Customer Reviews

Boom Crash Opera - The Best Things: Greatest Hits

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Boom Crash Opera probably aren't as famous as their songs but once you start playing The Best Things you'll remember you've been listening to these songs for a long time. There biggest hits are on the first parts of this CD and you'll certainly remember the big four from the 1989 album These Here are Crazy Times. Those classics Onion Skin, Get Out of the House, Dancing in the Storm and The Best Thing (used to be played on Wide World of Sports, Channel 9 Australia during the end credits where it is eventually cut short by the groan as that gymnast guy misjudges his run up and smashes into the pummel horse) you'll just keep playing again and again and again.

If you aren't from a country that is familiar with these guys and you like their sound also check out the great band Crowded House as well.

Despite the fact that they had a great ear for melody and a wild sense of the dramatic arrangement, BCO never really achieved the success they deserved. While lots of inferior pop/rock bands maintained consistent chart success, BCO had to be content with (quite a long) string of hit singles but only mildly successful albums in Australia. This collection has all their fab singles which really do demonstrate that they were masters at combining melody with the crash bang - or "boom crash". Most of it does sound distinctly 80s-ish but hasn't dated like lots of the English pop from the mid to late 80s. The consistency tails off a bit after Pete Farnan left the band, but nonetheless; enjoy.

After The Beatles, there is no band I rate higher than this one. It's a sin that Irving Azoff and Giant Records didn't promote the band in the U.S. They would have been big, without a doubt. The Go Go's asked BCO management to allow BCO to open for one of the Go Go's tours back in the early-90's. BCO management agreed, but the record company (and Irving Azoff) refused to spend the money needed to bring BCO to America. BCO also had to cancel a showcase at the Roxy in L.A. Again, a SIN. The band has everything: great writing (especially the Farnan/Pleasance pairing), great lead vocals and harmonies, and great instrumentalists. There is NO weak link in this band. Their songs are "pop" catchy, but are also hard-driving rock. Anyone who doesn't like BCO is a person who hasn't listened to BCO. Buy this album and any others you can find by this band. They have between 5 and 10.

Good addition to your cd collection as this is not avaialbe as MP3 album at the time I bought it.

I love this band and this cd combines their best from the last ten years. Their on stage energy does not translate to recordings unfortunately but this is still a terrific compilation.