The Police
Greatest Hits
Released October 1992
A&M Records  -  540 030-2

RATING 100%+

I could never really get my self into any of the Police's albums.  They were the kind of album where you'd borrow off someone else and taped the two good tracks.  Through their career, the police released about four variations of best ofs and greatest hits.  Out of all their material they have produced, this compilation is IT!

This one has all their hits from their reggae roots in the mid seventies through to their new romantic sound in the mid eighties.  All my favourites are on here including "every little thing she does is magic", "Roxanne", "Can't stand loosing you", "message in a bottle" and and and at long last, the original version of "don't stand so close".  I hated that remix that was done in the late eighties.  Other hits on this set include "every breath you take", "spirits in the material world", "wrapped around your finger", "de do do do, de da da da" and "synchronicity".  This CD covers all their great hits with 16 selections.  If you like the police in any way, you can't go wrong with this disc.

Various Artists
Have a Nice Day  -  Volume 22
Released 1993
Rhino Records America  -  R2 71202

RATING 100%+

Back in 1990, Rhino records commenced the collaboration of the "Have A Nice Day" compilation series.  Ultimately this resulted in a 25 volume set of CD's.  All of the discs contain a mixture of top charting hits and obscure classics from the seventies.  Many of the discs have come together quite well with a collection of great tracks, whilst some of the other discs are as horrid as my old set of pink flares.

One of the best volumes is number 22.  This one contains that guitar stumpin' classic "driver seat" from Sniff and the Tears.  What about abit of dance with Hot Chocolates "everyone's a winner" and Nick Gilders "hot child in the City".  Feeling romantic?  There's Nicolette Larson's "lotta love", John Paul Young's "love is in the air" and Robert John's "Sad eyes".   Other tracks include Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro's Duet "stumblin' in" and John Stewart's "gold".  Again a disc that get's a good thrashing at my place.

Various
Living in the 70's Vol. 6
Released March 2000
BMG Australia  -  74321535742

RATING 100%+

Over the years many compilation labels simply banged together an assortment of tracks and put them on a disc, even if they released the same track on ten other compilations.  How often have you picked up a various artist 70's album from EMI and found Tina Turner's Nutbush?  How many 70's compilations have Daddy Cool's eagle rock on it?

In May 1995 BMG together with assistance from the Australian Music Report embarked on a truly exciting compilation project.  As a seventies music lover, its great to buy a 40 track package and know that each volume contains 40 different tracks. Just like the other five volumes, this one is far from ordinary.  On this set you'll find absolute gems like "Who were you with in the moonlight--Dollar" "Do to me--Smokie" (first time on CD) "Love hurts--Nazareth" "Smiley--Ronnie Burnes" "Sunburn--Graham Gouldman" and many other treasures from the vault.  This CD also includes liner notes on all of the tracks, many of which have been written by Gavin Wood who used to be the voice over on the ABC's Countdown program.  My personal favourite on this set is Barry Blue's glam rocker "Do ya wanna dance" from 1974.

On a finishing note, many of the tracks on this album have been re-mastered from vinyl and are on CD for the first time.  With todays state of the art audio restoration technology, this album sounds super.  This CD will certainly get a thrashing on my CD player.  I hope very much they'll release a Vol. 7 & 8.

Roxette
Look Sharp!
Released June 1989
EMI  -  791098-2

RATING 95%

Roxette's ability to perform a beautiful ballad and thrash out a good rock song sets them apart from many other rock groups.  The hits that got Roxette established here in Australia are all here on this album.  "The look"  #1 in June 1989, "Dressed for success" "Listen to your heart" (top 5 November 1989) "Dangerous" and although not a single, but still a great hit is "Shadow of a doubt"

Silver Convention
Get up and boogie  -  Their greatest hits
Released 1998
Music Club  -  50135

RATING 55%

Where would disco be without this group.  The soundtrack of an era is on this CD.  Great selection of tracks, but disappointed with the production.  It seems someone's gone wild with the scissors, shortening some of the tracks such as Fly robin fly.  I remember playing the original 6 minute version on radio many years ago.  The version on this album has a playing time of around 3 and a half minutes. 

For the rest of the album I couldn't keep my feet still.  It's loaded with great hits such as Save me, Son of a gun, Dancing in the aisle, Acuestate conmigo and to put the cream on the cake, the entire 12 inch of Penny McLean's Lady Bump.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
So far
Released October 1974
Atlantic  -  7567 81518-2

RATING 55%

Crosby Stills Nash and Young rapidly became part of the soft rock era of the early seventies.  This CD contains 11 of their greatest hits.  Only five of which appealed to me: Teach your children, Ohio, Woodstock, Our house and my favourite from this album, Suite-Judy Blue Eyes.  Five great gems.  Unfortunately the rest of the album was just a lot of plucking around.

Various Artists
I Love 70's
Released September 2002
EMI Australia  -  072438-42156-2

RATING 100%

Invite your friends over and have a nostalgic night in, I LOVE 70's.  This dazzling album has all the hits for that trip down memory lane.  It features the hits "Grease" from Frankie Valley, "Let's stick together" from Bryan Ferry, "Play that funky music" Wild Cherry (my favourite), "I feel love" Donna Summer, "Walk right in" Dr hook, "Movie Star" Harpo, and many other selections from Cliff Richard, Carl Douglas, Little River Band, Pilot, Stevie Wright and and and I just can't go past that incredible hip jerkin hit "Ain't gonna bump no more" from Joe Tex. 

Bread
Anthology
Released October 1985
Elektra  -  960 414-2

RATING 100%

As the 60's came to a close, the last few fragments of psychedelic rock and Beatle mania were drifting out of the world charts.  This paved the way for a new style of pop-called Soft Rock.  This style of music came to light for the first time in California with Bread who first started recording in 1969

Bread were the most prominent act in this style of music and made at least a dozen billboard hits.  Anthology has the entire singles collection of Bread including their well known hits, It don't matter to me, Baby, I'm a want you, If, London bridge, Sweet surrender, Diary, Everything I own, Lost without your love, and the ever legendary GUITAR MAN.  In short, a great album to listen to with a nice early seventies feel.

WHAM!
The Final
Release Date  -  October 1986
Epic  -  CD EPC 88681

RATING 100%+

This is one of those CDs that gets a good playing at my place.  It has all the tracks that made this UK pop outfit huge through out the 1980's. 

Formed in 1981, The original line up of Wham included George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley and backing vocals from Pepsi and Shirley. 

Their first Australian hit was "the Wham Rap" which debuted in Christmas 1982.  Their awesome chain of hits continued with Young guns, Bad boys, Wake me up, Careless Whisper, Freedom, Everything she wants, I'm your man, Where did your heart go and the edge of heaven.  Yepppp!!!  I'm a die hard WHAM! fan.  There has been some other wham compilations released since this one,  None of them come close to the great selection of tracks on this one..

Various Artists
Have a Nice Day  -  Volume 19
Released 1992
Rhine Records America  -  R2 71199

RATING 100%+

A continuation of the "Have a Nice Day" CD series, Volume 19 is another truck load of hits.  This Volume seems to contain a bunch of tracks from the 1977 era.  Do you remember what you were doing back then?? 

All of the CD's in this series contain extensive sleeve notes on all the tracks with release dates.  There's that radio classic which I think we've all heard a thousand times?..  10CC's "the things we do for love".  This volume has a number of tracks that have been released on CD for the first time.  What about Burton Cummings "stand tall".  Other tracks include the original Rocky theme, Orleans "still the one", Mary MacGregor's "Torn between two lovers", Adam O day's "undercover angel", Andrew Gold's "lonely boy" and a few tracks I've never really heard of.  But for the songs I've listed, certainly make this disc worthwhile.

Daryl Hall and John Oates
The best of  -  Starting all over again
Released April 1998
BMG Australia  -  74321524912

RATING 100%+ 

This group went through the same grooves as the police with its  multitude of albums and compilations.  Only over the last few years, Hall and Oats have released a complete collection of all their Hits.  I used to own rock and soul volume one, waiting for that anticipated volume two.  And for some strange reason, the rock and soul compilation sounded slightly hollow.

Starting all over again sounds great!  It contains the full spectrum of hits such as "she's gone", "rich girl", "kiss on my list", "you make my dreams", "private eyes", "I can't go for that", "man eater", "one and one" (what a gem), "family man", "say it isn't so", "adult education", "out of touch", "method of modern love", "dreamtime" and their last hit from 1988, "everything your heart desires".  There is a few less known hits, such as the original version of "every time you go away", "Sara's smile" and there cover of "you've lost that loving feeling".

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