Customer Reviews

Information Society - Greatest Hits: Strange Haircuts/Cardboard Guitars/Computer Samples

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a GREAT collection of Information Society's greatest hits- the remix of "A Knife And A Fork" is basically the regular version of the song with an extended remix tacked on to the end. (I have always wondered if the voice that says "A knife and a fork, a bottle and a cork, that's the way to spell New York! was Jay North from "Dennis The Menace". That's who it sounds like to me!) All of the singles are here, with a few extras. Personally I would have included "Now That I Have You" and "Mirrorshades" from their best (in my opinion) album "Hack" and the hard to find track "Hit Me" (from the "Earth Girls Are Easy" soundtrack.) The b-side "Strength" (from the "Going, Going, Gone" cd single) IS included, and that's a great inclusion. The packaging leaves A LOT to be desired. It's packaged in a cardboard sleeve (like a cd single). No booklet, no lyrics, hardly any photos (just the tops of of their heads.) Information Society deserved a little better, design-wise, than what they ended up with for a retrospective of their career, but I guess I cannot complain TOO much because I'm THRILLED this exists. I met James from Information Society back in the late 80's after they jokingly announced their hotel AND their room number at a Club MTV concert. My friends and I marched right up to their room- I think InSoc were a little shocked that anyone took their hotel information seriously! (We got to ride on an elevator with one of Milli Vanilli's "background" lipsynchers... they were on the Club MTV tour too.) James was very gracious and met with us. (Kurt and Paul stayed in the room... the smell of a stinky cigar permeated the hallway outside their room!) I miss this incarnation of them and still listen to those cd's regularly!

An Information Society "best of" collection. What a great idea. The problem is, as this product shows, not all great ideas are exectuted well. Instead of being a set of everything one might want by the band, this collection leaves out enough vital tracks to make its existance pointless. What about standout album tracks like "Now That I Have You" from Hack, and "Where Would I Be Without IBM" from Peace And Love Inc? I'm certain that there was more room on the CD, and in any case, some of the remixes could certainly be left out. Currently, one can quite easily purchase all three original albums and the Going Going Gone Single (for "Strength") used, all for the same price as this collection. So, what's the point, unless you really like remixes?

I have followed Information Society since the beginning, and it is great to have this collection. A few songs don't seem to fit and others were missed that should be here, but all in all this is a great collection for the die-hard fans and also those that don't have any of their material. I love the first three albums, and this album contains material from those. "Don't Be Afraid" and the subsequent remix album led them on a very sharp tangent, and I don't really care for these, so I am glad these were left out.

The remixes of Running, Lay All Your Love On Me, and What's On Your Mind are great.

You won't be disappointed with this one. Newcomers to Information Society will likely want to acquire the past albums if they like this one.

I am not very impressed with the packaging - it is cardboard and rather cheap, and doesn't contain any booklet with lyrics or band history. This would have polished off a fine CD.

The original INSOC was away ahead of anyone in thier use of Geek "3leet" computer culture imagery. While a lot of people (then into hair bands) thought they were a silly gimmick band, they were doing things 10 years ago many techno/dance DJ's like Fatboy Slim and Moby (and so many others) are doing now. Real Pioneers!

That said, this hits CD leaves a lot to be desired. Most of it is culled from thier first and most successuful CD with a few remixed tacked on for the collectors. To really get the best of INSOC I suggest buy their first 3 CD's on Tommy Boy first. Another gripe is it's selling as much as a new CD and needs to be discount priced! I would love to see an all-remix CD of thier Tommy Boy era. I guess I will have to make one myself from all the vinyl, cassette singles and EP's I have collected...

Although I don't know much about this band and their music, I know few of their songs from listening to the radio. This album is exactly what I wanted. I highly recommend it to anyone who's a hardcore 80s and early 90s fan. Like many 80s and early 90s bands (too many to mention), their music was way beyond that period. Not only can I listen to this music at home, I can also listen to it in the car during a LONG AND BORING drive. This album definitely is a great way to wake you up and spin you onto the dance floor or just tapping your fingers with its rhythms.

It's long overdue, and while its far from perfect, it provides the casual listener with almost every single Information Society released. For that reason alone, this is a necessary purchase for anyone ever remotely interested in dance, techno, or any subgenre of both.

Ranging from the classics "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy" and "Think" to the slower, funkalicious "Running", this CD features a rather ordinary sample of Kurt's revolutionary work. However, instead of "Repetition" and "Strength", I probably would have put on some of their better album cuts, such as "Still Here" and "Now That I Have You" from Peace and Love, Inc.

Regardless, this CD has all the songs you can probably still hear echoing from the late 80s acid house clubs, and for the purpose of the casual listener, thats probably all they really need.

Back in the picture with this collection. Information Society Greatest hits is a must for fans.

Da..Da..Da.Da..PURE ENERGY!! Leonard Nimoy is great in this song! I didn't know Spock was into 80's Rock Bands hahaha.

I have been waiting for this InSoc's greatest hits collection! This is truly the best sellections from their career as a "dance pop band". Especially, do not miss these two: "Lay All Your Love On Me (Metal Mix)" and "CryBaby" which is the only song not available as single, but no doubt the highlight of this album! this song is a "Hakubi" in Japanese word. :-)

Also, two new remix songs are amazing. Actually, I heard that DJ Junior Vasquez plays his remixed "What's On Your Mind" at his DJ event in Tokyo. I would like to listen more remixed tracks of InSoc great works for today's dance floors.

Anyway, Hope this CD will be sold well and InSoc will come back for their "Greatest Hits tour 2001"! (Never say never again...)

I've enjoyed Information Society's music for more ten years, mainly because of songs like What's on your mind and Peace and love inc. But I had a lot of catching up to do with their other work, and this is the reason I bought this greatest hits album. To me, they were nothing less than pioneers for the dance music genre, as their use of keyboards and samples was unique and masterful, and it's a shame they weren't more successful. Their earlier sound can seem dated and weird now, but InSoc remains enjoyable, with beats that'll make you want to get up and dance, and a voice so smooth and beautiful it'll hypnotize you. I am absolutely not a fan of Kurt Harland's solo work (sorry but I'm not into freaky, gothic stuff), but this eccentric singer is at his best on InSoc's biggest hits, which are What's on your mind (probably the only song in the world I can't ever get enough of, thanx to all those remixes) Peace and love inc. and Think. A great buy...if you don't already own their other albums.