Customer Reviews

Platinum Collection

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

 

 

Modern Romance - Platinum Collection

Modern Romance was a UK pop music band, with a distinctive trumpet driven sound, formed in 1981 by previous members of an earlier punk band, Leyton Buzzards. After the first album vocalist Geoffrey Deane was replaced by Michael J Mullins for a more R&B/pop oriented sound. They quickly recorded "Everybody Salsa", which gave them their first UK Top 20 hit and set them at the fore-front of the emerging Latin-American salsa craze which broke out that summer.

Here you have an 18- song REAL GREAT COMPILATION of most of their singles (I don't understand why they missed MOVE ON / 1984). Excellent sound... And now you can sing...

Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey, Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey...

Now when I hear those trumpets and congas start to play
My heart starts a dancing down that Argentina way
I see Carmen Miranda; she's shuffling on her feet
She's just another lover of that saucy salsa beat.

Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey, Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey...
Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey, to help me through the day.


Track list is:

1. - Everybody salsa / 1981 (3:22)
2. - Ay ay ay ay Moosey / 1981 (3:09)
3. - Bring on the funkateers / 1981 (4:12)
4. - Queen of the rapping scene (nothing ever goes the way you plan) 12'' / 1983 (5:49)
5. - We've got them running (the counting song) / 1981 (3:40)
6. - Cherry pink & apple blossom white 7'' / 1982 (3:19)
7. - By the way (I'm still in love with you) 12'' / 1982 (5:51)
8. - The best years of our lives 7'' / 1982 (2:36)
9. - High Life / 1983 (3:31)
10. - Don't stop that crazy rhythm / 1983 (3:43)
11. - Let's go / 1983 (3:49)
12. - After all this time / 1983 (3:57)
13. - She's so fine / 1983 (3:42)
14. - Walking in the rain 7'' / 1983 (3:39)
15. - Just my imagination / 1983 (3:50)
16. - Band of gold / 1983 (3:54)
17. - Good Friday / 1983 (3:51)
18. - Best years of our lives (Midnight Mix) / 1982 (8:00)

This is a stellar collection of Dollars Warner era. It would have been very nice to have been able to include "We Walked In Love" and the 7" mix of "It's Natures Way", HOWEVER, there are issues to be considered here:

a) space on the CD - only 2 of these songs had ever been on compact disc before so space was limited
b) licensing - Sanctuary hold "It's Natures Way" and Sony "We Walked In Love" - not Warner. Therefore with the best will in the world the expense of putting this album together would have increased with licensing, and there was insufficient budget for it. The absence of these two, very minor hit songs hardly warrants such a low review rating when this collection includes 5 top 40 hits and a clutch of other new-to-CD singles and album tracks.

I bought this CD for "Don't stop that crazy rhythm", but discoveres that they also have a version of "One fine Day" which I really like. I love the sound of this group.

I Am So Please To Finally See That This is On CD. I've Been Longing For Modern Romance To Be Put On CD, But Was Dissapointed To See That "Can You Move" Was Not Included. I Have The Singles For It. WHY!!!!!!

Thanks for your excellent review. The reason why I didn't include "Move On" in the track listing is because the song was released by RCA, and this collection could only cover their Warner material. A shame, as the whole "Burn It" album for RCA was a quality affair.

Nice to have all the DOLLAR pop hits on one low-price CD, including the sublime throwaway pop of MIRROR MORROR and HANDHELD IN BLACK & WHITE - aside from those two songs, there really isn't much to recommend, but the liner notes are insightful, and many tracks were produced by TREVOR HORN (ABC, BUGGLES, FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, GRACE JONES, et al.) - in fact, it's rumored that MARTIN FRY of a very early ABC hear Trevor-produced hits by Dollar and flipped so much he asked him to produce their debut, LEXICON OF LOVE - the rest is history. Essentially, a one-hit wonder stretched out to "best of" length with rare extended mixes/demos, this is for completists only.

All things being equal (which of course they NEVER are!) the glow of Dollar would reach far into the corners of the world normally conservative in a 'rock' sense, and hearten even the most disillusioned jaded pop punter. Jolt the senses of the dreariest music slob on the wettest of wet Wednesdays, and fulfill even the most outlandish dreams and desires, forgotten and tired in a guitar screech and drum thud.

David van Day (cheese and sweat) and Theresa Bazar (God in human form) are Dollar. Remarkable in every way, shape and form you can think of, and others you probably can't. The music is revolutionary and suitably HUGE, courtesy of production master Trevor Horn, and NEEDS to be. Otherwise, what's the point? Without a vast sound, Dollar couldn't/wouldn't exist. Bazar's breathlessly sexy vocals wouldn't chill you to the very marrow of your existence, the Wagnerian piano on `Hand Held in Black and White' wouldn't fill your days with mystery and passion, and the sheer joy of 'being seriously moved by music' would tragically have one less outlet into the world.

Theresa Bazar is interesting. 5 foot nothing and a total smasher. She looks edible on the cover of 'the Platinum Collection', all creamy skin and eye-drops. She's never had a zit or an in-growing hair in her life. When she rises from her bed of rose petals and baby owl-down, there's not a lock out of place, not a lipstick smudge or blusher blot to be seen in the glorious reflected sunshine that bathes her perfection as she delicately nibbles her muesli, and seductively sips her grapefruit juice.
You can almost taste her as she sighs her way through 'Pink and Blue'. Whispering the words in a fashion deliberately designed to induce fevered goose-pimples, and coerce trembling fingers to reach for the replay button.
In every way imaginable, Theresa Bazar is a corker.

Astonishingly, Dollar DON'T rely on her. They have massive post-modern songs and a mammoth music. (Imagine Frankie Goes to Hollywood without the rotund little rat singer, and good tunes, and you're halfway there) ZTT man Horn must claim huge credit here. The earlier Wagner reference is a valid one. You can imagine a 20th Century 'Ring' with crushing, swaying synths instead of a 40 piece orchestra, and divine Bazar instead of a 20 stone batty operatic, but that's wishful thinking.

Even a cringe-worthy Jackson/McCartney style exchange in a song called 'Dangerous Blondes' WORKS big time because a/ van Day and Bazar are genuine, likeable people and not selfish, insidious rotters, and b/you can almost hear them corpsing, alerting the captivated listener to the vital fact that they're having fun.
It's not against the law, music doesn't have to equal serious every time. Theresa could laugh at me all day and I wouldn't blink an eye. I'd probably finish up believing I deserved it.

Omitting, because of space restrictions, the fact that listening to Theresa Bazar is a tangible religious experience, (stop sniggering, why is she called 'Theresa' then?) you could convocationally put your faith in this cd. It can take you far away from council taxes and speeding fines (you don't have to pay them, honest.) and instill a kind of positive positivism in the recluse and the awkward.
Feeling small isn't something I'm normally au fait with, (I'm a muscular, manly 6ft 3 if you're reading TB...) but if I do, I just reach for Theresa - even though she's just paper and plastic in my fractured reality - and I know all will be well. A drug that doesn't make you hate yourself. Cake that doesn't make you fat. Belief that doesn't make you poor - convert to Dollar, now.

Near to where I live, some pikies have (completely illegally) converted a disused rubbish tip into a permanent site for trailers and vans. It's called Dollar Park, and even though it's got a $ symbol on the sign, I'm convinced it's a heart-felt tribute to Dave and Theresa, and not a Vegas-style vulgarity to wind up the passing irate motorists.
But then, I've seen the light.

Would give it half a star. Sadly this and many "GOLD" releases never consider the true fans. It's Natures Way? We Walked In Love? Perhaps this is for people that have a 3.5 minute attention span.