Total Pop! The First 40 Hits (2 CD Set) [IMPORT]

Erasure

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 24, 2009)
• Original Release Date: February 23, 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B001O7JHJ8
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,799 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Who Needs Love (Like That)

2. Heavenly Action

3. Oh l'Amour

4. Sometimes

5. It Doesn't Have to Be

6. Victim of Love

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Always

2. Run to the Sun

3. I Love Saturday

4. Stay with Me

5. Fingers and Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)

6. Rock Me Gently

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Spiralling [The Circus Tour 1987]

2. Hardest Part [The Innocents Tour 1988]

3. Drama! [The Wild! Tour 1989][Live]

4. Knocking on Your Door [The Wild! Tour 1989]

5. Push Me Shove Me [Milton Keynes Bowl 1990]

6. Voulez Vous [The Phantasmagorical Entertainment Tour 1992]

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Review

Disc: 1
1. Who Needs Love (Like That) (2009 Digital Remaster)
2. Heavenly Action (2009 Digital Remaster)
3. Oh L'Amour (2009 Digital Remaster)
4. Sometimes (2009 Digital Remaster)
5. It Doesn't Have To Be (2009 Digital Remaster)
6. Victim Of Love (2009 Digital Remaster)
7. The Circus (2009 Digital Remaster)
8. Ship Of Fools (2009 Digital Remaster)
9. Chains Of Love (2009 Digital Remaster)
10. A Little Respect (2009 Digital Remaster)
11. Stop! (2009 Digital Remaster)
12. Drama! (2009 Digital Remaster)
13. You Surround Me (2009 Digital Remaster)
14. Blue Savannah (2009 Digital Remaster)
15. Star (2009 Digital Remaster)
16. Chorus (2009 Digital Remaster)
17. Love To Hate You (2009 Digital Remaster)
18. Am I Right? (2009 Digital Remaster)
19. Breath Of Life (2009 Digital Remaster)
20. Take A Chance On Me (2009 Digital Remaster)
21. Who Needs Love (Like That) (Hamburg Mix) (2009 Digital Remaster)
Disc: 2
1. Always (2009 Digital Remaster)
2. Run To The Sun (2009 Digital Remaster)
3. I Love Saturday (2009 Digital Remaster)
4. Stay With Me (2009 Digital Remaster)
5. Fingers And Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) (2009 Digital Remaster)
6. Rock Me Gently (2009 Digital Remaster)
7. In My Arms (2009 Digital Remaster)
8. Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me (2009 Digital Remaster)
9. Rain (Al Stone Mix) (2009 Digital Remaster)
10. Freedom (2009 Digital Remaster)
11. Moon And The Sky (JC's Heaven Scent Radio Re-Work) (2009 Digital Remaster)
12. Solsbury Hill (2009 Digital Remaster)
13. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (2009 Digital Remaster)
14. Breathe (2009 Digital Remaster)
15. Don't Say You Love Me (2009 Digital Remaster)
16. Here I Go Impossible Again (2009 Digital Remaster)
17. I Could Fall In Love With You (2009 Digital Remaster)
18. Sunday Girl (2009 Digital Remaster)
19. Storm In A Teacup (2009 Digital Remaster)
20. Always (2009 Jeremy Wheatley Mix) --Tracks

Product Description

Brilliant 2009 two CD collection from the Synth Pop/Electronica duo (vocalist Andy Bell and instrumentalist Vince Clarke). This double disc set serves as both a sequel to their 1992 collection Pop and as an expanded edition of that fine and frothy collection. Total Pop! features two CDs filled with glorious musical moments from the danceable duo: Disc One is the digitally remastered edition of the original Pop release containing their first 20 hits. Disc Two is filled with an additional 20 Erasure hits that have been released since '92. Contains a total of 41 tracks including 'A Little Respect', 'Always '09', 'Solsbury Hill', 'Who Needs Love Like That?', 'Oh L'amour' and many others. Synth Pop doesn't get much better than this! Mute.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 41 Sonically Superior Erasure Hits -- 1985 to 2009!, March 14, 2009

By	Jason W. Bellenger (Byron Center, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Erasure. Total Pop! - The First 40 Hits.
© 2009 Mute Records Limited. Printed in the E.U. LC05834. CDMUTEL16. 5 099924 294720.
Released 23 February 2009 (U.K.)

Total Pop! is also available as Deluxe Box (3 CD/1 DVD).

First of all, I must admit that I'm not really a big Erasure fan. I would call myself a casual fan who has enjoyed a number of the duo's singles over the years, starting really with 1994's "Always", which has become my favorite Erasure song. Nonetheless, I must admit that I was extremely excited when I first viewed the press release for this 2009 double-disc hits compilation. Does it get any better than this?

Glancing over the tracklisting it is really an amazing overview of this synth-pop duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, an act which I think has been overlooked many times despite continuously churning out numerous high quality singles year after year, album after album. I don't think that many people realize just how many hits that these guys have had since hitting the music scene in 1985. Add them up! Yep, 40! (... and counting!) Astonishing! Not many bands or artists have that kind of track record!

A whopping 33 of these hits made the U.K. Top 40 while 28 of them made the U.K. Top 20. Quite an impressive feat! Take a look at the hits. While most of these singles did not chart in the U.S. they were successful overseas. If you are a U.S. music lover and unfamiliar with their hits outside the U.S. charts now is your chance to catch up!

As I listen to this 2-CD collection starting with 1985's "Who Needs Love (Like That)" on disc 1 and ending with "Always [Jeremy Wheatley 2009 Mix]" on disc 2 I'm reminded of the numerous gems that I may have overlooked initially -- for example, hits such as "Blue Savannah" (1990) and "In My Arms" (1997). The latter track I vaguely recall hearing for a brief time on the radio the summer of '97 and had completely forgotten how amazing it sounds! Even recent singles such as "Here I Go Impossible Again" (2005) and "I Could Fall In Love With You" (2007) are as good as the early cuts, in my opinion.

The 2009 mix of "Always", which has been used to promote this release, is not radically different from the original 1994 album version. Perhaps that's why I like it? Coming roughly 15 years after the original release "Always" still sounds as amazing as the first time that I heard it.

One may note the big push to emphasize the digitally remastered sound with this collection. Notice the "2009 digital remaster" tag on nearly every track in the above listing. A little overboard, eh? I'm glad that the audio is getting recognition when it often does not! All tracks have been newly remastered for this 2-CD set by Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering, Devon. And what a difference it makes! Many of these tracks have never sounded better, with the exception of the excellent mastering on Hits: The Very Best of Erasure from 2003.

The liner notes are rather thin but informative, nonetheless. Erasure's hits are broken down across a few pages in terms of writers, production, mixes, EP/single information, release dates, and U.K. peak chart positions. Many casual fans may find this information very useful if discovering the duo for the first time. Additionally, the packaging is very nicely done, in my opinion, with the two lovebirds on the back of the album sleeve topping it off. Beautiful!

Note that while the collection is titled as having the first 40 hits of Erasure it is actually 41 tracks (with the new mix of "Always") in chronological order. Disc One fills in at roughly 78 minutes, and Disc Two covers roughly 77 minutes. No space is wasted, cramming this package full of excellent, timeless pop music. Here's to the next 40!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who knew????????, May 11, 2009

By	C. Crabtree "Crabby Crabtree" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Considering what a terrific band they are, I've never understood why Erasure is not more popular in the US. I was also perplexed about the title "40 Hits" for this compilation, since I thought I knew all their biggies and it certainly didn't add up to 40. So I was very happy to discover that just because Americans didn't fully appreciate Andy and Vince's output, clearly the rest of the world did and this CD is an outstanding validation of how fabulous their music is. I'm playing it constantly - at home, in the car, at work. The music is highly infectious and you simply cannot maintain a bad/sad attitude with their bouncy, totally feel-good, party-ready sing alongs.