Now 80's: 1983-Part 2 / Various

Description

Four CD set. NOW Music proudly presents the next chapter in the 'NOW 12" 80s' series - NOW 12" 80s: 1983 - Part Two. With 49 extended, full-length, or remixed versions, this collection spans the dynamic spectrum of the year, and is part of the vibrant journey through multiple genres of music the 12" single made during the 1980s, with this second instalment of 1983 featuring synth-pop and new-wave hits alongside the catchy grooves of pop-dance and disco. This essential compilation is perfect for both dancefloors and collectors. Includes tracks by Wham, Spandau Ballet, Eurythmics, Bananarama, Culture Club, Kajagoogoo, The Lotus Eaters, Men Without Hats, Flash And The Pan, Joe Jackson, Mike Oldfield, New Order, The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, Aztec Camera, Madness, Tracie Young, Tracey Ullman, Paul Young, Rick Springfield, Yes, Heaven 17, Level 42, OMD, Blancmange, and many others. Review: Worth it if only for the FULL Donna Summer mix and the Eurythmics track finally on CD - As with many of these compilations of eighties 12" tracks, a vast number of these mixes have been available on numerous other compilations and reissues of albums by individual artists, so if you're a collector, chances are you have a majority of these mixes on CD already. However, there are a few tracks that I've never seen on CD before. Most notable is to FINALLY have the extended version of "Who's That Girl" by Eurythmics on CD, and even better, the FULL-LENGTH version of Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" on CD. This track always appears on 12" compilations in a slightly edited version running 6 minutes 3 seconds long, with a few bars missing at the 4:50 mark in the song. Here we have the extra bars back where they belong, so the track runs 6:19. As some have mentioned, some of these tracks may have been sourced from vinyl, but comparing them to the vinyl I have burned onto CDs myself, they sound just as good, without any vinyl pops or hiss, so I'm thrilled to have them on a pressed disc. One last thing to note--"Double Dutch" appeared on another Now 12" compilation disc with the end fading a few seconds early instead of the cold finish as on the vinyl 12". Unfortunately, that's exactly the way it appears here, with the same fade. I'm not sure why they were unable to acquire the full ending, especially since there are only a few seconds missing from the song. Weird. Review: A good selection of songs from a phenomenal era in British music. 12" versions CAN be great (others can be a bit boring and repetitive) but this CD has MORE great tracks than not. A particular shout-out to my favourites; The Sun & The Rain, Who's That Girl, Too Shy, The Safety Dance, Lovecats, Love Of The Common People, All Night Long (All Night), Give It Up, Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, Double Dutch, Love On Your Side and lots more.