Customer Reviews

Evolution (Spec)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was a long time coming, having been hit (like the re-release of You Spin Me Round) by various delays and problems. Now it's here at last! A great compilation strewn with the various hits and lesser-known tracks of Dead or Alive's long career. Tracks were chosen by Pete Burns himself, though (sadly) they are not presented in chronological order (which was why I used the word strewn!). Pete gives us a write-up of his career and there are also loads of pictures of Pete and his inflated lips in various wigs and outfits (not sure what audience these photos are aimed at). Unfortunately, the collection is a bit spoiled by various track listing errors and omissions. It's not the Murder Mix of You Spin Me Round (with the intro that has an effect of glass smashing), it's the Performance Mix (which has the "watch out here I come" vocal intro). This is a dreadful mistake considering this is the definitive DoA song...Turn Around and Count 2 Ten is not, as stated on the inner notes, the 2003 remix, it is the album version. There are also omissions, where mixes are not stated: Lover Come Back to Me is the original 12" version, I'd Do Anything is the 12" version and Unhappy Birthday is apparently the Ninja Billy Mix (also released elswhere as the Japanese 12" Mix) - so in those respects you get more for your money. You might feel that some of the tracks don't sit well together, as they are presented in a pretty random assortment of style, genre and era - chronological order would have been better. And there is the usual bogus claim of digital remastering - well, yes, some of the earlier recordings would have been transferred from analogue to digital but there have been no detectable EQ enhancements and the earlier stuff has not been modified to meet modern expectations of sound quality. Conclusion: very good compilation, but "isn't it a pity" about the mistakes!

This album is not only for those who long for a ride "Back to the Future." It is for people who understand a good pop song when they here one. Dead or Alive are responsible for some of the best Pop songs ever recorded, not only during the eighties, but today. This album clearly demonstrates their ability, not only then, but now. Evolution is more of a re-introduction of Dead or Alive to the pop arena, than a re-capitulation of the past. Their songs were ahead of their time. You Spin Me Round (which may be one of the best pop/dance songs ever written and performed) is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many gems on this album, that people are unaware of, that it may as well be a first album. Dead or Alive has been producing music for more than two decades. Under the direction of Pete Burns and Steve Coy, this band has written some of the best pop songs in the last twenty years. Success has eluded them in America, more than likely because of Pete Burns' androgynous, and threating image. Shame. The songs on this album, not only cover Dead or Alive's glory days (though they never waned), but includes songs seldom heard (At least in America). Dead or Alive are one of the best selling artists in Japan (EVER). This album is for every fan of Great Pop Music. It contains some of the best "Dance Music" ever recorded, and songs for a future generation. It's a MUST HAVE!

Absolutely worth every penny. This has been a long time coming. Packed with hits and DOA faves. And linear notes and photos that you'll appreciate. The interesting thing here is this...obviously Peter Burns picked the songs for this collection, but if you get the regular version of this cd (not the special edition)you only get tracks 1-14.- which leaves out some of the best tracks like "Nukleopatra","in too deep", and what i think are two of DOA's strongest songs: "Come home With Me Baby",and "I Paralyze". "CHWMB", which was never included in any of the remix albums of the past five years-why i dont know- is featured in its single/radio mix, which differs from the "Nude" version. and actually available on cd for the first time here. which for me was worth buying this compilation just for that. Also, for people that didn' get any of DOA's albums in the past ten years, which were only available as imports,this compilation offeres a good amount of highlights from those cd's. Songs like "your sweetness is your weakness" and "Rebel Rebel" are on cd2.Well, i could go on for hours about this cd. It's that good. Dead or Alive have always been underrated in America. and that's too bad because Pete Burns has one of the best voices out there. If only the record companies would STOP re-releasing and remixing "You Spin Me Round" already, and put out a new song in America so that they can get the recognition they deserve instead of being known for that freakin song. And did we really need three versions of it here?

Having been a fan of ealier DOA material (Youthquake, Mad Bad & Dangerous to Know) I was more than excited to see this 2CD release.
Evolution represents the strongest and best produced dance music ever recorded. The vocal delivery of Pete Burns alongside the pulsing rhythms and exquisite production make for an unprecedented listening experience. In spite of the minor glitch with the Spin Me Round "Murder Mix" - actually being the "Performance Mix," this material truly delivers.

High energy beasts such as "Sex Drive," "Turn Around and Count 2 Ten" and the US Wipe Out Mix of "My Heart Goes Bang" leave you breatless. However, the best two trax on this release are "Unhappy Birthday" and "I Paralyze." These two alone are worth the price of the entire set. The 2003 version of Spin Me Round took some getting used to, but it is outstanding. Evolution is more than simply a "Best of" compilation; it is a testament of Dead or Alive' mastery of stellar dance music that is a cut above the rest. No one commands the dance floor and deserves more recognition than DOA for releasing some of the best dance music of our time. The import only DVD is equally stunning.

Pete Burns would have been bigger than Madonna if he`d have let his success consume him and the music industry dictate his fate, but he, even today still pioneers the freak - individual element that is so much missing from todays stars.
Grated, not eveyone is into this "camp extreme" but whether you like him or hate him you cannot dispute that he is the ultimate curio and has got bags of stamina to be still here making albums after 20 years.
This album is a collection of the hits and album tracks from the UK and Japan, and unless your a fan you wont even realise how good it is, full of misprinted titles and raw hi energy which makes a change i suppose, to the manufactured, exact specs and sounds of our current stars. Even now in 2003 the tracks still sound great. This is a tribute, "but not a tombstone" {quote}, to the great songs this guy has wrote and covered and will add more weight to that little piece of pop history he has claimed.
It also has some of the most outrages photos ever to grace an album, and these pics are more or less real, not just some made up piece of art just for the CD, he really can look like that with a bit of make up and apparently does on a daily basis.
Hi Nrg fans, fans of the unconventional, fans of the 80s. DOA collectors...etc etc. this one is too good to miss, think about it...in 20 years time when the music industry in long gone in the form that we know it now this piece of pop art will be priceless.
I do not write this because i am the biggest DOA fan in the world, but I am a fan of pop music, art, expression and history, which is why i recommed this album it pictures and what it stands for .

Again the record companies confuse us with multiple versions of similarly titled albums! If you are a Dead or Alive fan, make sure you are buying the 2-CD version of this album. The single CD version is also very good, but of course, the 2-CD version gives you a lot more of DOA's very best, including some lesser known remixes. I have been waiting for a comprehensive collection of DOA material for years. They have done an excellent job of compiling some brilliant work together in one set. I'm somewhat disappointed with the liner booklet. Too many photos of Pete's new freaky look, and not enough stuff like lyrics or band history.

This was long overdue! It is a tragedy that DOA are so often dismissed as 80's has-beens when in fact they never stopped developing and incorporating new, innovative technology into their music. Now they are back with EVOLUTION, a compilation of hits and personal favourites spanning 2 decades that proves once and for all that DOA have far more talent and substance than they are usually credited with.

EVOLUTION offers all the obvious hits (You Spin Me Round, That's The Way I Like It, My Heart Goes Bang, Lover Come Back To Me, In Too Deep, Hooked On Love and the divine Something In My House - some in their original format and some re-recorded and/or re-mixed) and they sound as fresh and exciting as they did the first time round. But it is the songs taken from the albums Nukleopatra (1995) and Fragile (2000) that really prove that DOA are as relevant today as they ever were. They are shockingly good - fast, energetic, tongue-in-cheek, totally contemporary yet unmistakeably DOA.

Among these songs, I Paralyze and Nukleopatra stand out as the strongest and edgiest ones. The hard, pounding techno music (reminiscent of Leftfield) perfectly complements Pete Burns' powerful voice and the result is the most exciting dance music since Open Up. Sex Drive, International Thing, Hit & Run Lover, Rebel Rebel and Your Sweetness Is Your Weakness are classic DOA-style electro pop hymns while Isn't It A Pity is dripping with irony and has Pete Burns' electronically distorted voice lamenting over voice samples and minimalist, Kraftwerk-like sound arrangements that he is "not the prettiest girl in the world".

To cut a long story short, this 2 CD compilation is worth every penny and a must not only for DOA fans but for everybody who enjoys good dance/pop music. Best of all, as the name suggests EVOLUTION is not a tombstone (or it would be called HISTORY) and we can look forward to brand new and no doubt equally exciting material in the future.

Pete and Steve, thank you for years of fun and inspiration. Welcome back!

Without question DOA still kicks... ! After 23 years of its release , "You spin me around" still sounds better than most of the pop trash that is around today. Great compilation..would be even better if the material ended up in the hands of more interesting remixers (say ritchie hawtin doing "sex drive" or thomas heckmann)
Would be perfect if they included a 3rd - dvd -disc of their videos.
By the way am I the only one in the world still waiting for the DVD version of "rip it up" to be released ?

For big collectors of Dead or Alive, this disc is a must. It has some real hard to get stuff on CD, but it's not without surprise mixes, and problem mixes. From what I can determine these are some of the issues:


CD1
1) you spin me round (performance mix) (7:27) (good alternative to the US 12" mix)
2) My Heart Goes Bang (US wipe out 12") (6:00) (Unfortunately, it fades 15 seconds earlier than the actual 12"!!!!)
3) sex drive (6:36) (this is a different and longer mix than the Nukleopatra CD version)
4) what I want (5:50) (this is the 12" version-EDITED! 12" runs 6:14)
5) brand new lover (4:47)
6) misty circles (4:39) (Longer than the LP version, but not the 12")
7) love come back to me (4:57) (this might be the UK 12". It's not the US 12")
8) I'll save you all my kisses (3:36)
9) I don't wanna be your boyfriend (4:42)
10) hooked on love (5:15) (not the LP version, but an extended version)
11) I'm a star (4:35) (edit of LP version)
12) something in my house (the FRAGILE CD version, which is a modern remix)
13) isn't it a pity (the FRAGILE CD mix)
14) you spin me round (metro mix 7")

CD2
1) I'd Do Anything (5:23) (this is the full 12" version!!!)
2) come home with me baby (3:57)
3) that's the way I like it (3:06) (shorter mix than the original LP version)
4) international thing (3:44) (shorter than original LP version)
5) in too deep (3:50) (a different mix than the LP version)
6) unhappy birthday (7:31) (remix from the Nukleopatra CD)
7) I Paralyze (5:57) (FRAGILE CD version)
8) baby don't say goodbye (6:15) (slightly longer than the NUDE CD version)
9) turn around and count to ten (6:54) (slight remix of NUDE CD version)
10) your sweetness is your weakness (5:49) (LP version)
11) nukleopatra (4:18) (slightly different mix than LP version)
12) rebel rebel (4:03) (shorter than LP version)
13) hit & run lover (4:41) (FRAGILE CD version)
14) you spin me round (6:20) (mark moore & mr motion extended remix)

I buy anything they do and am always happy if something new comes out. Of course you can't disagree that this Greatest Hits is great, because it includes all their greatest hits :) And also some of the rather hard to get Japanese stuff. Nevertheless, I would also like to get NEW stuff or maybe even new remixes. This is a good album for all the people who have to catch up, but please do something new too :)