Latin Beginners

Modern Times is the first album by the British band Latin Quarter. It reached the top 20 in Germany and Sweden and spent two weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at Number 91. It includes the songs "Radio Africa" which reached Number 19 in the UK Singles Chart. and "America for Beginners" which was covered by Toyah on her album Minx.

Named after Latin Quarter's most popular song, Radio Africa compiles tracks from the group's three '80s albums – Modern Times, Mick and Caroline, and Swimming Against the Stream – none of which had yet appeared on CD when this collection was released in 1997. Latin Quarter's heavily political lyrics may not be understood by some, especially when the band's references are too obscure or forgotten in the passage of time. When the music is taken into focus, Radio Africa sounds best when the group strays from their folk-rock origins. The ghostly keyboards and woeful vocals of "No Rope As Long As Time," confronting apartheid and violence in South Africa with sadness and anger, hasn't lost its punch even when lyrics like "Nelson Mandela in the prison" make it outdated.

With three studio albums to its credit and a bona fide hit with "Radio Africa" (from Latin Quarter's debut album, Modern Times), this politically minded worldly pop band decided to call it quits, leaving behind this compilation of oddities, rarities, unreleased demos, and re-recordings. For those looking for the hit, "Radio Africa" (album version) is here in all its splendor, but most of the remaining tracks are exclusive to this release. The ones that have been released elsewhere include the beautiful "The Colourscheme" (sung by Yona Dunsford), which was a B-side, and "The New Millionaires," which is the same version as the one on their debut.