Various Artists - Living In Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (1993)

The second of five volumes from EMI Records Group and the last of the five to be featured here on the blog. Only 5 of the 19 tracks are new to my CD shelves, but if there was ever a compilation that was custom made for me, wouldn't it would be one that featured Heaven 17 and Haircut 100 back-to-back?

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with both US and UK chart peaks and links to previous appearances on this blog:

Song	Artist	Year	US	UK	Prev.
Mickey	Toni Basil	1982	1	2	1, 2, 3, 4
Get It On (Bang A Gong)	The Power Station	1985	9	22	1
Lay Your Hands On Me (UK single version)	Thompson Twins	1984	6	13	1, 2, 3
Let Me Go	Heaven 17	1982	74	41	1, 2, 3, 4
Love Plus One (Full version)	Haircut 100	1982	37	3	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Heart And Soul	T'Pau	1987	4	4
Just Got Lucky	Jo Boxers	1983	36	7	1
It Ain't What You Do...	The Fun Boy Three with Bananarama	1982	-	4	1
The Jam Was Moving	Debbie Harry	1981	82	-
Love Missile F1-11	Sigue Sigue Sputnik	1986	-	3	1
88 Lines About 44 Women	The Nails	1985	-	-	1
Only The Lonely	The Motels	1982	9	-	1, 2, 3
Living In A Box	Living In A Box	1987	17	5
Walking On Sunshine	Katrina And The Waves	1985	9	8	1
Running Up That Hill	Kate Bush	1985	30	3	1
Church Of The Poison Mind	Culture Club	1983	10	2	1
Destination Unknown	Missing Persons	1982	42	-	1
Never Ending Story	Limahl	1984	17	4
Mickey (Spanish version)	Toni Basil	1982	-	-

Here's my thoughts on those 5 first-timers:

• Heart And Soul: Once you get past the silly Star Trek-inspired name, there's a catchy bass line and memorable chorus here. I prefer the singing chorus to the spoken verse, but I dig the countermelody that floats underneath the pseudo-rapping.
• The Jam Was Moving: I expect more from Bernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers writing and production, but this one just never goes anywhere plus the synth drums and robotic background vocals ain't helpin'.
• Living In A Box: Typical over-produced, over-synthed dance music of the time. I liked it more back in '87 than I do now.
• Never Ending Story: For the most part, I like Giorgio Moroder's music. For the most part, I like Limahl's album with Kajagoogoo, White Feathers. For the most part, this one doesn't do much for me.
• Mickey (Spanish version): I didn't even know this thing existed until January 2018. So cheesy that it brings a grin to my face; I hate that I like it.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Regardless of what the calendar says, Haircut 100 takes me directly to summer.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Volume 1 (1993)
Volume 3 (1994)
Volume 4 (1994)
Volume 5 (1995)

Various Artists - Living In Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Volume 3 (1994)

The third of five volumes from EMI Records Group. I didn't buy any discs in this series upon release but now they're appearing in used CD stores as people shamelessly discard entire CD collections. Some of my favorite 80's tunes are here, including Perfect Way and It's My Life, plus great tunes like Poison Arrow, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, and Life In A Northern Town. Also, 7 of the 19 tracks are new to my CD shelves, so it's a perfect mix of familiar and unfamiliar, which is all I can ask of these sorts of compilations.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with both US and UK chart peaks and links to previous appearances on this blog:

Song	Artist	Year	US	UK	Prev.
(Keep Feeling) Fascination	Human League	1983	8	2	1, 2, 3, 4
Perfect Way	Scritti Politti	1985	11	48	1, 2, 3, 4
Cruel Summer	Bananarama	1983	9	8	1
Life In A Northern Town	Dream Academy	1985	7	15	1, 2
Election Day	Arcadia	1985	6	7	1
Shattered Dreams	Johnny Hates Jazz	1987	2	5	1
Sunglasses At Night	Corey Hart	1984	7	-	1, 2
The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades	Timbuk 3	1986	19	21	1, 2
Make A Circuit With Me	The Polecats	1983	-	76
Rock This Town	Stray Cats	1981	9	9	1, 2, 3, 4
Sidewalk Talk	Jellybean	1984	18	47
It's My Life	Talk Talk	1984	31	46	1, 2
(I Just) Died In Your Arms	Cutting Crew	1986	1	4
Hanging On A Heart Attack	Device	1986	35	-
Poison Arrow	ABC	1982	25	6	1, 2, 3, 4
AEIOU Sometimes Y	Ēbn-Ōzn	1983	-	-
Are You Sure	So	1988	41	62
The Way You Are	Tears For Fears	1983	-	24
What Do All The People Know	The Monroes	1982	59	1	1

Here's my thoughts on those 7 first-timers:

• Make A Circuit With Me: Prior to the purchase of this CD, I was completely unfamiliar with The Polecats, a rockabilly group out of London. Even though there's not much to it, I bob my head to the catchy tune and happy feel of this one, but I wasn't into rockabilly at the time of release so it's safe to say I like it more now than I would have at the time of release. The liner notes state the tune is "built around a metaphor of electronics as sex, perfectly tuned to the Reagan-era" way of thinking.
• Sidewalk Talk: The liner notes also offer up this alliterative blurb: "Mighty Manhattan mixer John 'Jellybean' Benitez made his first album without singing or playing one note." (Not to be pedantic, but it was an EP, not an album, but point taken.) Although she didn't receive an artist credit, this is a Madonna tune. It's highly danceable, but the #18 peak on the pop charts sounds about right.
• (I Just) Died In Your Arms: Didn't care much for this one back in '86 and it hasn't aged well. Pass. Coincidently, I often mistake Cutting Crew for Johnny Hates Jazz and them both being included on this compilation has only compounded my confusion.
• Hanging On A Heart Attack: I know of Holly Knight as being a great songwriter and member of the group Spider, but I didn't know she was a member of a later group, Device. Sadly, this isn't one her better tunes.
• AEIOU Sometimes Y: Devoid of melody, but I like the groundbreaking sampling/DIY aesthetic here. Reportedly the first commercial single produced entirely on computer, it didn't dent the pop chart, but was popular in the clubs in 1983, peaking at #20 on the dance chart.
• Are You Sure: I hadn't previously heard of this song or band, but the single sounds like any number of its contemporaries, nothing to really distinguish it. Could have used a catchy chorus.
• The Way You Are: A single-only release between the duo's first two albums. Neither of the duo like the thing: "I think this was the point at which we realised we had to change direction." I don't think it's all that bad, just a bit unfocused as if the guys couldn't decide if they wanted to sound like experimentalish drum-driven synthpop or have more of a synth-reggae sound. The liner notes claim this compilation was the first official US release of the song. 

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but here's to finding the remaining volume in the used bins and a 5-disc carousel player at the thrift store.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Volume 1 (1993)
Volume 4 (1994)
Volume 5 (1995)

Various Artists - Living In Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Volume 5 (1995)

The fifth of five volumes from EMI Records Group. I didn't buy any discs in this series upon release but now they're appearing in the used CD stores I frequent - I've come across three volumes within the past year. 12 of the 20 tracks are new to my CD shelves - including 3 or 4 that I would have sworn I already had - making this a worthwhile acquisition.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with both US and UK chart peaks and links to previous appearances on this blog:

Song	Artist	Year	US	UK	Prev.
Major Tom (Coming Home)	Peter Schilling	1984	14	42	1
Hyperactive	Thomas Dolby	1984	62	17	1, 2, 3
Promises, Promises	Naked Eyes	1983	11	-	1
The Promise	When In Rome	1988	11	58
Vienna	Ultravox	1981	-	2	1, 2, 3
Enola Gay	OMD	1980	-	8	1
King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)	China Crisis	1985	-	8
Steady	Jules Shear	1985	57	-
Our Lips Are Sealed	Fun Boy Three	1983	-	7	1, 2
Pleasure And Pain	Divinyls	1986	76	-
Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)	Icicle Works	1984	37	53	1
The Honeythief	Hipsway	1987	19	17
Souvenir	Rubber Rodeo	1986	-	-
I Wanna Be A Cowboy	Boys Don't Cry	1986	12	-
The Captain Of Her Heart	Double	1986	16	8
When Your Heart Is Weak	Cock Robin	1985	35	-
Love Changes (Everything)	Climie Fisher	1988	23	2
More Than Physical	Bananarama	1986	73	41
Vanity Kills	ABC	1986	91	70
We Close Our Eyes	Go West	1985	41	5	1

Here's my thoughts on those 12 first-timers:

• The Promise: While my sons are more familiar with this song's inclusion in the movie Napoleon Dynamite, I'll always associate it with the Summer of '88. It's highly danceable, catchy as hell, and I liked it from the get-go. It was almost enough to make me pick up a copy of the group's self-titled album, but I thought I'd wait until the second single hit. It didn't, I didn't, and there ya go. But I was surprised I didn't have this on another compilation somewhere.
• King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up): New to me here and you coulda knocked me over with a feather when I discovered this track was produced by Steely Dan's Walter Becker. If I'd heard the thing in '85, I would have loved it. Classic New Wave sounds: bouncy synths, choppy phrasing, peppy style that belies the lyrics, etc. Not sure if the songwriters meant 'catholic style' with a lower-case c, but that's the way I'm interpreting it.
• Steady: Co-written with Cyndi Lauper, this thing just sort of steadily plods along, punctuated with synth horns and gated snare. It's not all bad, though, I like how it builds to the brief chorus.
• Pleasure And Pain: Written by Michael Chapman and Holly Knight, and while I usually enjoy their work, this bland piece really ignores the group's more aggressive traits. They've got many other songs more fitting of the title "pleasure and pain."
• The Honeythief: Sounds like Jim Kerr of Simple Minds singing an unabashed pop cut, so of course I dig it (is it a coincidence both bands are from Glasgow?). I had completely forgotten this track over the past 30+ years, but it's got me up and dancing today. Maybe it's the chord progression, maybe the bass line, but for some reason, it is reminding me of Madonna's Express Yourself.
• Souvenir: Not terrible, but I won't remember it five minutes from now. I like the band's Western New Wave hybrid gimmick - very '80s.
• I Wanna Be A Cowboy: My mind always groups this track with Timbuk 3's The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades, another novelty-ish song from '86. Harmless fun, but doesn't bear repeated listening.
• The Captain Of Heart: This little bit of smooth sophistipop has hooks for days and, like The Promise, I dug it from the get-go. Very happy to have a copy now. Unlike The Promise, however, I did buy the full album on this one and was quickly disappointed that all the tracks weren't as good. Ah well. Just recently discovered that the group used the French pronunciation of their name (doo-BLAY), but I'm not sure I'll ever switch over to that - old dogs, new tricks and whatnot.
• When Your Heart Is Weak: Yawn.
• Love Changes (Everything): Man-oh-man this is a fantastic pop single. This description from Allmusic is better than anything I could possibly write:

  "The U.S. hit single 'Love Changes (Everything)' is saccharine enough to have been an Archies song; nevertheless, in limited doses it's as tasty as a chocolate sundae. But be forewarned: 'Love Changes (Everything)' has a chorus that adheres to the brain like glue."

  Consider it adhered to my brain for the rest of the day.
• More Than Physical: New to me here but very characteristic of Bananarama's period of collaboration with the Stock Aitken Waterman team. As such, I'm currently trying to type these words while manically dancing around the room.
• Vanity Kills: You would have thought a single that hit the Hot 100 would have been included on the Absolutely greatest hits compilation, but you'd be incorrect. It's very repetitive but catchy enough; I'd complain about the over-production, but it was '86 so it's just the sound of the time. Bonus points for the trumpet solo.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but here's to finding the remaining two volumes.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Volume 1 (1993)
Volume 4 (1994)

Various Artists - Living In Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Volume 4 (1994)

The fourth of five volumes from EMI Records Group. A couple of months back, I featured Volume 1 of the series and wrote these words: "I'll give you odds on whether or not I'll eventually pick up other volumes in this series (warning: don't take that bet cuz I've got a CD addiction to feed)." And soon after that, I found this CD in a used bin and here we are, as predicted.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with both US and UK chart peaks and links to previous appearances on this blog:

Song	Artist	Year	US	UK	Prev.
Dance Hall Days	Wang Chung	1984	16	21	1, 2, 3, 4
One Thing Leads To Another	The Fixx	1983	4	-	1, 2
True	Spandau Ballet	1983	4	1	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Come On Eileen	Dexys Midnight Runners	1982	1	1	1, 2
Digging Your Scene	The Blow Monkeys	1986	14	12
Sister of Mercy	Thompson Twins	1984	-	11	1, 2
Under The Milky Way	The Church	1988	24	-
Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)	Red Box	1985	-	3
Since Yesterday	Strawberry Switchblade	1984	-	5	1
You Don't Know	Scarlett & Black	1988	20	-
Some People	Belouis Some	1985	67	33	1
Shock	The Motels	1985	84	-
Belly Of The Whale	Burning Sensations	1983	-	-
Tenderness	General Public	1984	27	-	1, 2, 3, 4
Get Out Of London	Intaferon	1983	-	93
Go	Tones On Tail	1984	-	-	1
Slang Teacher	Wide Boy Awake	1982	-	-
Lawnchairs	Our Daughter's Wedding	1981	-	49	1
Mexican Radio	Wall Of Voodoo	1982	58	64	1, 2

So 8 of the 19 tracks are new to my CD shelves, a pleasant ratio of new and familiar to be sure. Here's my thoughts on those eight:

• Digging Your Scene: I was surprised to find I didn't already have this on CD as I've been listening to it for years and downloaded the thing via Napster around the turn of the century. The great sophistipop music belies the serious, timely lyrical content. But sweet sassy molassey that's some smooth groove. The version on this compilation is the "U.S. Mix," clocking in at 4:41.
• Under The Milky Way: Another one I thought I already had somewhere. I think The Church were ahead of their time because now when I hear them, they sound more '90s than '80s to me. Regardless, this is a great dream pop song and a huge hit internationally (it also reminds me of The Cure, but I digress). I dig how it builds from the acoustic part at the beginning before it seamlessly moves to synth pads, bagpipe synth, and so on. Has it really been over 20 years since Donnie Darko was released?
• Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo): This one was new to me - I guess they didn't play it on MTV back in '85, maybe? It's a little too precious for these ears, the chorus sounds like it was lifted from a Proclaimers b-side.
• You Don't Know: a shuffle in the same vein as Everybody Wants To Rule The World but what a fantastic hook on the chorus. Never has a song about the end of a relationship sounded so joyous. A one-hit wonder on multiple continents, but at least we got this single.
• Shock: not a particularly well-written tune, it is over-produced and a complete waste of Martha Davis's unique voice.
• Belly Of The Whale: I can't help but move to this feel they've got working here. I don't know if 'calypso rock' is a genre, but regardless, there should be more songs like this. I dig the verse more than the driving chorus, but it's a good song, I vaguely remember the video on MTV, and Burning Sensations is a helluva band name.
• Get Out Of London: the band does the best they can with the material as the arrangement is much better than the writing. Maybe credit producer Martin Rushent for that. I don't hate it, but I don't love it.
• Slang Teacher: New to me on this disc, but sounds exactly like something I would have loved in '82. Catchy as all get-out and easy to sing/chant along with.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but repeat the above warning.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Volume 1 (1993)

Various Artists - Living In Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Volume 1 (1993)

The first of five volumes from EMI Records Group. As of this writing, Volume 1 is the only one I currently own. The disc includes tunes that pre-date the '80s, making the CD title a bit untruthful, but that doesn't bother me much. I usually claim June 6, 1978 (the release date of The Cars self-titled debut album) as the birthdate of '80s music, so I'm willing to cut the compilers some slack. Bonus points for great sequencing and comprehensive liner notes.

For me, this particular compilation neatly separates itself into four sections:

1. tracks 1-7: tracks I have on other CDs and enjoy greatly
2. tracks 8-12: tracks that I didn't remember and enjoy greatly
3. tracks 13-15: tracks I have on other CDs and enjoy greatly
4. tracks 16-18: tracks I have on other CDs but pass

A .833 batting average with five good new-to-me cuts? On the cheap from the used bin? I'll take it.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with both US and UK chart peaks:

Song	Artist	Year	US	UK
Too Shy	Kajagoogoo	1982	5	1
Always Something There To Remind Me	Naked Eyes	1983	8	59
Talk Talk	Talk Talk	1982	75	23
Kids In America	Kim Wilde	1981	25	2
Turning Japanese	The Vapors	1980	36	3
The Politics Of Dancing	Re-Flex	1983	24	28
19	Paul Hardcastle	1985	15	1
Homicide	999	1978		40
Romanticide	Combo Audio	1981
Guilty	Classix Nouveaux	1981		43
(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)	The Stranglers	1977		44
2-4-6-8 Motorway	Tom Robinson Band	1977		5
C30, C60, C90, Go	Bow Wow Wow	1980		34
(She's) Sexy + 17	Stray Cats	1983	5	29
She Blinded Me With Science	Thomas Dolby	1982	5	49
Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)	Spandau Ballet	1981		3
I Eat Cannibals (Part One)	Total Coelo	1982	66	8
Shiny Shiny	Haysi Fantayzee	1983	74	16

Previous posts regarding most of these tracks can be found here, but I'll include some thoughts on the five tracks that were new to me:

• Homicide: to be fair, I have heard this cut before on another compilation, but I didn't remember it. Sounds a bit like Television or The Boys. I dig the singer's snarled delivery. And I just found out it was produced by Martin Rushent.
• Romanticide: a catchy, bouncy New Wave tune. If I hadn't read that Combo Audio was from Illinois, I would have guessed the UK. It would seem Ultravox was popular in Champaign-Urbana.
• Guilty: If I ignore the singer's voice, I really like this tune. More of the catchy, bouncy New Wave mentioned above - the sort to which I gravitated around 1982-84.
• (Get A) Grip (On Yourself): I don't know anything about The Stranglers other than the fact that they have a fantastic band name. I like the chorus and the arpeggiated bridge; normally I don't care much for screeching sax, but it just fits here. Another Rushent production.
• 2-4-6-8 Motorway: Again, I've heard this one before on the same compilation as Homicide, where I gave it a coveted grade of ✔. Easy to chant along with and includes one of the few guitar solos on this disc.

Data suggests you can't put together an '80s compilation without including She Blinded Me With Science; this post marks its eleventh appearance on this blog. And I never tire of hearing it.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but I'll give you odds on whether or not I'll eventually pick up other volumes in this series (warning: don't take that bet cuz I've got a CD addiction to feed).