Customer Reviews

Bananarama - Greatest Hits Collection

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3 star:		(1)
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Until the Spice Girls invaded the planet with their brand of Girl Power, Bananarama ruled the roost with their consistent brand of fun-don't-give-a-damn pop music, which only had one mission - Fun. This Greatest Hits collection explains the timelessness of the Fun Girl Three, dividing their worldwide successes into two part - the early years & the Stock Aiken & Waterman Years. Both parts yielded equal successes & one listen to this CD brings you back in time to when pop was accessible without being overtly marketed. From the summery tunes of NaNaNaNa (Kiss Him Goodbye) to the funky percussion of Cruel Summer, the Bananas brought a smile to the world. Messy hairdos & ripped jeans, the girls only relied on their music & attitude to sell records (hence saving all that money spent on designer clothes for going down the pub). The SAW years saw their star shining brighter than ever. Venus is perhaps the most brilliant pop song ever done - & almost 16 years later still has an oomph & longevity that few bands can legitimately achieve. Became a US No.1 also. I Heard A Rumour, Love In The First Degree & I Can't Help It ensured that the charts were sufficiently set alight. Personal fave is their cover version of Help! (with French & Saunders & Kathy Burke - comic & brilliant). One other irony is their cover of The Supremes' (who prior to the Bananas were the best selling female group ever) Nathan Jones. Proved the girls could sing & give a song their unique verve. Bananas, we salute you & all who have sailed in you.

Unlike many "greatest hits" collections which are padded with non-hit album tracks, this collection of the Banana's chart hits is as meaty as bubblegum can be. Though the selection skimps on early hits ("Cheers Then," "Doctor Love," "Hotline To Heaven," "Rough Justice" and "Do Not Disturb" are all missing), it's also true that their biggest hits were with SAW/PWL.

The "SAW Years" are adequately represented here, though I personally miss the Chic-inspired "More Than Physical." As a collection of biggest chart hits, there were bound to be plenty of "near misses," especially in the Banana's catalog. Unfortunately, since this collection pre-dates all of "Pop Life" and "Please Yourself," these two very worthy albums (and at least five terrific singles) are not included. Since most Bananafans already own the original album releases, "Greatest Hits" is hardly an "essential" addition to your collection. If you consider yourself obsessive about the 'Rama girls, spend the extra $ for the Import version of this collection; it includes three dynamic dancefloor remixes (for "Venus", "Love In The First Degree" and the Youth/Shep Pettibone produced "Preacher Man"), "It Ain't What You Do" (with Fun Boy 3), and "Rough Justice." It also includes a great bit of musical comedy in "Help," where Brit TV stars Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French (of Ab-Fab fame) pose as "Lananeenoonoo" in a recorded benefit for Comic Relief UK.

Like a lot of Bananafans, my idea of a real "best of" would include a lot more material than appears here. I especially miss "Ain't No Cure" and "Movin' On." But as chart hits go, this IS their greatest hits, and any casual fan should be more than pleased with this career summation. I personally think that London should consider a three disc "Bananthology," and if they fail to get the rights to "Ultra Violet" I'll still be quite content.

-Mic

As big of a music snob as I am, I can't help but go back into my music collection and listen to some of the cds/tapes that I grew up on, namely '80s music. Having grew up in the '80s, I will always have a soft spot for '80s music. Bananarama is one of those '80s pop acts that I will always have a soft spot for. I just loved their music, namely "Cruel Summer", "Venus", and "I Heard a Rumor". While The Bangles and The Go Go's were more rock orientated, girl groups such as Expose and Bananarama were vocal groups. Yeah the music videos for "Venus" and "I Heard A Rumor" were pretty silly, if not stupid but the songs were so much fun to listen to. They are unbelievably catchy. The songs always sticks in my head but unlike Jennifer Lopez's music, I actually like Bananarama's music. My favorite Bananarama song definitely is "Cruel Summer", the ultimate summer song. Although Ace of Base did a fine job covering the Bananarama song, I definitely prefer the trio's version. I also adore "Love in the First Degree" and "Robert De Niro's Waiting". Although they didn't get any airplay here in the states (as far as I know), they were just as irresistably catchy as the group's more famous songs. The girls' harmonies were excellent. Gimme Bananarama over Wilson Phillips any day.

I used to love this group when I was a little girl and I used to listen to their songs on the radio and now I have finally found there songs I really do enjoy these songs because they take me down memory lane and I reminsce about all of the good times I had when I was a kid and basically I just like their music. I would recommend anyone who likes 1980's new wave music to buy this album this is a great compilation. My favorite songs on this album are: He was really saying something, Cruel Summer, I heard a rumor, and venus this is really a nice album and I would really reccommend anyone to buy this album!!!!!

I have never been ashamed to say I was and still am a huge Bananarama fan. Their music was fun, lightweight, and sometimes even silly, but I have always thought that was their goal the whole time. On this, the only CD a casual listener would ever really need, most of the hits are included (although I don't understand why they left off the irresistible club hit "More Than Physical") and it's a glorious trip back to the 1980s, as well as a peek into what the 1990s would bring us. In the 1980s, there were surprisingly few vocal groups that could get airplay. Aside from Expose, you'd be hard-pressed to come up with any other group that could rival Bananarama in this vein. They never set out to change the world through their music, but to invite everyone to the party and have a few drinks while you were there. I've always envisioned Bananarama hanging out in the studio with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of vodka on the console, pressuring their producers to hurry up so they could make their next social engagement. But, fittingly enough, that casual sound is what makes this set so utterly charming. Production on this album is handled by a long list of producers, and it shows. Many of their early singles ("It Ain't What You Do," "Shy Boy," "Aie A Mwana," "Cruel Summer") have a very Caribbean sound, courtesy of the Fun Boy Three, among others. Later singles went more in a dance/disco direction, and ended up being bigger hits. But the production is never the center of the attention, anyway, but more the fun atmosphere that seemed to surround every Bananarama recording (in the liner notes, they even admit that "Venus" was recorded in two takes and that they headed off to the pub after the session--that's the kind of band we all dreamed of being in as youngsters). It may surprise some to know that Bananarama did play a part in writing some of these songs, though they did so alongside the producers. But with their string of remakes, they really hit their stride, showing their own love of pop music and interpretive skills. "It Ain't What You Do" is a remake of an old 1920s song. "Na Na Hey Hey" is a remake of the well-known Steam hit (although, in keeping with the casual feel, they didn't bother to change the pronouns in the song, so it's still sung from a jealous man's point of view). The obvious standout track is the remake of Shocking Blue's "Venus," which trades the 1960s psychedelia in for a fresh and almost raunchy dance vibe. But don't discount the later Stock/Aitken/Waterman singles, either. Boy bands of today would do well to release something as catchy as "I Heard A Rumour" or the cruelly underappreciated "I Want You Back." Were they perfect? Of course not, and there are a few missteps (an ill-fated remake of the Diana Ross-less Supremes' later hit, "Nathan Jones," as well as an "I Heard A Rumour" rewrite called "Love In The First Degree"). Many of these songs will fade together if you aren't familiar with them already, but if you're looking for a great overview of an essential 1980s group, you can't really go wrong here. And as a bonus, if you've never heard "Robert De Niro's Waiting" (and it wasn't a hit in the US, so I doubt many have), you're in for a real treat--a rare tribute song that works.

This CD album is a great addition to my music library! Feels good to listen to old POP music.

Me and my best friend from elementary school back in the 80's, could listen to this music for hours!

This is a great compilation of Bananarama. The very catchy and highly danceable "Venus" was the groups first #1 hits in the United States and was also a remake of a 70's group called Shocking Blue. The group gives us another fun and upbeat song with "I Heard A Rumour". "Love In The First Degree" is another one of those songs that can get stuck in your head quite easily. My personal favorite "I Can't Help It" only got to #47 in the US. But hey it is still a good song, it is one of the songs that is impossible to sit through even if you are just tapping your foot. Even though "I Want You Back" was never released in the Us it is still a good song that is very spring like that is upbeat and could make anyone smile. "Nathan Jones" This isn't one of their best cover song this group has done but some may like it if you were a fan of it when it was done by The Supremes. "Love,Truth,and Honesty" is a well written song with a good message. "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" and "Shy Boy" are two of the quiet tracks on this on this collection of songs. Both have a lot of repition and are a little on the bland side. The groups tribute to Robert DeNiro called "Robert DeNiro's Waiting" wasn't really a big hit in the US but it still is a fun song about this American actor. The groups first American top 10 hit was with "Cruel Summer" which is an awesome summer song. (Just look at the title) "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" another cover by the group which sends out a message of girl power even before the Spice Girls came along. The last song on this compilation is a cover of a Beatles song "Help!". So if you want to have some Bananarama music and are having some problems finding some of the cds this is your best bet with all of their hits in one.

I LOVED this song! As a little girl, I would listen to pop music stations for HOURS just to hear Bananarama's version of "Venus". And since I loved "Venus" so much-I started listening to their other songs and became a Bananarama fan. Their sound was very different-it couldn't be easily placed in any one musical category-which is why I love this Greatest Hits CD! It is still fun, carefree music that can make you move!

If they had only been 10 years later they could have been the Spice Girls and think of all the money they could have made. Really. This is great girl-pop. C'mon you can't imagine the Spice Girls or Destiny's Child or any present day competitors doing anything as sly as "Robert DeNiro's Waiting"! And besides, its got "I Heard A Rumour." If they had only been Americans (or at least had American producers) they would have had the greater rhythmic sophistication that it would of gotten them the whole five stars. (Gotta give Destiny's Child that much.) Could have been a contender.