Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't You Want Me?, May 21, 2005
The Human League have always been referred to as an 80's band, but the truth is that they've been recording since the late 1970s. With Heaven 17 and Depeche Mode, the Human League (fronted by Phil Oakey with backing vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley) were not only one of the leading pioneers in synth pop, they also released a small handful of classic singles, many of which were big hits around the world. "The Very Best of the Human League" has the obvious hits, including their twin peaks "Don't You Want Me" and the Jam & Lewis-produced "Human," but real standouts include lesser known singles such as "Tell Me When," "All I Ever Wanted," "The Lebanon," and "Empire State Human," which could easily be mistaken for a modern-day electro jam. The songs on this 2005 compilation have been remastered, giving the listener the chance to hear "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" like they've never heard before. Those who don't like electronic music will (incorrectly) dismiss the Human League's music as icy and synthetic, but nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike some of their peers, the Human League delivers fine pop music with heart and soul.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
There's more to Human League than "Human" and "Don't You Want Me", November 21, 2005
While I am not sure if I would say this album HAS to be be a definite part of your collection, even if you are an eighties child, I must say it showed me that there's more to The Human League than the classics they became most famous for: "Don't You Want Me" and "Human". There's a handful of other tracks in here (most of them already mentioned by other reviewers) worth checking out, but most of them don't size up to the level of "classic" that their most famous ones have reached. Overall, this compilation highlights the nice labor of a synth-based pop band that left their mark and will go down in musical history as one of the genre's pivotal acts.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Really Good Overview of Human League, April 11, 2005
Yes, I know, it contains updated versions of songs from there first two releases, Reproduction and Travelogue, but most American fans won't be familiar with those albums either way. They were a somewhat different sounding band on those first two albums and those songs don't really mesh well with this compilation, though they are good in their own right. The bottom line is that this is an outstanding collection of songs from their 80's catalog and beyond. I really don't recommend their albums from 86 onwards aside from individual songs and this album does a great job of compiling the songs I would personally recommend while still giving the listener the essential tracks from their earlier albums. If you have this album as a casual fan you would be all set. If your a fan of their earlier works but want certain later tracks then, again, you would be all set as well.
Its hard to point to specific stand out tracks because they are all outstanding in their own way. "Don't You Want Me", "Life On Your Own" and "The Lebanon" are personal favorites that most fans will be glad are present as well as a few suprises such as "Together In Electric Dreams" and "Louise" which I didn't expect to be included here. As far as the later tracks are concerned its really up to the listener as to whether they are truly their best. Of course, their smash 86 hit "Human" is included but many fans would argue whether the rest of the later cuts pass muster. Regardless of all that, the real treat is how impressive the sound quality on this compilation is. Adam Nunn did an outstanding job of mastering these tracks and I have never heard these tracks sound any better. In fact, the remastering of this album is why I gave it 5 stars instead of 4. A lot of compilations are well done with regards to song selection but usually fall short when it comes to remastering. Human League fans have been spared this fate.
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