Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unadulterated Fun, January 13, 2002
Until the Spice Girls invaded the planet with their brand of Girl Power, Bananarama ruled the roost with their consistent brand of fun-don't-give-a-damn pop music, which only had one mission - Fun. This Greatest Hits collection explains the timelessness of the Fun Girl Three, dividing their worldwide successes into two part - the early years & the Stock Aiken & Waterman Years. Both parts yielded equal successes & one listen to this CD brings you back in time to when pop was accessible without being overtly marketed. From the summery tunes of NaNaNaNa (Kiss Him Goodbye) to the funky percussion of Cruel Summer, the Bananas brought a smile to the world. Messy hairdos & ripped jeans, the girls only relied on their music & attitude to sell records (hence saving all that money spent on designer clothes for going down the pub). The SAW years saw their star shining brighter than ever. Venus is perhaps the most brilliant pop song ever done - & almost 16 years later still has an oomph & longevity that few bands can legitimately achieve. Became a US No.1 also. I Heard A Rumour, Love In The First Degree & I Can't Help It ensured that the charts were sufficiently set alight. Personal fave is their cover version of Help! (with French & Saunders & Kathy Burke - comic & brilliant). One other irony is their cover of The Supremes' (who prior to the Bananas were the best selling female group ever) Nathan Jones. Proved the girls could sing & give a song their unique verve. Bananas, we salute you & all who have sailed in you.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It Ain't Bad, but it "Ain't No Cure", July 6, 2000
Unlike many "greatest hits" collections which are padded with non-hit album tracks, this collection of the Banana's chart hits is as meaty as bubblegum can be. Though the selection skimps on early hits ("Cheers Then," "Doctor Love," "Hotline To Heaven," "Rough Justice" and "Do Not Disturb" are all missing), it's also true that their biggest hits were with SAW/PWL.The "SAW Years" are adequately represented here, though I personally miss the Chic-inspired "More Than Physical." As a collection of biggest chart hits, there were bound to be plenty of "near misses," especially in the Banana's catalog. Unfortunately, since this collection pre-dates all of "Pop Life" and "Please Yourself," these two very worthy albums (and at least five terrific singles) are not included. Since most Bananafans already own the original album releases, "Greatest Hits" is hardly an "essential" addition to your collection. If you consider yourself obsessive about the 'Rama girls, spend the extra $ for the Import version of this collection; it includes three dynamic dancefloor remixes (for "Venus", "Love In The First Degree" and the Youth/Shep Pettibone produced "Preacher Man"), "It Ain't What You Do" (with Fun Boy 3), and "Rough Justice." It also includes a great bit of musical comedy in "Help," where Brit TV stars Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French (of Ab-Fab fame) pose as "Lananeenoonoo" in a recorded benefit for Comic Relief UK. Like a lot of Bananafans, my idea of a real "best of" would include a lot more material than appears here. I especially miss "Ain't No Cure" and "Movin' On." But as chart hits go, this IS their greatest hits, and any casual fan should be more than pleased with this career summation. I personally think that London should consider a three disc "Bananthology," and if they fail to get the rights to "Ultra Violet" I'll still be quite content. -Mic
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't help it, June 29, 2004
As big of a music snob as I am, I can't help but go back into my music collection and listen to some of the cds/tapes that I grew up on, namely '80s music. Having grew up in the '80s, I will always have a soft spot for '80s music. Bananarama is one of those '80s pop acts that I will always have a soft spot for. I just loved their music, namely "Cruel Summer", "Venus", and "I Heard a Rumor". While The Bangles and The Go Go's were more rock orientated, girl groups such as Expose and Bananarama were vocal groups. Yeah the music videos for "Venus" and "I Heard A Rumor" were pretty silly, if not stupid but the songs were so much fun to listen to. They are unbelievably catchy. The songs always sticks in my head but unlike Jennifer Lopez's music, I actually like Bananarama's music. My favorite Bananarama song definitely is "Cruel Summer", the ultimate summer song. Although Ace of Base did a fine job covering the Bananarama song, I definitely prefer the trio's version. I also adore "Love in the First Degree" and "Robert De Niro's Waiting". Although they didn't get any airplay here in the states (as far as I know), they were just as irresistably catchy as the group's more famous songs. The girls' harmonies were excellent. Gimme Bananarama over Wilson Phillips any day.
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