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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Addictive and sexy music, May 16, 2006
I've been a long time Bananarama fan and I'm impressed with this album. Here's my breakdown of each track.
01. Move In My Direction - Fun pop. A bit direvative but once you listen to it, it gets to you. The video is sexy.
02. Look On The Floor - Amazing track. Hypnotic and so sexy. I've been listening to the remixes since they were released last fall in the UK. The Solasso remix is my favorite. It's genius.
03. Waterfall - Love it. Though a lot of fans seem to have a problem with it, I thinks it's chill and oh so clever.
04. Frequency - A standard song. Nothing memorable. I rarely listen to it.
05. Feel For You - Fantastic song. So amazing on so many levels. The lyrics are great and the singing is some of the best from the girls. Should have been a monster single.
06. Don't Step On My Groove - A fun track. Not single worthy but better than Frequency. Sorta Kylie Minogue-ish.
07. Middle Of Nowhere - Another controversial track amongst Bananarama fans. Some prefer the demo. I like both versions and I'm glad it made it on the CD.
08. I Love The Way - The first time I listened to this track I went "Blah" but now it's one of my favorite songs on the album. Light, airy and totally danceable. Love it!
09. Lovebite - Fun track but the retro style sound of the song is a tad cheesy.
10. Rules Of Attraction - My favorite song on the CD. Totally tight and brilliant pop. I love the girls' singing here. I've listened to it a million times now.
11. Your Love Is Like A Drug - A clever song to end a great album. This song basically recaps every other new songs on DRAMA, which basically turns the whole album into a concept album.
The two next tracks are new remixes of old Bananarama songs.
12. Venus (Marc Almonds Hi NRG Showgirls Mix) - Not a necessary track but fun nonetheless.
13. Really Saying Something (Solasso Mix) - Much better than the above Venus remix. Solasso and Bananarama = match made in heaven.
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Possibly their most cohesive collection to date!, January 18, 2006
This review is from: Drama (Audio CD)
To say that I was a little underwhelmed by the duo's previous outing would be a colossal understatement. "Exotica" was a painfully forced effort that should have never been released. I was afraid that the girls just didn't have it in them any longer.
Flash forward a couple years and we get "Drama". Having always been a fan of the group, I felt I "needed" them to have another relevant release after all these years. After hearing the first single, "Move in My Direction", I got that excited feeling. It was the same feeling I had gotten upon hearing "Cruel Summer", "The Wild Life", "Venus" and "I Heard a Rumour" so many years ago. The follow-up single, "Look on the Floor", confirmed that they were on to something quite good. I had heard the buzz that this album was every bit as good as Madonna's current "Confessions on a Dancefloor".
There are quite a few good songs on this album. None of it reeks of "filler". There is a good retro-vibe on this disc that recalls the disco era as well as the 80s but it also has a very contemporary edge that glues it all together quite nicely.
I don't consider the Marc Almond remix of "Venus" (inferior to the original Stock/Aitken/Waterman preoduced gem) or the Solasso mix of "Really Saying Something" as part of the album. They're add-on bonuses that really don't matter.
If you like the recent Madonna, Geri Halliwell, Dannii Minogue's "Neon Nights" or any of Kylie Minogue's recent offerings, then this album would likely suit your tastes.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great return to form!, May 16, 2006
So... Bananarama's ability to be credible has always been under scrutiny - and understandibly so - even when they were under the watch of Stock/Aitken/Waterman (the time of "Venus" and "I Heard a Rumour" - both Top 5 here in the United States). But their success in Britain and other territories definitely says they were well-liked during the peak of their success. Even after their popularity waned, they were able to release some great material - most notably singles such as "Movin' On" and "Every Shade of Blue".
I'm here to say that "Drama" sufficiently places them in the league of the popular artists in 2006. Many of the tracks here are great productions. Many are worthy to be played on fickle and snobby US radio. Even more are worthy to be played on the dancefloor. Top 40 and Hot AC radio stations should pay attention to "Move In My Direction" and "Look On The Floor" (both single releases in the UK hitting #14 and #26, respectively - "Look on the Floor" went Top 5 in Spain) while Top 40/Pop stations should pay attention to songs like "Feel For You" and "Don't Step On My Groove". The album, as a whole, contains tracks that are great listening music and fun songs with a good groove.
My only dissatisfaction with the album is yet another version of "Venus" released. If they feel the need to issue an updated version of a past song, they should create a great version of past songs such as "More Than Physical" or "I Can't Help It".
Whether or not the girls took lead in the production process of the album as a whole, they took lead in writing this material. And this album represents a great revival for Bananarama.
If you are looking for some good listening music, it is definitely worth the money to buy it. If you are a Bananarama fan, you should already have it!
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