Customer Reviews

Sedated in the Eighties, No. 2

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

 

 

I am an 80's music junkie who has collected many anthologies and compilations from this decade. SEDADED 2 has risen to the top of the pile as one of my most listened to CDs. In fact, it rarely leaves its spot on my player. The songs do not become tiresome or tedious; and they tend to be tracks that are not usually played on the 80's flashback radio shows or stations. In fact, the CD features a lot of hard to find tracks that are not included in most 80's compilations, such as "Pale Shelter" by Tears for Fears (instead of the more typical "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World) and "Los Angeles" by X. This compilation has a nice edge to it. The songs have something to say, they are well written, extremely well sung and all will move you in some way. Starting with Billy Idol's driving beat and rebel attidude of "White Wedding", to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sing/shout-along chorus of "Fight like a Brave", followed by the sensual "Lips like Sugar" of Echo and the Bunnymen with a nice segue into the Psych. Furs raspy "Heartbreak Beat", etc. Not many CD's can pull off playing the painful end of a relationship "Kiss Off" (Violent Femmes) AND English Beat's "I Confess" of new love. The CD also includes Patti Smith, the Ramones, David Bowie, the Kinks, Wall of Voodo, English Beat and Stone Roses. (Wow!) Really, this is the coolest compilation of rebel-sexy-moody anguish-with-a-beat you'll ever find!

Calling the Patti Smith Group's "Because the Night" the best single of the 80s is a little like saying "We Built This City" is the best single of the 90s or "Yesterday" is the best signle of the 70s. It came out in '75. Still, it IS awesome, and there are a few other selections here that are neccessary 80s tunes. Romeo Void, Furs, Bunnymen. And props for including the Suburbs "Love is the Law": A true New Wave classic. If you approach the 80s from a college radio (and not an MTV) type place, the Sedated series might just be for you. They're all out of print too, so get 'em while they're cheap!

This is a solid collection, these are the original songs (not re-recordings) and it's a "4 Star" when I rate most CDs at 3 or below.
Caveats: like anything featuring various artists, it jumps around from style-to-style so if you like to play music that strictly matches your mood, this CD may be a bit irksome. Better to listen to while driving.
Songs by X and the Ramones are crappy, and I'm a fan of both groups so I fault the compiler of this CD (never liked the Red Hot Chili Peppers much so I knew before buying I'd hit "FF" here).
I tend to dislike most collections (why not buy the original records?) so why buy this one? Well, I own LPs containing many of these songs and while some had other good songs, most had lots of filler and/or are expensive to buy today on CD. So the bottom line is the bottom line (price) and for the price, used, on Amazon this is a very good purchase.

Patti Smith's Because the Night (written for her by Bruce Springsteen) is simply the best single of the 80's, hands down. So you know that an 80's compilation that includes it is going to be great. And this one is great. You also get the best of Exene and X -- Los Angeles -- as well as Wall of Voodoo's mindblowing cover of Johnny Cash's cover of the Carter Family's Ring of Fire. Wow. The Kinks making a comeback in the 80's with Superman (wouldn't it be cool if Laurie Anderson's O Superman was on this volume instead of on Vol. 3 ... but then that volume is also fabulous so go ahead and get it too) The English Beat doing I Confess ... Chili Peppers' proto-whiteboy-hiphop Fight Like a Brave ... Ramones, David Bowie, what more do you want? This is a CD to listen to again and again. I've been collecting the Rhino New Wave Hits series, which is good, but after stumbling across the Sedated series I have to say it's superior. Smart people put these compilations together.