One record at a time: 13. The Art of Noise - The Best Of

Another album by The Art of Noise, but a compilation this time. I have mentioned in a previous post that this album was one of the first I owned on CD and it was in heavy use for quite some time. Neither the discs or the players were cheap in the early days and I used to spend hours agonising on which CD would be my next investment. However, there was one way to get cheap CDs and that was the introductory offers from Britannia Music Club and I'm pretty sure I acquired this album through one of those "four albums for £1" promotions. Most people of a certain vintage got suckered into Britannia at some time or another and when you were broke, the introductory offer seemed too good to turn down.

One thing I never quite understood about this album is the fact that the CD largely carried the 12" versions of the tracks and the vinyl had the 7" versions. Maybe it was an attempt to boost CD sales by offering extended play time; who knows? 

My copy of the album is in very good condition and is devoid of the sibilance that ruins the opening track "Opus 4" on vinyl pressings of its parent album I own. As "Beatbox" begins in its Diversion 10 variant (I think) I'm struck by how truncated it is and how accustomed I must be to the CD. The shorter single version of "Moments In Love" feels similarly unfamiliar but loses none of its majesty. The only song that seems to suit a shorter single edit is "Close (To The Edit)" which benefits from trimming a little fat. Side one finishes with the standard single (and album version) of "Peter Gunn".

I've said before I'm not a big fan of "Paranoimia" and the 7" version featuring Max Headroom isn't to my taste. What is to my taste is the next track "Legacy". I love this track and whilst the 7" mix presented here is short, it is perfectly formed. However, things take another dip with the '88 mix of "Dragnet" which is mercifully shorter than the seven minute version on the CD. Next up is the 'non-album' single "Kiss" featuring Tom Jones. My appreciation for this song has grown over the years and whilst I might have skipped the version on the CD during my paper round a few times, there's no need to skip here. I was never sure why "Something Always Happens" was included in what I perceived to be a singles collection, but considered in the context of "The Best Of" it fits very well. There's something about the groove that develops on this song that I can't help tapping my foot to. But the track it is over too soon and a great album draws to a close. Lots of memories and some amazing tunes. 4/5