and so, after a variable level of delay, Now That's What I Call Music 5 is out in a decidedly compact disc form, look you see. well, most of it is. later on here in this post (if you continue reading) we, you, or i shall note how in a very real sense it is around 96.6% of the recording which is now out on disc.
just what is this all about, for those presently lost? well, it is stage five in the campaign to, mostly, issue the first ten (10) volumes of the (original) UK versions of Now That's What I Call Music on the modern, new compact disc format. such commenced to commemorate, or celebrate, the reaching of a particular milestone. which was volume 100 (one hundred) of Now That's What I Call Music a couple of years ago.
for my readers around the world, this all may be a little confusing, and annoying. it is so that the Now series came to be a "franchise", or if you will has an "expanded universe". the volumes are numbered in accordance with sequence of release in specific countries, so it well may be that where you are the 100 volume has not been reached. nor is the tracklisting here of what it was on the variation of five (5) released where you are. but, bear with me, music is music.
to give you a confession, there was absolutely no, as in zero, sense of nostalgic longing or sentimental hygiene in the purchase of this volume. so far as i am aware, this is indeed the first time i have ever owned this release in any format. although i seem to recall taping it off of a friend. it is not a time to repeat the euphoria i had when Now That's What I Call Music 4 came out on a disc of compact format.
why the (slight) lack of enthusiasm? by the time this one came out originally, or if you like initially, i was very much off on my own musical mission. some specific music tastes had developed, and to follow them usually i would head off on the bus to town, perhaps with a friend or two, to purchase either the 7" (for 99p or £1.49) or the 12" (for £1.99 or £2.49) of any singles that i liked. normally off of HMV, but sometimes Our Price. generally W H Smith was to be avoided as their price stickers were a nightmare to peel off, and i never thought to buy music at Woolworths.
so, or ergo, buying Now That's What I Call Music 5 in 1985 made next to no sense, for i had virtually every song off of it that i liked as a single. this was not so with 4, representing as it did a time when i was possibly slightly too young for bus travels alone, and probably did not have enough pocket money to buy all of the smart songs as singles which are on that set.
is it so that Now That's What I Call Music 5 is any good? kind of, really. much like 4, it represents some of the best songs of the year of release, but doesn't necessarily have the biggest selling ones of the time. in fact, a thing in common between the two is a decided lack of number one singles.
unfortunately, at least for me and to my ears, it is very much that 4 had a whole whack of amazing songs on it, whereas 5 has some, or one or two, or a handful of good songs on it, with a fair few of the songs being a reminder that not all which was recorded in the 80s was awesome. still, could have been worse - thankfully Spandau Ballet, for instance, are absent. one "issue" the makers of Now had at this stage was that their releases were so successful. due to this, many other labels started doing compilations of the current hits. the number of songs they could licence for use and inclusion, then, became all at once more limited than was.
and to address absences, yes, as has been the case with 80% of the to-date re-issues of Now That's What I Call Music 4, there is something not as it should be. it was a mercy and a blessing that the 20% which they got spot on correct and as it was at the time happened to be 4.
what's missing? alas, what would have been one of the finer moments of the set. for no given reason it is This Is Not America by David Bowie & Pat Metheny which is missing. this is quite odd, and no i do not believe the Bowie estate is responsible for the absence, for earlier releases featured his singles of the time (Modern Love is on one, somewhere). if they had good legal or licence reason not to include it, well, fine, but it is annoying that they do not explain the absences.
but, what of what is on the set? as you can, with good fortune, hopefully make out in the above image, disc one (which would have been tape one or record one) is the clear winner. a touch like aspects of 4, this is dominated by hit songs written specifically for films, with A View To A Kill, Axel F and Don't You (Forget About Me) covering that. this disc also showcases the splendor of Kayleigh by Marillion. a fun fact for that is that Fish invented that name, for there is no recorded use of it as a name prior to the song. further splendor is found in Bryan Ferry's greatest solo work, the superb first hit off of Fine Young Cannibals and even a song off of Phil Collins which is not annoying.
disc two feels like the wheels fall off somewhat. from memory i am almost certain that Frankie by Sister Sledge is the only number one on the set. i am not a fan of the song; as good as it is my chums at school teased me mercilessly with it on account of me being a Frankie fan. otherwise, there's the chart debut off of Simply Red, the first time ever on cd for a cricket p!ss take song, and that thing where we stood by and let Oz out of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (sp) have a go at singing.
much else on disc two? that big political statement off of The Style Council remains class. some alarm bells rang when i heard The Unforgettable Fire by U2 for the first time in a while here. at this point they were not particularly a big deal, lacking any truly huge hits. this one sounds like a desperate effort to force a sound on them that was mid-80s ballad. wisely, an approach that was soon long gone from their sound.
right, then, is Now That's What I Call Music 5 worth getting? yes, i suppose, to complete the set. to be brutal, frank(ie) and honest, the number of songs here which have "stood the test of time" in any real or proverbial sense would take up less than the capacity of just one disc. but, nice to have.
looking at all the sets together (almost, i am unsure what i have done with my copy of 2), i am uncertain that Now That's What I Call Music 5 will be getting much play in the future. well, i doubt disc two will. yet, still, nice to have.
bring on Now That's What I Call Music 6, then. whilst i do not recall the specifics, i know i have the vinyl of that one, and from what i remember it was very good indeed.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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