5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Showcase of an era, November 14, 2003
This review is from: Electric Dreams (Audio CD)
This is probably one of the best compilations of late 70s and 80s synth hits. It doesn't tell the whole story of synth pop though, as obscure artists like The Normal and Klaus Nomi are omitted. Besides this minor gripe, it does offer a brilliant overview of the synth sound of the late 1970s and of the 1980s with all the major artists and most of the classic hits represented.
Disc One contains The Human League's gloomy early track Being Boiled plus their later devastating pop hit Don't You Want Me, Tubeway Army's seminal 1978 hit Are Friends Electric, David Bowie's funky Fashion, Thomas Dolby's quirky Hyperactive, Soft Cell's decadent Say Hello Wave Goodbye and the pioneering Kraftwerk's hypnotic The Model. One serious omission is Eurythmics' unsurpassable Love Is A Stranger, a beautiful eerie song that represented the very best of synthpop for me.
On Disc Two, my favourites include the cinematic and gripping I Travel by Simple Minds, the anthemic Electricity by OMD (but where is Joan Of Arc?), Paul Hardcastle's ominous 19 from a much later era, the brooding Don't Go by Yazoo which is another stunning mix of melody and moody vocals and The Walk by The Cure, although they aren't really considered a synth band. Neither were Phil Lynott or Frankie Goes To Hollywood considered synth artists, but their respective contributions are welcome anyway.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Total Gem, February 1, 2004
This review is from: Electric Dreams (Audio CD)
Totally rad cd. If you like joy division, depeche mode, and early synth pop this cd compilation is a great intro to more obscure acts of the era.
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