One record at a time: 497. Various Artists - The Hits Album 8

"The Hits Album 8" dates back to the summer of 1988 when Wet Wet Wet found massive success with a Beatles cover, The Timelords let their car write a number one single and rock poodles Heart scored big with "These Dreams". Yet, you won't find any of those tracks on this compilation. 

In less enlightened times record labels would restrict which compilation albums songs would end up on with Virgin and EMI artists featured on the "Now!" series and BMG and Warner artists on the "Hits" albums. Back in the day I regarded the "Hits" albums as the poor relation, yet when I look at the tracklisting here, I can't help but think the track selection is much better than its "Now! 12" counterpart. 

Things begin well with "Stay On These Roads" by a-ha. This song found the band at the peak of their powers and it was a big hit all over Europe—a worthy inclusion. The second track is "I'm Not Scared" by Eighth Wonder which was written and produced by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys, and produced alongside Phil Harding. There's no doubt this was an explicit attempt to create a chart hit by emulating the hi-energy sound of Stock, Aitken and Waterman and it succeeded both commercially and artistically. Another thumbs up. 

Phil Harding provides an unexpected link to the next track "I Want You Back '88" by Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. Harding adds some synth bass to give a more contemporary sound but the result is a little jumbled and not up to the usual standard expected of the "Mixmaster". For me, the main highlight of the first side is yet another SAW remix in the form of "Voyage Voyage" by Direless. The melody and groove on this track transcend any language barriers and I have a new found appreciation for this song almost forty years after it was released. 

On the second side I enjoyed hearing "Boyfriend" by Pebbles (which I find surprising) and "Love is Contagious" by Taja Sevelle brought back some memories; everything else was disposable. Whilst I don’t really remember Tiffany’s version of ‘I Saw Him Standing There’, there’s a good chance I have previously heard it but my brain has politely chosen to erase that particular sonic abomination from my memory.

The second disc features the number one single "Somewhere In My Heart" by Aztec Camera; a song I have always liked. I remember this song appearing on Top of the Pops and thinking, "Where have these guys come from?" Followed a few months later by, "Well we never heard from Aztec Camera again," but I now know the band were more than a one hit wonder. Whilst tracks like "Sign Your Name" by Terrance Trent D'Arby or Sade's "Paradise" are noble efforts, they don't really excite me and I soon find myself flicking over to the final side.

The early sign on side four are good with Eurythmics, S'Express and Erasure all featured. I have to say I have never heard of Ofra Haza but the internet tells me "Im Nin'alu" did enter the UK top 20 so I guess it warrants inclusion. I'm less convinced of the merits of The Sisters of Mercy or The Jesus and Mary Chain but this is just a matter of taste.

As we continue our grind through my compilation albums, I find myself reflecting on the fact that nearly all of them were bought in a charity shops. Whilst this can sometimes result in a bargain, it can also mean you end up with a record that is pretty knackered. A bit like this one. Life hasn't been kind to either of these records and they are only just tolerable. I don't enjoy this collection much and it may even make its way back to a charity shop in the near future. 2/5

One record at a time: 496. Various Artists - The Right Stuff 2 - Nothing But A House Party

When I found this album in a charity shop and read that it contained "The 28 hottest 12 inch remixes for 1990", I immediately decided it had to come home with me. The sleeve also tries to claim some additional credibility with the sub-title "Nothing But A House Party", yet it seems fairly obvious from the tracklisting that this claim is a bit of a stretch. I don't recall this compilation from 'back in the day' (I was more into the Deep Heat series) but as it is the second volume I can only assume it was successful. 

As seems de rigueur with dance compilations of 1990, we begin with Technotronic. This time around we are treated to the track "Get Up! Before The Night Is Over (Dance Action Mix)" which was the follow up to the hugely successful debut "Pump Up The Jam". While I do enjoy the song, Technotronic were part of a wave of European acts that I never entirely trusted.

There was often an uneasy sense that the performers fronting these records weren’t necessarily the people who had actually created them. Many of these groups also seemed to rely heavily on expatriates for their English language vocals—particularly the rap sections. Although this was presumably intended to add authenticity, it rarely did. Instead, it felt like a thin veneer lay over these tunes, with the distinctly European undertones always shining through. In hindsight, the exposure of Milli Vanilli probably sowed the seeds of this scepticism. As a result, I was always a little wary of acts like Black Box, Snap!, Quadrophonia, J.K., Corona etc. etc.

The second track here describes itself as "Itaniano Disco" but I would argue it is just a SAW hi-energy number. Either way, it's definitely not true house or even Italo house come to that. Equally, the third number "Street Tough" by Double Trouble and the Rebel MC is a catchy song, but it's a Ska influenced pop tune that sounds a bit like a fish out of water.

Things do pick up a bit with "Go To Get" by Rob and Raz and the credentials of S'Express check out. Unfortunately the track by Redhead Kingpin And The FBI belongs to the short lived new jack swing genre that America seemed to be in love with during 1990. Side one finishes with a winner in the form of "Going Back To My Roots" by FPI project (again an Italian group fronted by an English session vocalist) and the piano riff here is iconic. 

Side two opens with terrible rap/shouting nonsense called "20 Seconds To Comply (Pumped Up Mix)" in which the writer seems to have discovered a RoboCop sample and gone to town with it. I know that De La Soul are revered and seem to be credited with creating numerous sub-genres of hip-hop; but I'm not a fan and an extended version of "The Magic Number" just annoys me.

The Beatmasters thrown down the "Lately Bass" from a Yamaha DX-27/100 alongside some breakbeats and a great rap by Betty Boo on "Hey DJ/I Can't Dance To That The Music You're Playing". Yet another Italian house outfit Magic Concept throw their hat into the ring with "Unstoppable" but this seems to be an edit rather than the "12 inch mix". "Let There Be House" by Deskee (an American expat living in Germany) features a much overused Korg M1 organ bassline alongside the riff from "This Brutal House" by Nitro Deluxe (also used on "Brutal-8-E" by Altern8) .

Inner City are uncharacteristically chilled on "Watcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" which is remixed by Frankie Knuckles and David Morales—making me wonder if this was simply an exercise in seeing just how many house legends you can you cram into one record. Sydney Youngblood (yet another American expat in Germany) contributes the wonderful "If Only I Could"—but again its not the 12" mix that plays. I don't suppose you can have any kind of compilation from 1990 that doesn't include Black Box "Ride On Time" but I've heard this thing so many times it has lost any limited appeal it might have had. Kaoma "Lambada" has no place on any record ever, and it certainly shouldn't be included one that purports to offer hot remixes—I can't overstate just how much I hate this song. 

As I reflect on what I have just been subjected to heard, I can't help but think I have misunderstood what the record company meant by a 'house party'. Rather than, 'a party where they play house music', I think they actually meant 'a party at the house of someone who has just discovered Italo house but still has a dodgy taste in pop music'. Not quite as catchy a title though is it? 2/5

One record at a time: 495. Various Artists - The Singing Detective (Music From The BBC-TV Serial)

The Singing Detective was a TV series that was originally broadcast in the UK during 1986. I first saw it when it was repeated sometime after the millennium and I enjoyed lots of the music used in the show. 

The series was set in the 1950's so it featured lots of jazz and novelty recordings from the thirties and forties. Normally I wouldn't be a fan of this sort of music, but it really worked in the context of the show and got into my head. 

Not long after I first saw the show I bought a CD compilation but this vinyl came into my possession in 2022. To be honest I'm not really sure why I bought this record as the fidelity of the source material is inferior to the carrier and everything is in mono. Equally, the vinyl has half the number of tracks that were featured on the CD release, so it is really difficult to make a case for this record at all. 

The main theme from The Singing Detective is an instrumental version of "Peg o' My Heart" which was recorded for the series by composer Max Harris. The original recording that inspired the writer of the series, Dennis Potter, dates back to 1947 but one would presume the producer of the television programme needed a high fidelity version of the tune for broadcast.

Almost all of the other tracks on this album are sourced from an old shellac 78 records, so there's plenty of crackles and additional noise accompanying the music. I have no doubt this record adds some of its own noise on top of the source recording so the result is almost constant crackles. There are a few tracks that sound like they are sourced from tape, such as "Dry Bones" by Fred Waring And His Pennsylvanians, but generally everything here is best consumed in short doses due to the extra noise.

However, for me, there are two significant elements on this record. The first is the appearance of The Ink Spots. There's something about the voice of lead singer Bill Kenny that is magical and I have admired the group's work since this compilation introduced me to them.

From an electronic music perspective you could argue that the inclusion of "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn is quite significant as it features an instrument called the Novachord. This keyboard was manufactured by Hammond and Wikipedia asserts that it was the first ever commercially available polyphonic synthesizer. I'm not really sure what sounds the machine was capable of, but the end result sounds just like an organ to me. Disappointing, but historic nonetheless. 1/5

One record at a time: 494. Various Artists - Now Dance 903 - The 12" Mixes

Twenty years ago I found this double vinyl compilation lurking in the back of a charity shop. The promise of full 12" mixes coupled with the allure of a gatefold sleeve resulted in an impulse purchase. As it turned out, the records themselves are in near perfect condition with little or no addition noise. The only slight downside is that in order to accommodate this number of 12" tracks onto one side of vinyl the mastering is pretty quiet and you have to crank the volume to get a reasonable sound from it.

On the surface this compilation seems to frame itself as a dance album with a degree of club credibility. Yet if we look at the rather eclectic track listing we can see that this is far from being a persuasive dance anthology. Classifying artists such as Glenn Medeiros or The Soup Dragons as dance music is something of a stretch—and if I were an artist on the other end of the dance credibility scale (e.g. LFO, Inner City, Stevie V) I might be a little upset at being bundled in with such artists.

The album kicks off with the club version of "Megamix" by Technotronic. Even back in 1990 I never really understood why people would buy a 'mega mix'. As I listening experience I don't really see any merit in them and to my mind they only make sense as a tool for lazy DJs. Yet a number of contemporary bands released singles that gathered together their recent hits and they were alarmingly successful. I remember mega mix offerings from Snap! and Blackbox, but the Technotronic single had passed me by until I heard this record. As an example of the genre it's fairly unremarkable but it is nice to hear "Rockin' Over The Beat" and "Pump Up The Jam" again.

Betty Boo comes up next with the 12" mix of "Where Are You Baby". This track has a Motown flavour and a twee pop melody that saw it become a chart hit—but I'm not sure it really qualifies as dance music. Much more palatable is the club mix of Twenty Four Seven's "I Can't Stand It". The Korg M1 piano and Roland D-50 "Soundtrack" synths instantly transport me back to my teenage years and a time when dance music was the future.

Kevin Saunderson rocks up next with "That Man (He's All Mine)". Whilst this is no "Big Fun", the TR-909 programming and rolling bass have an authentic house feel that the pop tracks on this compilation can't match. Side one finishes with the 'Long version' of "She Ain't Worth It" by Glenn Medeiros. This track appropriates the new jack swing sound that was so fashionable in 1990, but the end result couldn't sound more dated if it tried. Yuk.

Things pick up a bit on the b-side with "Fascinating Rhythm" which was released by the William Orbit vehicle Bass-o-matic. Next up is the majestic "Live at Transcentral" mix of "What Time Is Love?" by The KLF which shines bright like a diamond. Stevie V contributes hit track "Body Language" and once again its, genuine house sound adds some credibility to proceedings. The efforts of Monie Love and Neneh Cherry at the end of the disc don't entice me and I am quite pleased when I can move on.

"Naked In The Rain" by Blue Pearl impressed me a great deal when it was released and I even bought the resulting album. The '12" extended mix' of the track included here benefits from a remix by Graham Massey and sounds as fresh as it did all those years ago. Next up is "LFO" by LFO and the original 'Leeds Warehouse Mix' remains an enduring tribute to a lost talent.

We hit a bit of a soggy patch with the next two tracks as both "Mother Universe" by The Soup Dragons and "Groovy Train" by The Farm sound out of place in this company. We round out this side of the disc with "You're Walking" by Electribe 101 in the form of the funkier 'Corporate Dance Mix'.

The Korg M1 presets are scattered all over "Don't Be Fool" by Loose Ends but this is the most exciting thing I can find to say about what is a thinly veiled (and overly long) copy of Soul II Soul. There's a wonderful pounding TR-909 kick on "Let's Push It" by Innocence but the saxophone samples are irritating beyond belief. A band called Young Disciples sound like they have turned up to completely the wrong party and can be summarily dismissed. Norman Cook delivers a Beats International number called "Burundi Blues"—but "Praise You" this is not. Fittingly the final track "Hardcore Uproar" by Together is a rave classic whose raw originality rivals the big hitters on here such as The KLF and LFO.

A wildly inconsistent album that applies a very loose interpretation of the 'dance' tag. Where it is good, it is very good. Where it is bad, well...2/5 

One record at a time: 493. Yellow Magic Orchestra - Technodelic

"Technodelic" was originally released in 1981 but my copy is one of the numbered clear vinyl copies released by Music On Vinyl in 2016. Once again the sound is very good and I can't fault the packaging—a highly recommended pressing.

Back in the early eighties lots of artists seem to have discovered sampling and created records using the new technology. When OMD bought an E-MU Emulator they went crazy sampling old radios and turned out the career stifling "Dazzle Ships". Like OMD, Jean-Michel Jarre adopted the Emulator along with the Fairlight CMI and went berserk with sampled voices on "Zoolook". Depeche Mode's "Construction Time Again" saw a sea-change in their sound thanks to samplers and Peter Gabriel's fourth solo album seemed to wake lots of people up to the possibilities the new technology posed.

Around the same time, YMO began using a prototype Toshiba-EMI LMD-649 sampler to create this album. As with many artists using this technology for the first time, YMO chose to sample the one thing they couldn't replicate with synthesizers: the human voice. Personally I'm not convinced that sampling phonemes and ethnic chants is the best use of a sampler, but these were early days and artists were exploring what was possible.

As opening lines go, "This must be the ugliest piece of bread I have ever eaten," isn't likely to trouble Shakespeare or Wordsworth, but it certainly makes an impression. Beyond the vocal introduction "Pure Jam" emerges as a rather avant-garde piece that moves YMO into more serious territory. There's an electronic precision to the groove on this song that I find really appealing and its astonishing to think it was released forty five years ago. The opening synth riff reminds me of "Jumbo" by Underworld.

The new music direction continues on "Neue Tanz" which sees the new sampler employed as a drum machine. Whilst Yukihiro Takahashi's drums return for third track "Stairs" it is the juxtaposition between Sakamoto's piano flourishes and the metronomic synth arpeggios that catch my ear hear.  

One of my favourite tracks on the album is "Seoul Music" which uses samples of ethnic chants to form the core of the backing track. Harry Hosono's bass is fluid and funky whilst the drumming provides a relentless groove. Side One finishes with "Light In Darkness" which is a good piece but it doesn't develop beyond the initial idea.

"Taiso" on the flip side is possibly the most light hearted piece you will find on this album but even this track has an ominous air thanks its spoken verses delivered via a megaphone. Another one of my favourite pieces is "Gradated Grey" which is hypnotic and infectious. 

"Key" couldn't sound more 'eighties' if it tried and in some senses it foreshadows the stylish pop of the follow up album "Naughty Boys". There are two short compositions by Ryuichi Sakamoto to finish the album called "Prologue" and "Epilogue". Both of these songs continue to utilise the new sampler for their rhythmical content but "Prologue" relies on a short ostinato to provide melody whilst "Epilogue" takes a more discordant and ambient approach. 

There's no doubt this is a highly inventive album and demonstrates how far the style of the band shifted in just three short years. To my ears this album provides a great contrast to the lighter pop of its predecessors and demonstrates just how astonishingly talented the three band members were. 4/5

One record at a time: 492. Yellow Magic Orchestra - BGM

After the semi‑acoustic leanings of the cynical mini‑album "×∞Multiplies", YMO changed direction and returned to electronic music with "BGM" in 1981. My copy of the record is a recent purchase from eBay that appears to be an original Japanese pressing. Although the record sounds good, it is unfortunately missing its obi strip, which is a shame.

Ryuichi Sakamoto began collaborating with David Sylvian, the lead singer of the band Japan in 1980 and it would appear this partnership bled into the opening track on this album "Ballet". As vocalist Yukihiro Takahashi sings the line, "Acting out a story, written in air," you could be forgiven for thinking Sylvian was behind the microphone. There's a vague whiff of Japan's characteristic syncopation in the music and many of the synth sounds are reminiscent of Richard Barbieri. Great stuff.

This album is famous for featuring the first use of the Roland TR‑808 and the track "Music Plans" places it front and centre. Besides the famous drum machine there is a great distorted synth melody on this song that is deceptively catchy. "Rap Phenomena" attempts to recreate the emerging sounds of American hip‑hop but sadly it does not succeed on any level and is best forgotten.

More impressive are the duo of "1000 Knives" and "Happy End". Both tracks are reworkings of material from Sakamoto’s solo career. "Happy End" develops the original B‑side into an mellow dub piece that seems to anticipate ambient house by nearly a decade. While I enjoy the original version of "1000 Knives", YMO’s version is stronger, omitting the excruciating guitar solo and adding TR‑808 claps that give it a more rhythmic feel.

The next track is my favourite on the album. "Cue" is a highly sophisticated slice of synth‑pop that could easily have been a bigger hit if it had been appropriated by a Western artist in the same way "Behind the Mask" was. The deep bassline drives the track forward while a distinctive synth riff underpins Takahashi’s soaring vocal melody. I later learned that the composition was inspired by the Ultravox B‑side "Passionate Reply", although there are similarities, this is far from plagiarism to my ears. "Cue" is a genuine YMO classic and deserves a place on any playlist or compilation of the band’s best work.

The B‑side to the single release of "Cue" was the following track, "U・T". This piece captures a rare moment of collaboration between band members who were increasingly pulling in different directions. It earns its place on this record with complex delayed rhythms and an appealing chord progression. I have never been especially fond of "Camouflage", but it isn't without charm. "Mass", a composition by Haruomi Hosono, sounds as though it could easily accompany a dystopian film in the vein of Mad Max 2 or Escape from New York. The closing track, "Loom", uses a Shepard tone long before THX and Dr Dre made it widely known, and concludes with a beautifully atmospheric ambient section. 3.5/5

One record at a time: 491. Yellow Magic Orchestra - X∞Multiplies

When "X∞Multiplies" was originally released in Japan during 1980 it was considered a 'mini album' as it only contained a scattering of original songs alongside comedy sketches by a troupe called 'Snakeman Show'. The international release saw the album morph into a weird hybrid that dumped most of the comedy numbers and added previously released songs in their place. My copy of the original UK pressing is on yellow vinyl and sounds really nice.

Side one opens with a trio of songs from previous album "Solid State Survivor" followed by a trio from their eponymous debut. The track selections are pretty much as to be expected with "Behind the Mask" and "Firecracker" being the standouts. 

The meat of "X∞Multiplies" begins on the flip side with a brief jingle (which is strangely credited as "Snakeman Show") before launching into a great track called "Nice Age". There's no doubt this is a pop number with a good hook and a groovy verses. As well as the members of YMO there is an uncredited female vocal on this track which the internet tells me is by Mika Fukui. A hidden gem if ever there was one.

The title track is a strange and disappointing Ska pastiche that appears to be recorded on traditional instruments. I'm not really sure what the band were aiming for here but it falls short in my opinion. Next we encounter the only true "Snakeman Show" comedy sketch which appears to be a less than subtle critique of Western perceptions of Japanese people. The trouble with the sketch is that it isn't the least bit amusing and its message is probably completely lost on those it is aimed at. It's no surprise that four additional Snakeman skits featured on the Japanese version of the record are culled from the UK cut. 

"Citizens of Science" is a mildly melodic number that I can leave or take. The final track is a cover version of "Tighten Up" which is very entertaining but again, I fear their attempted subversion of Western stereotypes of Japanese culture will be lost on most of their audience.

I could be wrong, but I'm left with the feeling that this record is a somewhat cynical reaction to the attitudes the band encountered on their first tour. Whilst there is still some joy to be found in these grooves the record doesn't feel cohesive and if it weren't for "Nice Age" it might not be so appealing. 2.5/5