Customer Reviews

Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 48 (UK Series)

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Now 48 contains some of the biggest hits of the year so far and is stronger than it's US counterpart Now 6 in that it contains a wider range of music and of course it contains more than double the songs even if it is a little more expensive. Including three of the four biggest selling singles of the year on one CD is quite an achievement but it is managed here with Atomic Kitten's Whole Again, It Wasn't Me by Shaggy and the phenomenally huge Popstars band Hear' Say with their debut single Pure & Simple. Also on here is Never Had A Dream Come True by S Club 7 which is climbing the Billboard Hot 100 as we speak. The CD also contains more pop songs, dance tunes and a good selection of rock tunes from the Stereophonics, Feeder, Papa Roach and others. Even Bob The Builder's massive Can We Fix It is here and this shows the diversity of music that makes the Now series as popular as it is.

I've reviewed nearly all the recent NOW albums [...], and this one, sadly does not hold up for American record buyers. Here's the tracks you'll certainly know if you watch MTV or VH1:

Shaggy - It Wasn't Me

Joe - Stutter

Nelly Furtado - I'm Like A Bird

Britney Spears - Stronger

Backstreet Boys - Shape Of My Heart

U2 - Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get out of

LeAnn Rimes - I Need You

S Club 7 - Never Had A Dream Come True

Papa Roach - Last Resort

After that, don't expect much. There are tracks by other artists you may be familiar with: [...] Eva Cassidy does a gorgeous version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Samantha Mumba, Ronan Keating, Kylie Minogue, Sonique and Robbie Williams are all represented by songs that haven't and likely won't become US hits. Two Spice Girls (Baby & Scary) have unremarkable solo tracks.

There are some strange cover songs which made the UK charts: The Cranberrries' Dreams is changed to Dream To Me by Dario G and made danceable. Donna Summer's On The Radio is faithfully remade by East Ender Martina McCutcheon. Most bizzare is a dance version of the theme music from Oscar-winner American Beauty, called American Dream by Jakatta.

If you've got young children, they'll drive you nuts asking to hear the theme from the Bob The Builder series, called 'Can We Fix It?'. In the inexplicable world of UK singles, that last single was by far the biggest seller of the year 2000!

Many of the remaining tracks (41 in total over 2 CD's) are formulaic dance tracks. There are also a few great rock tracks: Stereophonics - Mr. Writer, Coldplay (the "Yellow" band) - Don't Panic, Texas - Inner Smile, and my pick for a future US hit: Feeder - Buck Rogers.

[....]

Atomic Kitten:Whole Again:Soulless,manufactured girl group slur out meaningless track.** Hear'Say : Pure & Simple:What started out as a funny satire of how manufactured pop is made,turned deadly dull with the release of this irritating dud.** S Club 7:Never Had A Dream Come True:The ever likeable S Club 7 release a seasonly themed track that is easy to listen to.*** Nelly Furtado:I'm Like A Bird:Enlifting,vibrant debut of Columbian singer Furtado.*** Shaggy Feat. Ricardo ''RikRok'' Ducent:It Wasn't Me:Daft lyrics,but catchy rhyme.*** Gorillaz:Clint Eastwood:Damon Alburn's new band should have no future obstacles to overcome on the basis of this rocking debut.**** Modjo:Chillin':Not as good as the previous Lady,Hear Me Tonight,but still an enthralling dance floor anthem.*** Chocolate Puma:I Wanna Be U:House track with a very loud base.*** Fragma Feat. Maria Ruba:Everytime You Need Me:Disappointingly tepid,flat new single from Fragma.** Samantha Mumba:I Always Come Back To Your Love:Girl teeny pop plummets to new lows.** Britney Spears:Stronger:The publicity drenched 'Miss.Spears' in this jolty dud that seems lifted from some track released in 1987.* Steps:It's The Way You Make Me Feel:On your bike,you bunch of pansies.* Emma Bunton:What Took You So Long?:The ever talentless Spice Girls disband,this being 'baby' poo.* Ronan Keating:It's The Way You Make Me Feel:Surprisingly good Ronan Keating track,a moody,emotive work.*** Backstreet Boys:Shape Of My Heart:Yet another soppy,sentiment drenched waste of time off those 'wasters'The Backstreet Boys.* LeAnn Rimes:I Need You:Little Miss Showbusiness gives us a song that is misguided and uneven,but still packs a punch where it needs to.** Damage:Still Be Lovin' You:Fair Damage effort.** Kaci:Paradise:A teenybopper with talent,and a remarkable acheivement for a girl of 13.*** Martine McCutcheon:On The Radio:Haunting,deep reworking of the original Donna Summer hit.**** Kylie Minogue:Please Stay:Minogue makes her comeback ever more welcome with this diverting little number.**** Bob The Builder:Can We Fix It?:Incredibly corny,but inevitably fun song adaptation,with Neil Morrisey on vocals.***

Eva Cassidy:Somewhere Over The Rainbow:Beautifully sung by the tragically dead Cassidy.Take note,you manufactured women.*** U2:Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of:My personal favourite on the whole album,easily Ireland's finest export's best piece of work since The Sweetest Thing in 1998.****

Stereophonics:Mr. Writer:Entrancing rock ballod from the imaginatively named Stereophonics.**** Coldplay:Don't Panic:Well intentioned but dour song sung by a lead singer who sounds like he's about to commit suicide.** Texas:Inner Smile:Excellent Texas track.**** Robbie Williams:Let Love Be Your Energy:Another headlines hogger with a poor singing ability.* Feeder:Buck Rogers:Listenable.*** Papa Roach:Last Resort:These rock morons think they're being rocking,in actuality,they're just plain irritating.* Planet Funk:Chase The Sun:Truly shows how far we've come.*** Safri-Duo:Played Alive (The Bongo Song):Really makes you want to get up,and grab a bongo yourself,especially if you play it really loud.**** Dario G:Dream To Me:The Sunchyme composer hits another high point with this track.*** Jakatta:American Dream:Clever dancefloor adaptation of the American Beauty soundtrack.**** Sonique:I Put A Spell On You:Alright if you're in the mood,rather terrible if you're not.** Melanie B:Feels So Good:I wish this woman would get lost.* Mya:Case Of The Ex:It's America,folks,and this is how the songs are made.** Chante Moore:Straight Up:How's this then:this sucks.** Joe:Stutter:Genuine,heartfelt and ingratiating little song.Hope to hear from you again Joe.**** Architechs Feat. Nana:Show Me The Money:The most funky,swinging nightclub hit of late.**** DJ Luck & MC Neat:Piano Loco:A guilty listening pleasure,there's something about this really rather awful track that leaves you feeling in a great mood.*** Fun Lovin' Criminals:Loco:Soulful,sensuous and kinda sexy new track from TFLC.****

Now 48 is excellent for people that don't want to buy a lot of CD's, it is a record store in one CD, But... This CD has songs very old or completely new (almost unknowed for the release date). Old Now 48: Backstreet Boys - Shape Of My Heart (they must put "The Call") Britney Spears - Stronger (they must put "Don't Let Me Be...") U2 - Stuck In A Moment (they must put "Walk On") Papa Roach - Last Resort (they must put "Between Angels & Insects") Melanie B. - Feels So Good (Very Old!) New Now 48: Nelly Furtado - I'm Like A Bird (for the release date this song was unknowed) Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long? (for the release date the single didn't exist!) Robbie Williams - Let Love Be Your Energy (an excellent selection!) Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood (very new! did you know it when the album released?)

Well, the songs are great, at all!