Essentials [Original recording remastered]

Bronski Beat, Jimmy Somerville | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 4, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000630Z2
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,077 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Smalltown Boy

2. Why?

3. It Ain't Necessarily So

4. Run from Love

5. I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me

6. You Are My World

7. Don't Leave Me This Way

8. Never Can Say Goodbye

9. Comment Te Dire Adieu - Jimmy Somerville

10. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Jimmy Somerville

11. To Love Somebody - Jimmy Somerville

12. So Cold the Night

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bronski Beat, Communards and Jimmy, June 25, 2002

By 

Henri LO (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essentials (Audio CD)

This compilation should actually be named as the above title as the album consists of 4 hits from Communards. All are gems. With the superb digitally remastered sound, this CD deserves 6 stars.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, But Could Have Been Better, December 17, 2004

By 

FXO (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essentials (Audio CD)

Not a bad collection but it could have been better. It is actually better than 3 stars, more like 3 1/2. The track selection is good but not great, a decent sampling of Jimmy's various career stages. However, why include "Run From Love", but not "Disenchanted" or "Tomorrow"? Was pleased to see "You Are My World" and "So Cold The Night" are here, and good move having "Don't Leave Me This Way" lead into "Never Can Say Goodbye".

Production/remastering qualities are quite good. No real complaints there but one....a little too much bass in "Never Can Say Goodbye".

All of these are not necessarily the same versions as on their respective albums. Any differences are usually rather slight,(e.g. "Why" and "So Cold The Night"), with one big exception...

My biggest complaint about this collection is the version of "I Feel Love" included here. It is most disappointing to me. Not at all like the track on "Age Of Consent", and it certainly does not show either Jimmy or Marc Almond to their best advantage, in my opinion. I much prefer the "Age Of Consent" version. Perhaps this is a matter of personal preference and there are some who prefer the version included here. Since it is so different from the original, why not include both versions?

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jimmy Somerville, fantastic singer, July 30, 2004

By 

krista (Ucluelet, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essentials (Audio CD)

I love the five Bronski Beat tracks, 1984, and can see how house music could have evolved out of this great dance music. It reminds me at times of Pet Shop Boys and Erasure. "Ain't Necessarily So", a slower, George and Ira Gershwin song, which taps along classily and smoothly. "Run from Love" has female backing vocals and a certain classic techno noise beat running through it. I remember "I Feel Love" from The Odyssey, a gay nightclub in Vancouver in 1993/94; a very gay techno-housey piece to me. It's a duet with Marc Almond of Soft Cell.

Three of the four Communards songs are like unto corny, candy sweet brit-pop. Hello 80's Kylie Minogue and countless yukky, blow away on the breeze meaningless pop fabrications that I know not the names of. The last track "So Cold the Night" however, from '86, has a pseudo-Egyptian style and a minor key which makes the song catchy, moody, interesting and pleasant listening. Like that one.

The french song, from 1990, is definately housey, euro-dance, Pet Shop Boysey. I might even have heard it in a German disco back in '89, if it was a single. Good song.

"To Love Somebody" is a cover of an old Bee-Gees song you might know from your parents' radio station. It's a "leave it" one for me. He does show his varied taste with this one.

I would like to hear more of Jimmy Somerville singing Tudor and Elizabethan song. Loved his singing for the film Orlando which begins in Elizabethan England. Too bad none of that was included on this CD. "I am Coming" would have fit in and been a great addition. It's a modern style song, the theme from the film. He has a truly beautiful voice, so clear and pure. The sound quality on the disk is also superb.