Fine Young Cannibals The Raw & The Remix (mca Mcad 10125) (us 1990)

Arguably one of the most important decades for pop music, the ‘80s delivered a smorgasbord of music styles, from Electro to New Wave, and from rock to hip-hop. Extend The 80s Hits features 12” and extended mixes of some of the most immaculately produced pop records ever made, highlighting the indelible impact the decade made on the popular music landscape. Featuring Bananarama, Howard Jones, Rick Astley, Fine Young Cannibals and many more. The perfect album for those who like their ‘80s hits extra long.

The Who's second album is a less impressive outing than their debut, primarily because, at the urging of their managers, all four members penned original material (though Pete Townshend wrote more than anyone else). The pure adrenaline of My Generation also subsided somewhat as the band began to grapple with more complex melodic and lyrical themes, especially on the erratic mini-opera "A Quick One While He's Away." Still, there's some great madness on Keith Moon's instrumental "Cobwebs and Strange," and Townshend delivered some solid mod pop with "Run Run Run" and "So Sad About Us." John Entwistle was also revealed to be a writer of considerable talent (and a morbid bent) on "Whiskey Man" and "Boris the Spider." The CD reissue adds an acoustic version of "Happy Jack."

Following on from the highly successful first two editions of Dance Masters, featuring the classics mixes from maestros Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker, the spotlight turns to another remix legend, John Luongo. Boston born, John is one of the truly legendary DJ's and remixers of the Disco era. John got his break at Epic by overdubbing percussion from saltshakers and spoons onto a promo and then passing them back the tape. This resulted in him being flown to New York and put in a studio (of his choice) to mix and produce Melba Moore's "You Stepped Into My Life". From this point everything he touched was a hit. He went onto remix Disco classics by Jackie Moore "This Time Baby", Dan Hartman "Vertigo Relight My Fire" and Patti Labelle "Music Is My Way Of Life". John, however, was not afraid of remixing artists that didn't fit into the disco genre, and this attitude is borne out by the tracklisting of this compilation on which Gladys Knight and The Pips rub shoulders with ZZ Top, and Billy Idol and Baltimora appears alongside Bill Nelson and I Level.

A great collection of wonderful songs. 72 Songs including hits from a-ha, Fleetwood Mac, Kylie Minogue, Cher, Phil Collins and many others.

One of the tastiest concoctions of the mid-'70s jazz-fusion era, Chain Reaction finds the Crusaders at the top of their form. The compositions are both accessible and memorable, and the playing is uniformly excellent. Guitarist Larry Carlton delivers some of his finest licks and funkified rhythm work. Wayne Henderson shows there is a place in fusion for the trombone. Wilton Felder does double duty, delivering smoking saxophone lines and funky bass riffs. Joe Sample's Fender Rhodes piano provides a solid chordal foundation and great solos. And the stickman, Stix Hooper, keeps the groove solid. The band employs a variety of rhythms and tempos, and gives the members plenty of room to strut their individual and collective stuff. In fact, "collective" may be the key word here, for this is the sound of a band, not just a group of guys thrown together for a recording session. Chain Reaction was one of the albums that helped lure young, rock and soul-oriented listeners over to check out the jazz side, and should not be missed by those interested in the more accessible, funky side of fusion.

The Mamas & the Papas' second album was made while the group was still riding high from the chart success of their first album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, and the two singles, "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'," that made them icons of the young pop generation. At the same time, their personal lives were so messy that Michelle Phillips got bounced out of their ranks for a few months. Only the good vibes made it on the record, though, as the same creative team sought to recapture the beautiful harmonies and jangling, sometimes moody folk-rock that made their debut sound so good.