Customer Reviews

Very Best of

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This "Best Of" compilation is in celebration of 20 years of Bananarama. Can you believe that they have been around for 20 years? Although Keren and Sara now perform as a duo, this collection contains tracks with original member Siobhan Fahey and subsequent replacement Jacquie O'Sullivan.

Bananarama's original "Greatest Hits Collection", released in 1989, contained most of the hit singles from their (at that point) 4 London Records albums, "Deep Sea Skiving", "Bananarama", "True Confessions" and "Wow!". This updated collection covers a wide range of those tracks but now includes material from their last 2 London releases, "Pop Life" and "Please Yourself".

The stand out tracks for me are "I Can't Help It", "I Want You Back", "Only Your Love", "Preacher Man", "Movin' On" and "More, More, More". Not a noteable ommission but I would have like to have seen the 1989 remix of Cruel Summer and perhaps the new versions of "Venus", "Robert De Niro's Waiting" and "I Can't Help It" which can be found on Bananarama's latest studio album, "Exotica".

The girls still look fabulous and are apparently looking to make a comeback, although they have never actually split up. I for one am looking forward to it.

Bananarama is one of my favorite pop groups from the '80s. Their music was a ton of fun to listen to and it still is for me to this very day. I recently got hold of a copy of THE VERY BEST OF BANANARAMA. I never thought about it until recently that the group was a precursor to The Spice Girls but a lot more fun and a lot less stupid. THE VERY BEST OF BANANARAMA is a comprehensive look at the group's past and present hits, with and without Siobhan Fahey. Yeah a lot of the group's songs are corny like "Robert DeNiro's Waiting" and "Nathan Jones" but Bananarama's music has always been a lot of fun to listen for me. My personal favorite songs are when Siobhan was still in the group. I absolutely love "Cruel Summer", "Venus", and "I Heard a Rumor". I don't consider Bananarama a guilty pleasure. I am not ashamed that I was and still am a fan of the British pop group today.

The Very Best of Bananarama has some awesome music from the days when Bananarama hit the airwaves hard with their sizzling music! We all danced to these tunes and they're still fun to dance to today. Bananarama had a great sound that was their own and they remain one of the best "girl groups" of the 1980s although they continued to perform and make great new music even after the 1980s were over. The quality of the sound on this CD is nothing short of excellent; and I love that artwork, too.

"Venus," the opening track on this album, was a huge, huge hit for Bananarama. Bananarama use a great beat for this tune that's intense, catchy and designed to get you moving really fast on that dance floor! This is anything but muzak! "Venus" also uses great effects to enhance the number even more. "Love In The First Degree" is a fine tune that also had us dancing; it's not quite as strong as "Venus" but make no mistake about it--this is still outstanding music with lots of style and energy. Listen also for Bananarama to do an impressive cover of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye;" Steam would be proud! "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a highlight of this album; and I really like "Cruel Summer." "Cruel Summer" got a great deal of airplay and it sounds great even all these years later. I love it!

"I Want You Back" has an upbeat musical arrangement that belies the seriousness of the lyrics; however this all holds its own very well and "I Want You Back" is a great number from this group. "I Heard A Rumour" is one of the biggest hits Bananarama ever had; this tune got so much airplay but we never cared--it sounded fresh, new and exciting every time we heard it and danced to it! "I Heard A Rumour" is a song I could never tire of hearing when Bananarama performs it.

"More, More, More" again shows that Bananarama could really pull off a fine cover; and "I Can't Help It" is another tune that positively exudes fantastic amounts of energy. "It Ain't What You Do It's The Way That You Do It" features The Fun Boy Three going along with Bananarama to make an awesome dance tune; and that's pretty special. I also enjoy the 7 inch mix of "Last Thing on My Mind." "Last Thing on My Mind" has Bananarama squarely front and center and they harmonize to perfection for a terrific effect! Listen also for the 7 inch version of "Long Train Running;" this is another great cover song that Bananarama aces as effortlessly as if it were just breathing.

"Help" is a cover of this very famous Beatles tune; and the album ends really well with Bananarama performing a medley of "Venus;" "I Heard a Rumour" and "Love in the First Degree." Wow! What a red hot ending for this CD!

Bananarama fans will certainly want this for their collections; it's a keeper. This is also a pretty good retrospective of the great music Bananarama has put out throughout many years. I also recommend this CD for people who like dance and pop music from the 1980s as well

Like most girl groups, Bananarama were never really considered heavy-hitters in the music biz, despite consistent success in the mid-'80s. This double-disc collection though recalls just how good they were at making, light, feel-good dance-pop where they sounded like they were always having a good time.

For years I have owned the 1988 Greatest Hits release, but this one is ten times better. The bonus disc alone is worth the price.

Of course, some of their biggest hits still sound great today: "Venus", "I Heard a Rumour", "Shy Boy" all are here.

The Stock-Aitken-Waterman production really put Bananarama on the map and their sound runs rampant with tracks like "I Can't Help It", "Love , Truth and Honesty" and "I Want You Back".

There are some lesser-known gems on this collection such as the covers of Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" (which, like "Venus", doesn't top the original but is great in its own right); the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'" (which possesses a slight Spanish flavour reminiscent of Madonna's "Deeper and Deeper"); Andrea True's "More, More, More"; The Beatles' "Help"; and for those who may not have heard it, The post-Diana-Ross Supremes' hit "Nathan Jones" (this is the re-recorded version with Jacqui, not the original).

Other lesser-known songs include the tribal sounds of "T'Aint What You Do It's The Way That You Do It"; and the irressitible house track "Only Your Love".

The capper is a great Miami Remix of "I Heard a Rumour".

This CD would be the ultimate Bananarama collection on its own, but there is an awesome bonus disc of remixes.

The scorching "Hellfire" remix of "Venus" is the best of the extras and right up there with SAW's Murder Mix of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" or Divine's 12" versions of "I'm So Beautiful" and "You Think You're a Man" as the best dance tracks S/A/W ever produced.

The second best thing on the bonus disc would be "Cruel Summer '88" and is clearly the version Ace of Base were listening to when they remade the song ten years later.

"Tripping on Your Love" does not appear on the first disc, and it's trance mix included here is greatly appreciated.

The 12" version of "I Can't Help It" is also noteworthy and much better than the single edit; another S/A/W triumph.

While I normally prefer to have greatest hits packages contain the songs in chronological order, the fact this isn't the case here is actually a benefit. To have all the S/A/W tracks in succession would be a little repetitive, so having them spread out works well.

The liner notes are great; there are thumbnails of all their LP covers as well as lyrics for every track here. This is THE definitive Bananarama collection and well worth the money!

What can I say? This is an awesome compilation! Cruel Summer is by far one of my favorite songs and it sounds rich and fabulous here! I can't stop playing it! Venus, Love in the First Degree, I Want You Back, I Heard a Rumor, More-More-More, Only Your Love, and I Can't Help It are all exciting and fun tracks that you will play over and over. There are 22 tracks here! So great value as well for the money and the quality is amazing! Track 22, Tempus Fugit Mix Medley is also a showstopper! Go for it!

mmm.....I have their "Greatest Hits" and that's a truly magnificent piece of work.I was just wondering that how can somebody review a CD album when that title hasn't arrived at all in the country itself! He has to be kidding!!! In India so sorry that this title still isn't available......Based on 'The Greatest Hits" a review cannot be made to this title too.....What can I say to such buyers PLEASE AVOID THIS GROUP IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THEM AND DO NOT BLUFF UP NONSENSE!!!!OK??.....I would be sensible enough to avoid Bananarama if I did not like the songs from Greatest hits itself!! So why go for another compilation!!......Weirdos !As I said,Indian groups themselves are DAMN lousy and Bananarama have an advantage of teaching them what "girl-power " is ALL ABOUT.I would be geting this title shortly anyway and let me hear it....and get back here."Long Train Running" Is a real Diamond-hard dancey,bubbly,yummy take-on of the Doobie Brothers cover version.....I love Bananarama so much! Just wait till I get this one and speak up for them again!!.....They are awesome!! Jeasus! I have heard nothing like their songs!I would strongly recommend it......