so once again it's so that there's been a re-issue of one of them Now That's What I Call Music sets. in this instance, as the title suggests, it's number 18, look you see. no, i had no idea it was due to come out, and yes there was something of a sigh when i saw it on the shelf (Morrisons, i believe) for there was every sense of resignation about me purchasing it.
from what i recall these re-issues, or in several cases released on CD for the first time ever, all started with them issuing (and this was the first official instance of it) the first one as a sort of quasi commemorative thing when volume 100 came out. they appeared surprised that the re-issue of the set, featuring actual, proper decent music, very nearly outsold the new release. on they have gone to issue all of the early ones, then, and not without controversy, since they have omitted certain tracks and used the wrong versions of others.
my intention was to stop buying them at volume 6, with 4 being my all time favourite and the sixth one being the last one that i remembered in any fond or positive way. but they kept coming out, and so then i was certainly only going to get them up to 10, and definitely stop once the sets had finished off the last bit of the 80s. and yet here i am with Now 18, which covers (roughly) summer to autumn of 1990.
as it turns out this set has been mostly a pleasant surprise. my memories of the early 90s music scene are of it all being somewhat dire, with it only really picking up (and then some) 93 onwards. so finding a reasonable amount of high quality tunes here was a delightful revelation.
best of what's on here? no, i can't be bothered to check what's been omitted on this one. quite tricky to pick the single best single on here, but in a refreshing change it's likely that it will reside on tape (or disc) two. on that one you find both So Hard off of Pet Shop Boys and a remixed, jazzed up Close To Me off of The Cure. in respect of the latter, cannot for the life of me recall why this got reissued in 1990.
going back over to tape (disc) one and there's some singles many would, from personal preference, suggest are even better. like, for instance, Sacrifice off of a pre-knighthood Elton John, Nothing Compares 2 U off of Sinead O'Connor, There She Goes off of The La's and It Must Have Been Love off of Roxette. and then back on tape (disc) two there's Tom's Diner off of Suzanne Vega and DNA. i believe i am correct in thinking that's the very same diner that featured in Seinfeld, and also this was the song used to perfect (or test) the creation of the mp3 format.
how much rubbish is on it? not as much as you might think, or i feared. the two worst songs, ones off of MC Hammer and Jimmy Somerville, are right at the end of tape (disc) two and so very, very easy to avoid. something called Megamix off of Technotronic is easy to skip, and one can always pop outside for a cigarette or make use of the bathroom whilst Anniversary Waltz by Status Quo plays.
easily the most absurd thing here is the "remix" of Englishman In New York off of that [text removed on legal advice] Sting, which is effectively just the original and they have had Ben Liebrand throw some out of place drum samples and what have you over it. for fun there's also Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini off of someone called Bombalurina and, most importantly, the much loved Timmy Mallett. it's a lovely reminder of a time when fun and novelty records had a lot of talent and effort invested in them, rather than have some complete and utter [text removed on legal advice] simply shout "sausage rolls" over a record.
other highlights include one from Betty Boo, who for modern readers was a lot like that Meghan Trainer (or whatever) on the go these days, doing fun, infectious pop tunes. also Kylie with Step Back In Time, which is another top pop tune.
not really sure how many of these "re-issues" they can possibly keep doing. at £8 a go i will, probably, end up getting what they care to release. once they get into the 20s, however, they are in a territory where one can with some ease pick up the original issues (very) cheap at charity shops or flea markets.
right, well, i would (reasonably) expect the next vibes related post to be when this new album off of The Cure turns up. a few weeks to go before that, though, so you never know.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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