to power - possibly still a bit miffed at the demise of the 'Division'. However, I have listened to it and my opinion of this group has changed. The orchestration is very good, musical abitilty is far superior to their contemporaries and I would recommend it to anyone with a taste for 1980's/1990's alternative rock/electric music.