VH1: The Big 80's Pop

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Bill Inglot; Emily Cagan (Compilation); Kevin Mangini (Compilation); Ed Paparo (Compilation)
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Audio Remasterer: Dave Schultz. Photographers: Daniel Root; Frank Griffin; Lynn McAfee; Michael Putland; Mick Rock ; Bob Gruen; Harry Langdon; Pete Ashworth; Ron Wolfson; Nadira Husain; Vinnie Zuffante; Jill Furmanovsky; Larry Busacca; Lester Cohen; Roland Gift. No liner notes, no explanation, little rhyme or reason behind what songs made Rhino's VH1 The Big 80s: Pop and what was left behind. No matter -- the songs that made the cut are very good, very entertaining indeed. For the most part, this follows the standard pattern of new wave compilations, with such ringers as the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" and Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose" thrown in for good measure. Then, there are the songs from artists who usually show up on these kind of collections, but are represented by interesting selections -- Tears for Fears with "Sowing the Seeds of Love," Cutting Crew with "I've Been in Love Before," Rick Springfield with "I've Done Everything for You" -- plus selections like Julian Lennon's "Too Late for Goodbyes," which should appear frequently on these compilations, but doesn't. So, there are probably enough unconventional choices to keep this disc interesting, but it's still fairly predictable new wave/early-'80s material. Still, it isn't bad in that regard, and if you're looking for a bunch of the songs on this collection, this is a good choice. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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