Phil Carmen

Another four-disc box that compiles extended and uncut versions of '80s singles, Back to the 80's: The Long Versions, Vol. 2 (from Sony Holland) might be worth it for those who still love mainstream pop from that bygone decade. Most '80s-themed compilations use truncated radio edit versions in order to cram as many songs as possible on one disc; this does just the opposite and therefore sticks out compared to the average various-artists collection. The Blue Nile's "Tinseltown in the Rain," Jan Hammer's "Miami Vice Theme," Captain Sensible's "Wot," Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy," Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y.," and Thomas Dolby's "I Scare Myself" are just some of the songs presented in extended or full form here. Amazingly, all 17 minutes of Steve Miller Band's "Macho City" - a very uncharacteristic song from Miller, and an unlikely underground club hit in the U.S. are included.

From the beginnings till 1985 - The band Les Sauterelles stood for the decade of the 60ties, when Switzerland's youth was shaken by the rock'n'roll fever.When in summer 1968 Les Sauterelles ruled the Swiss charts with their hit “Heavenly Club”, this success marked both their climax and end. Often referred as the “Swiss Beatles”, Les Sauterelles had been the undisputed kings of the scene for years. It was their resounding success that caused their downfall in the same year – a pattern that would repeat itself on and on throughout the history of pop and rock music in Switzerland. Differences over the direction in which their music was going and the sobering reality of their daily professional routine had led the group to an impasse. Their breakup heralded a similar fate for most other Swiss “beat bands” who had for years been cruising along in the slipstream of their Anglo-American models, albeit with varying degrees of success.