Drama

Bananarama | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The Lab
• ASIN: B000F8DSYW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,281 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bananarama makes an enjoyable return to form with this hypnotic blend of dance floor-friendly hi-NRG and cool electronica. With their ninth studio album (their fourth as a duo with original members Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin), the 'Nana's come back to doing what they do best: moving the body while releasing the mind. The album opens with two international dance floor hits: the Kylie-esque "Move In My Direction" and the brilliant "Look on The Floor." The tracks continue to flow seamlessly from one energetic punch to another from there. Halfway through , the breezy charmer "Middle of Nowhere" surprises before switching back into break-out-the-glow-sticks mode with "I Love The Way." Dallin and Woodward have continued as a duo meeting with mixed success, but Drama marks a very welcome return as the girls seem to have all of the essentials in place: glossy production, breathless harmonies, and infectious hooks, all served with a splash of cheeky fabulousness. --Matt Wold

Product Description

There were no TV shows, no dolls, no scooters and no lollipops. Bananarama didn t need those deals to pay the rent, because Bananarama made music for a living. They still do, and it sounds fresh, contemporary and irresistibly danceable. New tracks like Move In My Direction and Don t Step On My Groove represent Bananarama s best work in over fifteen years, but they still fit in perfectly with the rest of the band s oeuvre, and there s plenty more where those new songs came from. Now ready for Drama to hit North America Sara and Keren feel at their most invigorated for over a decade. Writing songs now is giving me the same buzz I got when I was a teenager, Keren beams. We re having fun making music all over again. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive and sexy music, May 16, 2006

By 

Bryce David (Cyberspace) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drama (Audio CD)

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.

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

By 

Dale E. Hopkins, II (Lakewood, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great return to form!, May 16, 2006

By 

Cb - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drama (Audio CD)

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!