Cruel Summer

Ace Of Base | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 14, 1998)
• Original Release Date: July 14, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000008UUI
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (129 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,531 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #37 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Swedish Pop
  • #76 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > General
  • #77 in Music > Pop > Dance Pop > Euro Dance

Track Listings

1. Cruel Summer

2. Donnie

3. Whenever You're Near Me

4. Everytime It Rains

5. Adventures in Paradise

6. Don't Go Away

7. Cecilia

8. He Decides

9. Always Have, Always Will

10. Tokyo Girl

11. Travel to Romantis

12. Cruel Summer [Blazin' Rhythm Remix]

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"All That She Wants," the song that catapulted the photogenic Swedish quartet to the Top 10 in the early '90s, was impossible to escape--it kept popping up on radio and prime-time TV shows, and even in novels. Despite the inevitable Abba comparisons--and the fact that the music was crafted in that sugary pop fashion that seldom lasts past the first single--Jenny, Linn, Jonas, and Ulf refused to disappear. They followed up their debut album, The Sign, with The Bridge, the songs on which--"Beautiful Life," "Lucky Love"--headed more and more toward lollipop dance, and it is there that they pick up with their third release, Cruel Summer. It is hard to label this collection of syncopation and radio-friendly melodies as anything more than fun, but that's just fine with Ace of Base. As they've pointed out in the past, "A good song is a good song." These songs--as exemplified by the light, upbeat groove of the title track--are just as apt to convince their fans likewise. --Rebecca Wallwork

Entertainment Weekly

There isn't a note out of concordant place.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IT WAS A CRUEL SUMMER FOR THE ACE OF BASE GANG!, November 13, 2003

By 

S. Quinto (Guatemala, Guatemala) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cruel Summer (Audio CD)

Yes! sadly their third and best record got the attention of the size of a peanut. Even though the leading single "Cruel Summer" climb all the way to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, it didn't help to catapult the album to Gold status. And it's such a shame, because "Cruel Summer" is a clever album of Pop, the 11 tracks here are not even near to forgeattable, they're well constructed with innovative beats and incredible meaningful having fun lyrics. The highlights of this album could come in many flavors, for example "Everytime It Rains" it's a very emotional ballad, that features the girls best vocals ever. "Don't Go Away" another hit ballad that should have gone high on the AC charts. The uptempo songs are presceded by the lead single "Cruel Summer" and "Whenever You're Near Me", so this third combo could satisfied your appetitte for great done POP.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Variations..., December 28, 1999

By 

B. Douglas (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cruel Summer (Audio CD)

If you're not into a little change, and follow on, then you're not a true AOB fan. Romantis, is an absolute dancing jewel. This song is really fashioned from a dream land paradise.. and can get you going. Cruel Summer's hot popularity in the mid nineties overshadowed some of the best music mixes on the CD... Want something fast and real? Tokoyo Girl, stands on its own as a pure dance theme mix that rivals the talents of the finest song writers in the music industry. While Adventures in Paradise and Every time it Rains are still played daily on pop music stations everywhere, Whenever You're Near Me, and Cecilia lay in the background, just waiting for a kind ear. These last two of the best "relax city" beats that I've heard in years... and the nice thing is, is that you can actually dance to them.. or just lay back and listen and enjoy.

It's really a great CD. I'm really looking forward to more new songs from AOB.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Album, November 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cruel Summer (Audio CD)

It's unfortunate that Arista changed the name of this album from Every Time it Rains to Cruel Summer. Although Ace of Base has only done a couple covers, people still accuse them of being unoriginal. I'm also tired of the implication that anything "European" is bad. It's sad that people rarely give world music a chance if it doesn't conform with American conventions. The results is talented groups such as Ace of Base having to release several versions of the same album in order to appease egocentric sensibilities. Although not my favorite album, Cruel Summer shows amazing diversity. I also have the euro version, Flowers, which includes several songs not found on the US ablum as well as different versions of songs that are found on the US album. It's a shame that Americans will only get such a small taste of Ace of Base's talent. Everytime it Rains is a wonderful yet simple balled, and Don't Go Away is equally distinctive. He Decides is an interesting experiment but the reggae version found on the European album would probably have greater appeal in the US. Cruel Summer, for the most part, sounds nothing like previous albums but it's still recognizably Ace of Base.