Editorial Review

Sounding like a flashback of the first few years of MTV, the soundtrack of Read more

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Reviews (48)

THE WEDDING SINGER ROCKS!!!
I love The Wedding Singer! It is my favorite movie ever!!! I can watch it over and over again and not get tired of it. Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore rock! Plus, not only is the movie awesome, but the soundtrack is awesome too! You can never get enough of The Wedding Singer! brie in washington (and to make the point straight, I AM almost 14, so haha to being a kid, even if this last statement was immature.)

One of the songs I'm looking for ...
... isn't on this collection. OR 'Vol. 2' of this soundtrack series.If only The Cure's "Boy's Don't Cry" (in the film, it is playing in the background during the scene when Robby's best friend, Sammy, is visiting him in his basement apartment) was on either the first or second soundtrack disc of this film, there wouldn't be hesitancy to purchase (nor would there be this review, so there's the upside!).Seriously, I'm still gonna get both these discs.However, the only reason I can figure that The Cure is not on these is licensing issues.

A very good purchase
I'm very happy with the purchase. The product was delivered very fast, within the time scheduled. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. New Wave    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Soundtrack    5. Soundtracks    6. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Editorial Review

Few filmmakers managed to capture the awkward coming-of-age catastrophes of '80s teens the way John Hughes did, just as few soundtracks encapsulate the sound of an era better than this one does. It's not the best 1986 had to offer, but it's a cohesive whole, transporting the listener to that other time, imagined or otherwise. There's enough variety to ensure that it doesn't become wallpaper, and very little filler. "Left of Center" by Suzanne Vega, with Joe Jackson on piano, is tremendous and transcends generations. Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler has long been bemused about Hughes not taking Molly Ringwald's character's name from the title song, which inspired the film, but everyone was paying too much attention to what Ducky was wearing to notice anyway. --Read more

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Reviews (33)

A must have for fans of the film or anything 80s
John Hughes' "Pretty in Pink" has always been a favorite movie of mine. I fell in love with it immediately. It is easily one of the greatest teen movies ever and is rivaled only by "The Breakfast Club" as the best "Brat Pack" flick of the 80s.
Much loved music
I was in HS when the movie/music came out.Wore out my tape, twice, and melted another on my car dash in the hot sun and had to wrestle a fourth tape copy from my little brother who'd since discovered how awesome the Furs and Bunnymen were.Ahhh, memories.Still enjoy a good reminiscing now and then.I think I've gotta break down and buy it on CD finally!(Four rather than five stars just means I'm a tough grader!It's a great album, nice mix, very 80's retro.)

Lovely
I had watched Pretty in Pink a couple of times when I was about four. Years went by, and I found myself in a used CD store, throwing over a couple of bucks for this soundtrack, I went home, stuck it in my CD player, and all of these memories from the movie came rushing back, I cried. It was so odd, I hadn't remembered any of the movie before then, but the minute If you Leave came on, I could picture Andy hugging Ducky....
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Soundtrack    7. Soundtracks & Film Scores    8. Synth Pop   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (43)

Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears
The ordering, process, billing and delivery were very satisfied.
Tears for Fears
For ten bucks, this Best of Tears for Fears is a steal!The group had a lot more recognizable and good material than I had remembered.
TWO THUMBS UP FOR THE DUO
ONE OF MY BEST ALL TIME DUO GREATS;HOWEVER THEIR SONG " WORKING HOUR: SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS COMPILATION. ANYWAY I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ARTIST ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. College Rock    4. Euro-Pop    5. New Wave    6. Pop    7. Pop/Rock    8. Popular Music    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. Synth Pop   

Reviews (12)

Memories
A lot of positive energy to fresh up our memories and stregthen our imotions

Finally -- American Radio Version of Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
On every 80's collection I own (and I do have a lot) Rock Me Amadeus by Falco is featured only as the German Version.This is the only collection I found with the American radio edit with the dates detailing Mozart's life.So for that reason alone, it may be worth it to get it.Otherwise is seems the same as every other 80's collection out there.

Awesome 80's
I bought More Pure 80's and I love it!!I also have Pure 80's. I think the 80's had the best music of all time!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Dance-Pop    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop Collections    8. Synth Pop   

Features

• Original recording remastered
• Import

Reviews (10)

The Pretenders-A Working Band That Just Has The Look
I don't know why but when I think of Chrissie Hynde, I am reminded of Robert Plant. Led Zep plucked Robert out of some obscure English countryside village and blasted him off to Rock and Roll nobility. He had the look and he could dish it out. That's exactly why Chrissie brings up Robert Plant to me and vice versa. Chrissie was admitedly in some minor Ohio suburban laundromat watching the machine spin in it's monotonous cadence but she did have the look and when you buy this cd, The Pretenders Greatest Hits, you will quickly realize that Chrissie has the rock power to blow the roof off any respectable Super 8 in town. My favorite Pretender entries are Talk of the Town, Middle of the Road, and Brass in Pocket. All of these coupled with Chrissie Hynde on lead vocals and guitar is like watching a panther claw down a gazelle-it's sheer power and momentum. As I started to say and now expand, I know this review surrounds the Pretenders but just remember, Robert Plant, Steve Tyler, Steve Perry, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, all have to have the look and the power and Chrissie Hynde has that hands down.
Excellent collection
This is an updated collection from the earlier Greatest Hits collection and conatins some of their 90's hits. All Pretenders CDs not equal as their first was just SO good that you'd like to see more from that disc like "Mystery Acheivement" and "Stop Your Sobbing" and less from some later discs. What's here is great music , though, and it's probably a sign that a great band like the Pretenders need 2 discs to squeeze in all their hits, key album tracks, and concert favorites.

Best Pretenders hits package
This is similar to the "Singles" cd but contains more songs and is remastered. It focuses on their more radio friendly songs, so the more thumpy or punkish songs are not here. Thats good for me as this has the Pretenders sound that I want. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

There was a time when you couldn't step into a dance club without hearing at least part of this recording booming over the sound system. The often over-played hit, "Situation," was a bubbling caldron of nasally synth noodlings, a whopping bass line, and drum machine wallops. Alison Moyet's looped laugh in the middle of the song ended up as a sample, over-used a thousand times over. Yaz was an interesting blend of Moyet's smoky blues and jazz tinged vocals with Vince Clarke's digital disco. Moyet's voice alone was instrument enough, and the melodies here perfectly showcased her incredible range. Read more

Reviews (54)

Don't go.....
You'll NEVER remove this disc from your player.This is a promise to all the music lovers out there.Young and old alike.This collection of tracks sways from the digital orgasm of Clarke's instrumentation to the bassa boom of Moyet's vocals.
Can't get it out of my mind
These comments apply to "Upstairs at Eric's" and "You and Me Both" by Yaz:
odd pairing, brilliant results
the marriage of uber-goofy, reclusive synth god/godfather and soul/jazz vocalist/temptress alison moyet seems an unlikely pairing; however, if opposite really do attract, then this is a match made in heaven.
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Subjects:  1. Dance-Pop    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Synth Pop   

Reviews (1)

Bizarre, creative, schizophrenic and experimental - Depeche Mode's best
It's unfortunate that the band do not have a greater affection for this classic album, because I have always found it their most daring, exciting and experimental album. It is a bit schizophrenic with the addition of some out of place bubblegum pop songs, but that adds an interesting contrast to the otherwise dark tone of the album.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. England    3. Pop    4. Post-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Synth Pop   

Editorial Review

The Bangles' transformation from Merseybeat and garage-smart guitar band to near-definitive example of buffed-and-polished corporate popsters is one of the great rock mysteries of the '80s. What was Read more

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• Enhanced

Reviews (64)

Nice Collection
I haven't cared for much pop music since the late 60's, but the Bangles are enjoyable listening for anyone.The harshest reviewers of this album complain about not enough good songs and then go on to name 3 or 4 that are good.How many times does an album have more than one good hit song?This one has several outstanding songs and the remaining ones are good listening too."Going Down to Liverpool" repeates a little too much, but I still like the song.Manic Monday, Eternal Flame and Hazy Shade of Winter are all excellent.Walk Like An Egyptian was a big hit and it's on here too of course.This is a good album and probably a good introduction to the Bangles.It has enough variety to keep it interesting and enough hits to probably more than justify the Greatest Hits title.

Never gets old
The Bangles are great group that never goes out of style...I remember as a child purchasing the Manic Monday 45rpm.....and I played it over and over......When this was released..I bought it and of course all the hits are here....Standouts are If She Knew What She Wants,Manic Monday,Eternal Flame,In Your Room,Walk Like An Egyptian,Walking Down Your Street,A Hazy Shade Of Winter,and Be With You...........MAKE SURE YOU GET A COPY OF THIS GREAT ALBUM FROM A GREAT GROUP!

One of the Greatest Girl Groups of the 80s
During the 80s, the Bangles solidified themselves not only as one of the best girl groups, but one of the best groups overall.This CD contains an anthology of their greatest hits and will take you back in time to the 80s.
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Subjects:  1. Jangle Pop    2. New Wave    3. Paisley Underground    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Popular Music    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Most artists who appeal to adult listeners tend to settle into a comfortable niche, but Lucinda Williams refuses to play it safe. Instead, her music stings like an open wound, as she continues to strip away the protective layers from her art's emotional core. Though Williams has long been prized for the naked honesty of her music, this collection is even rawer than its predecessors. From the down-and-dirty bar-band blues of "Atonement" to the Rolling Stones-style swagger of "Bleeding Fingers" to the tricky balance of debasement and transcendence in "Ventura," Williams leaves the nerve endings of her music exposed. With the band opting for first-take immediacy rather than polish, some of the most powerful material is also the neediest, as the singer addresses lovers who have disrespected her ("Righteously") or abandoned her ("Those Three Days," "Minneapolis"). Though her attempts at rap on "Sweet Side" and "American Dream" might cause diehard fans to wince, her willingness to take creative chances reaffirms her position at the vanguard of a rootsy progressivism that transcends musical category. Simply put, there's more Patti Smith in her than there is Patsy Cline. Read more

Reviews (136)

For me, the Rhythym Wasn't There
This is my least favorite of Lucinda Williams' albums. "Essence" and "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" and even her latest release (not even sure if it's been released, but I have heard some tracks - she's in love during this record, gossip news has it) share a common thread of story-telling, sexiness and evocation not found in World Without Tears, which is hard, rockin' and disjointed.
Lucinda's best yet
Lucinda just keeps getting more raw and better. She definitely is breaking new ground here, and I think it's her best work to date.

My vote for Album of the Century!
Just finished my third listening of this album, and it is fantastic. Lucinda's lyrics are more powerful and emotional than ever. Musically, she continues her push into new realms, and some songs can initially be uncomfortable - but really start to rock with additional listenings. For those looking for a rerun of Car Wheels or Essence - you won't find it here. But then Lucinda Williams fans aren't looking for comfortable, are they? "Those Three Days" and "Ventura" are absolute classics! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Country-Rock    3. Americana    4. Folk-Pop    5. Folk-Rock    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Roots Rock    10. Singer/Songwriter    11. Urban Folk   

Editorial Review

This collection of 16 OMD songs includes all their singles, including "If You Leave" (from the Read more

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• Import

Reviews (23)

A must have!!!!
love'd it!!from electricity to live and die,are just one of the few of my favtys.I highly recomend this to all those 80's fans out-there.

Synthsational.
I never thought much of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark until I got this collection. Now I think quite alot of them. This disc is simply a must for fans of early 80's music, specifically the synth/pop genre. I enjoy every track here, but there are a number of them that really stand out. "Enola Gay" was a big hit, and can be found on many an 80's compilation. "Souvenir" is a simple and almost moving song that I enjoy. "So In Love" was a nice surprise to me, as I've always liked it alot, but didn't know it was an OMD song until now. Then there's possibly their biggest hit "If You Leave", which was on the great "Pretty In Pink" soundtrack. However, to me the best thing on here is easily "Forever Live And Die". That song is just one of the magic 80's hits for me, with a perfect beginning, and overall one of the coolest of the decade. The rest is still a pleasure, and a welcome addition to my CD stack.

Greatest Hits Failure
Greatest Hits compilations always fall short.I even find if I make one a year or so later it needs to be changed.I have to say this one is really good.I can listen to it straight through and both the early material and the late material stands up.I remember a review of their early work commenting that the reviewer hated synths, but recognized the quality of OMD'S so the album was OK, but they also hated their voices and made a joke about them not being blessed with good ones.Of course the thing I always loved about OMD besides their synth work was their voices.It is tough for me to understand others opinions many times.So even though I understand the song selection here, mine would be quite different.I would stick with "Electricity" and "Messages" from the debut.I like almost everything on the debut, but can't argue here.I always found "Enola Gay" to be flat.Great subject, but just can't get into it.I may have to pick this one for the fans, but to me "The Misunderstanding" is my favorite song off their second CD.I love this song.The next release has "Joan Of Arc", "Souvenir" and "The New Stone Age".I don't find the add on "Maid Of Orleans" that exciting and love the Stone Age song.It would be nice to substitute.Dazzle Ships has the obvious "Telegraph", and " Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. New Romantic    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Synth Pop   

Reviews (39)

Belinda Carlisle - Greatest hits...
An excellent collection!The only reason why I don't give this collection Five Stars is that "the powers that be" failed to give us both the Solo and "Gogo's" songs featuring Belinda Carlisle on 1 (maybe 2?) CD's!!Now, that would have rated Five+ Stars.'Till that day - Four stars!!Bravo, Belinda!!

Wonderful collection
Belinda Carlisle's greatest hits from her four I.R.S. and MCA solo albums just showed her growth.Most of the attention has been on major hits Heaven Is A Place on Earth and Mad About You, but my true favorite from her is Circle in The Sand, which is on here.I still love that song any time it plays in a store or if I play it on a stereo. Imagine yourself on a beach when you hear that song instead of just straight up listening to it. It has such an airy landscape for a pop song, and I like the acoustic guitar playing on it as well as the sound effects of water splashing on the beach. I remembered hearing it a lot between April and June of 1988. This made me accept Belinda more as an artist and more than just being in the Go-Go's.Carlisle matured a lot on the '87 album and just got better on the next couple of albums. While her later stuff hasn't created the buzz as her first efforts, this is a good collection of Belinda's best records.

The ClassyEx Go Gos Singer Can Really Rock!!!
I just love this album which proves that Belinda Carlisle is more than just another pretty face although I do like the Playboy magazine that she appeared in. My favourite track on this album would have to be "Mad About You" with it'svery effective bass guitar introduction which sounds like the beating heart of a woman in love! Belinda is HOT and she can really ROCK!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (5)

CLASSIC.SUCH A STRONG RELEASE.
Oh man, this album is amazing.Last time I listened to it was probably a few years ago on the original CD w/o "Hey You!"It's awesome to have this masterpiece album remastered with much better sound in its originally intended form of all 18 tracks (Amazon has omitted "Torture" by mistake, but let me reassure you, it's there in all its edgy glory).The build-up intro of "The Kiss" is unparalleled except for say, other Cure songs like "Open" or "Want."When the first vocals of the album burst upon you (OH KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME!!!YOUR TONGUE'S LIKE POISON, SO SWOLLEN IT FILLS UP MY MOUTH!!!) you know you're in for a sick ride.You've got your classic singles "Why Can't I Be You?" and "Hot Hot Hot!!!" along with the most famous of all, "Just Like Heaven."But this is only the icing on the cake."How Beautiful You Are..." and "One More Time" are both amazing non-single tracks, to compliment the rest of the album.Also, if I were to ever have the opportunity to make a movie, I'd definitely have "Fight" as the soundtrack to a sick, crazy, violent fight scene...it'd be perfect.I won't go into all the other tracks...just buy it and experience one of the best albums ever created.It's so diverse, from crazy-cuckoo happy to dark, angsty, edgy, and anthemic.Throughout it all, there's always great melody and passion.Robert Smith is a genius and this release is one of The Cure's strongest...it showcases extreme talent and versatility.
Somehow Better the 2nd Time Around...and Not Just for Audio Improvements
Even though I have never been a fan, and I know little more about them than what I've heard on their various CD's, I've been asked to write reviews for eight different albums by the Cure. My indifference makes me an outsider, so Cure fans hate my reviews, while everyone else simply ignores them. To me, it's an ironic conundrum - writing these reviews provides a form of self-torture that is actually very Robert Smith-ian in its own way. If anything, that should help me to understand the band a bit better, and maybe it is working, because in the process, I've grown to like "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me." I bought this album upon its release in 1990, but I never appreciated it. To me, it droned on endlessly, meandering from song to song with no sense of structure to support any of it. I still think of it that way, except now I hear the droning as an advantage, and I appreciate its lack of structure for the diversity it provides.
Ripping review
Okay, let's forget about the album, I hardly need to review Kiss Me again, jeesh.And I'm going to forget the bonus tracks.Are they interesting?Yeah.A steady diet on my playlist?No way.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. Goth Rock    4. Pop    5. Post-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Most great rock has embraced the influences of the past with a contemporary urgency and seldom an eye on the future. And if Richard Butler and the Psychedelic Furs took critical heat for fusing the pulsing darkness of the Velvet Underground with Iggy Pop edginess and a few mid-'70s U.K. art-rock flourishes (most notably Berlin-period Bowie and Roxy Music), they were only doing what rock artists had already been doing for decades; their chief sin seemed to be doing it in an era when musicians seemed expected to reinvent themselves every six months. This single disc effectively documents the Furs' canon from the droning menace of "Sister Europe" (from their highly recommended debut album) through the original, nonsoundtrack version of "Pretty in Pink," and on to an increasingly pop-influenced body of '80s work ("Love My Way," "Heaven," "The Ghost in You"). Ironically, as they distanced themselves from the late-'60s through mid-'70s influences they'd been criticized for aping, their sound took on the synth- and production-heavy trappings of '80s pop clichés. Read more

Reviews (16)

Not quite all
I usually hate when people say this, but now I'm going to do it:Get the original albums.If for no better reason than to hear "Goodbye" on Forever Now (IMO an immaculate album, and easily the best one if you want to hear the Psychedelic Furs at their best).KROQ 106.7 FM in L.A. played that tune constantly, along with "Love My Way" and its exclusion here is inexcusable.Not that this is a bad collection -- It has most of the essentials -- but it's also missing "Into You Like a Train"; another glaring omission.Most tunes familiar to the casual listener are concentrated on Forever Now and Mirror Moves.And even if you disagree and think this stuff is too dated to get seriously involved in, and only get those two albums; you must:Those and Should God Forget (the better, and far more comprehensive, two CD collection) may make a somewhat representative Psy Furs short list.

A Pleasant Walk Into The '80s But Beware The Cliches
In the interest of full disclosure, I must state the following for the potential buyer:
All That Money Wants
It's a given that 2-disc compilations cost more than a single disc package, but The Psychedelic Furs are deserving of a double disc "hits" collection (***Note*** "Should God Forget" is a double set, but includes many live tracks, alternate takes, and lesser known tracks). If the executives at the helm felt this was too cost prohibitive, an alternative strategy the record label could have employed would be to release a single disc compliation for the casual listener and a more comprehensive double set for the more serious listener. This has been done before: see David Bowie's "Best of Bowie" for example.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Post-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Is it forgivable that the second volume of songs from Adam Sandler's mid-'80s-revival comedy begins with Kajagoogoo's famously limp "Too Shy"? Not really, but the rest of the disc does a good job of recapitulating worthy memories from the era of torn-sweatshirt necks and mulletheads--not just with new-wave novelties but with Madonna and Hall & Oates staples ("Holiday" and "You Make My Dreams," respectively) as bouncy and glossy as anything the also-present Depeche Mode ("Just Can't Get Enough") and Dead or Alive ("You Spin Me Round [Like a Record]") ever put on the radio or MTV. The Cars' "It's All I Can Do" and the J. Geils Band's "Love Stinks" encapsulate the Sandler character's romantic frustrations, while the star's own "Grow Old with Me" actually points toward a serious career as a singer/songwriter for our boy. Eek. Read more

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• Soundtrack

Reviews (43)

Finally found it!
Aahh...the uniqueness of 80s music.Been looking for the Flying Lizards "Money" song since then.It's been on several movie sound tracks however it never made it on the 'sound track CD' until now."Leisure Rules"

if you like the 80's
you will love this album.Truth be told I liked this one more than the first cd.The recordings are excellent.

I love this movie!
I love this movie and the music in it!
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Subjects:  1. New Romantic    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Soundtrack    6. Soundtracks    7. Soundtracks & Film Scores    8. Synth Pop   

Editorial Review

Way back in 1980, the original wave of Talking Heads fans were pleasantly stunned to hear Read more

Reviews (104)

Amazing
I first heard this record either my sophomore or junior year in college. It was late one night and I'm sitting at my computer reading music reviews and I always heard these great things about the album "Remain In Light" as well as the Talking Heads. Rolling Stone (a magazine I cannot stand primarily for the rankings they always do) ranked this record the third greatest album of the 80's. (After #1 "London Calling" and #2 "Purple Rain"). I'm a lover of old-school music so I had to hear this record....I had to hear the Talking Heads. Luckily, my roomate had this CD and I listened to it at about 2 in the morning.
The best Heads CD ever.
Adrian Belew makes this an incredible Cd. Great sounds come from his fingers and leaves you wondering how in the world did he make his guitar make that sound? Listening Winds is a great tune with terrorist's point of view. I am not all hot on terrorists but it's a good song. And of course the song about the water going under is the bomb from way back. This CD still holds the same place in my heart as it did 20 years ago.

Don't You Miss It... Some of You People Just About Missed It...
No one agrees on the exact definition of punk, and even if some consensus was reached, the word "punk" would still evoke images of leather clad snotty young men hammering out 3 chord anthems. New wave is considered by many to be nothing more than danceable punk music boasting synthesizers and pop melody. For these reasons, I feel uncomfortable labeling Remain in Light as either a punk or a new wave album. I could say it is an alternative album, but alternative is such a broad and vague term that many fans of the alternative chart-topping groups of the 90's would tilt their head and furrow their brows in puzzlement upon hearing said alternative masterwork Remain in Light, and I wouldn't blame them. This album doesn't have the "cool" of other alternative touchstones such as The Velvet Underground & Nico, Unknown Pleasures or Nevermind. In fact, Remain in Light at times sounds downright nerdy. My utter worship and perhaps even over romanticism of this album did not take root instantly. In fact, when I first heard it, I laughed. This is what inspired bands such as Radiohead? This is what the most respected indie critics cite as the perfection of alternative music? It cannot be, as this is simply a bunch of panicky inarticulate noise! I was right in a way, but I was wrong in a way as well. Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. College Rock    3. Experimental Rock    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Popular Music    8. Post-Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. United States of America   

Editorial Review

It's a simple concept--the first dozen singles by New Order collected, a couple of them rerecorded--but it's also a totally entertaining seven-year history of the band that married British post-punk alienation to the relentless hedonism of the dance floor. The band's hits were always deeply unconventional (like the haunting "Blue Monday," essentially a seven-minute drum machine test with a short lyric that alluded to the Falklands War), but they were brilliant productions, layering dozens of electronic countermelodies and percussion tricks over Barney Sumner's uncertain warble and Peter Hook's lead bass parts. Though they're audio snapshots of the dance beats of their time, they've held up both as club classics and as idiosyncratic rock songs. Read more

Reviews (94)

It's Substance...what else?
I've listened to this more times than I've told my Dad that I love him. Maybe my priorities are wrong but this album is practically a family member. A genius overview of New Order's early and mid-career that they should have stuck to on later compilations. The songs here are classics. Some of the best dance music ever made, some of the best rock and roll ever made and some of the best pop ever made with some of the best song titles ever. All put togther with something so sadly lacking in today's ugly world..a little thing called..class.
What's all the fuss...
Not terrible, but I don't get the hype.To me, it's just New Wave Disco-and Disco was bad in the 70's.Finally, what's this doing in a "Power Pop" category?No freaking way is this remotely Power Pop!What a disgrace to Power Pop lovers.

(three and a half stars) truly a matter of taste
I'm a big New Order fan.But how can this be, you may ask, if I'm giving "Substance," the band's 1987 greatest hits album (with extra and alternative tracks) only three and a half stars?Here is where musical tastes become very subjective.Simply put, I'm not a huge fan of 80's British techno-pop, where technology (i.e. tinny sounding rhythm machines) took precedence over real instruments.That being said, I do believe that Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook are terrific musicians, whose talents were revealed in their less synthesizer driven tracks, and especially in the band's last three albums, namely "Republic," "Get Ready," and "Waiting for the Siren's Call," which are my three favorite N.O. albums by far.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Club/Dance    4. College Rock    5. England    6. House    7. Pop    8. Popular Music    9. Post-Punk    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop    12. Synth Pop