Compilation Album Review: "100% Hits Volume 4"

Got a new compilation CD today in the post, $3.50 on eBay. Bargain! Let's get into it:

Compilation: 100% Hits, Volume 4
Released: 1992 – Warner Music Australia
Number of tracks: 18
Number one singles: 3 – "To Be With You" by Mr. Big, "Under The Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Marvellous!" by The 12th Man
Other top ten singles: 7
Best track: "One" by U2
Hidden gem: "Dream Alone" by Killing Time

For me, this is the point where it became obvious the 100% Hits series was here to stay. While previous comps Let's Do It had had two volumes and Hits Of '89 had spawned three, 100% Hits, in reaching a fourth volume, had now established itself as a lengthy series. Personally I liked the quirky names they used to come up with for compilations prior to 1991, and the inclusion of the year in the title — each with its own cover art conceit. From here on out, there would be no more of that.

Not that that had any bearing on the quality of the music therein. Boasting ten singles that made the Australian top 10, including three number 1s, there was a lot of good stuff on here. Although it starts out with the execrable Teen Queens hit, the likes of Vic Reeves, Voice Of The Beehive and Oceanic's ace rave anthem "Insanity" show that pop was on a high in 1992. Speaking of anthems, The Clouds' "Anthem", my favourite song of theirs, is also here towards the back. And speaking of high, The Cure's "High" is here too — a song that debuted at number 5 and plummeted out of the chart.

U2's "One" — my favourite song of theirs, too — is also kinda pushed back towards the end, while the extremely naff 4th Melissa single "Skin To Skin" is right up the front. As is "Dream Alone" by Killing Time, a hard rock band that somehow disappeared very quickly. I just looked it up and apparently this song reached number 23, which was news to me as I followed the charts very closely in 1992 and had no recollection of this song at all.

Concrete Blonde is also here. I reckon they've got a lot to answer for, for depressing us to buggery with that awful song "Joey" back in 1990. The comp finishes with The 12th Man and his MCG-related antics (anyone know why compilations tend to put novelty singles as the final track?). I'll always be perplexed as to why there was never a video made for this song, despite the fact that in the very lyrics, he says "You can see me on the TV". No we can't, mate. If you ever release a follow-up to this, make a bloody video! Learn from Weird Al: if you've got a comedy single, the video is probably more funny than the song on its own.


Rating: 7/10

Compilation Album Review: "Can't Beat The Music Volume 2"

Compilation: Can't Beat The Music Vol. 2
Released: 1992 – Festival
Number of tracks: 18
Number one singles: None
Top ten singles: 5
Best track: "Ordinary Angels" by Frente
Hidden gem: "Hey Boys" by Paul Kelly/Mark Seymour

Here's a somewhat lesser known compilation – although it was the second of three volumes – from 1992 that I believe was released between Volumes 4 and 5 of the 100% Hits series. Ahh, the memories of Year 9!

It's got mostly Australian content: "Djapana [Gapirri mix]" by Yothu Yindi, "That Word (L.O.V.E.)" by Rockmelons feat. Deni Hines, "Ain't Gonna Get" by Baby Animals, "Kickin' To The Undersound" by Sound Unlimited Posse and "Ordinary Angels" by Frente — all solid tracks — and also songs by Rick Price, Jimmy Barnes (with Tina Turner), Paul Kelly & Mark Seymour, Indecent Obsession, Kylie Minogue and Nathan Cavaleri (with Chris Bailey).

Apart from 2 Unlimited's "Get Ready For This" (although I wish they'd included the version with vocals), another solid techno track is L.A. Style's "James Brown Is Dead", also notable for being released in two different versions. The one here is the rap version, although the 'rock radio version' with sung verses ain't bad either. There's also "America: What Time Is Love" by The KLF, one of their 1991 singles that didn't get much attention in Australia. Which is too bad as it's almost as good as "Last Train To Trancentral", in my opinion.

There's some other stuff on here that didn't chart, or else it charted very briefly and escaped my attention (and I was still an avid chart follower in 1992). There's a Brazilian singer named Deborah Blando, who delivers a sappy ballad that actually is okay, even though ballads aren't my thing.

I'd also never heard Warrant, of all people, doing a cover of Queen's "We Will Rock You" that I guess was released as a single! Queen are one of those bands where you have to consider very carefully covering one of their songs, but I guess they do an okay job. I think it was for a Freddie Mercury tribute so it wasn't completely tossed off.

Rating: 6/10

Compilation Album Review: "Wiggle 'N' Sweat '91"

 

Compilation: Wiggle 'N' Sweat '91
Released: 1991 – BMG/Arista
Number of tracks: 18
Number one singles: 2 – "I've Been Thinking About You" by Londonbeat, "Sucker DJ" by Dimples D
Other top ten singles: 3
Best track: "Sucker DJ" by Dimples D
Hidden gem: "Whatcha Do To My Body" by Lee Aaron (boy, is this cheesy)

Here we have a splendidly-named collection from 1991, and didn't you love how, in the pre-100% Hits and Hit Machine days, the compilers would make up the names based on one of the song titles? I miss that.

Looking at the tracklisting, there are six songs on here that also appear on Video Smash Hits Dance Mix, which came out around the same time, and actually seven if you count "Mary Had A Little Boy" by Snap! which appears as part of the "Snap! Megamix" on the Video Smash Hits album, which you ought to, of course...

Then there's the fact that out of those six songs, all of them except one (Londonbeat) also appear on Smash Hits '91. I have no explanation for this – a bit of record company wheelin' n' dealin', perhaps? I have no idea why "Games", New Kids On The Block's lame attempt to sound like actual rough n' tough rappers, needs to be included on three compilation albums released in the same year, but I wasn't calling the shots so what do I know?

That aside, there's still a couple of good'uns amongst the doubled-up tracks. "Where Are You Baby?" by Betty Boo is still a fine tune and well worth the price of admission, and Daryl Braithwaite's "Rise" still sounds good too. Dazza and Warrant also appear on Smash Hits '91, but with different singles.

And, well, that's about it. Good clean fun. And for those curious, Lee Aaron hasn't aged a day.

Rating: 6/10

Compilation Album Review: "100% Hits Volume 14"

Compilation: 100% Hits Volume 14
Released: 1994 – Warner Music Australia
Number of tracks:18
Number one singles: 1 – "I Swear" by All-4-One
Other top ten singles: 3
Best track: "Lucas With The Lid Off" by Lucas
Hidden gem: "Born Dead" by Body Count

Kicking off with almost-number-one "100% Pure Love" by Crystal Waters, 100% Hits Volume 14 begins rather aptly with a song with "100%" in the title. The strongest songs on here are the aforementioned Lucas track (whatever happened to that guy?); "Rockin' For Myself" by Motiv 8 which inspired several dance tracks to copy its signature bassline; Tinman's "Eighteen Strings" which has a very Nirvana-sounding guitar riff; and "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" by R.E.M. which I appreciate much more 25 years later than I did then.

Another song I didn't pay much attention to in '94 was "Regulate" by Warren G and Nate Dogg, but listening to it now, I can see what a landmark track it was in its genre. The inclusion of "I Love The Nightlife" by Alicia Bridges ain't bad either – it's good cheesy fun.

Ending with the Body Count track (the radio edit), it's a very unusual conclusion to this comp, but maybe the compilers wanted you to think about the struggles of minorities a bit before you take the CD out of the player.

Rating: 5/10

Compilation Album Review: "Hits Ride On"

Compilation: Hits Ride On
Released: 1989 – Concept
Number of tracks: 17
Number one singles: 2 — "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals, "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids On The Block
Other top ten singles: 5
Best track: "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals
Hidden gem: "Nobody's Perfect" by Mike & The Mechanics

Happy birthday to me! And here's my present, arrived in the mail today. Hits Ride On is the first compilation in my collection from the 1980s (though no copyright year is given on it), issued by Concept Records – again, a rarity, as I don't think they released many of these. I like how the artwork shows a record player even though this is clearly a CD release. Just as well. Making variations of it would be pretty naff.

Guess what? In my twenties, I was pretty much averse to pop music from 1989. The little of it I'd heard was pretty forgettable, for the most part. It wasn't until much later I realized there was some ace stuff put out that year. Such as "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals, a song I heard back in 1989 and loved it, and still do now. One of the best songs of the '80s!

Another track on here is "Chained To The Wheel" by The Black Sorrows. This song always reminds me of doing aerobics on the lower playground in primary school. In 1990, when I was in Year 7, the Year 4 teacher Mr. Jennings would get the whole school to do exercises for just under ten minutes. He'd always choose the same two songs to exercise to, and this was one of them. (The other one was "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul, and I always expect that song to follow.)

I like Kate Ceberano's number 2 hit "Bedroom Eyes" now, but didn't think much of it at the time. Ditto "Baby I Don't Care" by Transvision Vamp, but it's a total "Wild Thing" rip-off, ain't it? On this CD they've faded it out at least a minute before the end (probably something done for space limitations on Side 1 of the vinyl release I'd guess). "Wait" by Gyan is also pretty solid, even if the lyrics read like a romance novel.

How on earth did New Kids On The Block get to number 1? Their music was bloody awful – they weren't much cop as singers, the lyrics were puerile, and the music was the same overproduced drum-machine crap. I guess the girls in my Year 6 class really did dictate the charts back then.

Speaking of those who aren't much cop as singers, Collette is on here with "Ring My Bell"! How she got a record deal, much less got to number 5 with this dreck is beyond me. The music video is worth watching just for the 'aesthetics' alone. My friend Jonathan's younger sister had Collette's album – on vinyl no less! We still give her shit about it today. Just kidding. I haven't seen her since 1992 or so.

Right at the end there's some stuff I'd never heard – "Touch The Fire" by Icehouse is one. Haha, those high notes are...really something. It also has a sax solo. Noice. Also, it doesn't have a fade ending. That's going against the '80s trend there. I'd no idea who Will To Power or Thirty Eight Special were, but I remember their names from an issue of Smash Hits. Will To Power do "Baby I Love Your Way", soon to be a reggae hit for Big Mountain in a few years.

Ride on, dude!

Rating: 7/10

Stationery: Brushes And Paints

More stationery, as promised! This time: a bunch of brushes from my personal collection. I'm no painter by any means (although I have done a few canvases), but a good variety of brushes are must-haves. The two stubby ones at the bottom left in this photo are stencil brushes, which I used to paint on cloth using fabric paint. The others are (from top) a sable fine brush from India, a fat Pentel from Japan, and the next two down I bought in Japan to try and write Japanese characters with. Finally, there are three water brushes – the two Pentel ones are indispensable for sketching in public. Very robust. The one at the bottom is a Korean one with a syringe-like 'plunger' system that is a bit unwieldy, but not bad.

 In this next photo are two paint sets I got in high school. These fairly battered yet robust tins are still my preferred way of carrying around a basic set of colours when needed.

And here is the interior of said tins, in case ya don't know what paints look like. The one at the bottom has been slightly modified over the years. And yes, 'THIS BITES' was written back in high school.

More stationery next time – rulers and stencils, to be precise.