80's Hits

Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (1968). Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits! concentrates on the Chairman of the Board's pop hits from the mid- and late '60s, several of which were single-only releases or only available on movie soundtracks. Appropriately, it begins with his biggest solo hit of the '60s, "Strangers in the Night," and then vacillates between adult contemporary pop songs and ballads. Much of the production sounds dated, with its guitars, reverb, and arrangements bearing all the hallmarks of '60s pop. While some of the songs rank among Sinatra's finest moments, particularly "Summer Wind" and "It Was a Very Good Year," most of these songs are guilty pleasures. They might not have the emotional resonance of his finest ballad and swing albums, but fluff like the Nancy Sinatra duet "Somethin' Stupid," the fuzz guitar-tinged "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" and the bluesy "This Town" are enjoyable as pop singles…

The 1980s were an epoch of upheaval and rapid change in South Africa. The decade began with the country’s apartheid government fighting to maintain its institutionalized racial segregation in the face of global protests and demands for the release of human rights activist Nelson Mandela, who had been jailed since the early 1960s. By 1990, Mandela was free, and apartheid was on the way to being dismantled. On the music front, things were changing too; At the beginning of the decade, the main music style of black South Africans was the jazzy indigenous jive of mbaqanga, a provincial style that had held its place as the sound of South Africa since Mandela was first imprisoned. By the end of the decade, South African music stars were making international waves with bubblegum, a flashy variety of Afro-techno-pop.

The Fixx's music stood out from '80s radio, even though they shared the airwaves with numerous techno bands and new wave groups. They had an intangible quality to their lyrical flow and musical rhythm that kept them from sounding like everyone else. On One Thing Leads to Another, the indistinguishable characteristics become evident as all of their best songs are played out, making for quite an amusing compilation.

Lou Rawls - Greatest Hits
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 362 MB | Full Artwork: 31 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Repertoire Rec. # REP 4244-WZ | Country/Year: Germany 1992
Genre: Jazz, Funk & Soul | Style: Smooth Jazz, Soul, Easy Listening

From gospel and early R&B to soul and jazz to blues and straight-up pop, Lou Rawls was a consummate master of African-American vocal music whose versatility helped him adapt to the changing musical times over and over again while always remaining unmistakably himself. Blessed with a four-octave vocal range, Rawls' smooth, classy elegance – sort of a cross between Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole – permeated nearly everything he sang, yet the fire of his early gospel days was never too far from the surface…

Gary Burton has always been notable for his ability to recognize talent in young players. The first time he regularly featured a pianist with his quartet was in the mid-'80s, when he helped bring pianist Makoto Ozone to prominence. With electric bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Mike Hyman completing the group, Burton and Ozone explore originals by Carla Bley (including the title cut), John Scofield ("The Beatles"), Swallow, Ozone, and an obscurity, plus Duke Ellington's "Fleurette Africaine." The appealing group sound and the spontaneous yet tight ensembles and solos make this a worthwhile acquisition.