The Best of Berlin: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection

Performer: Berlin
Artist: Gene Black; Alan Murphy; Kane Roberts
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Berlin: Terri Nunn (vocals); Ric Olsen (guitar); John Crawford (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals); David Diamond (keyboards, guitar, vocals); Matt Reid (keyboards); Rob Brill (drums, vocals). Additional personnel: Marietta Waters (vocals); Chas Sandford, Mark Christian, Chris Ruiz-Velasco, Gene Black, Kane Roberts, Alan Murphey, Gregg Wright, Richie Zito (guitar); Masakazu Yoshizawa (shakuhachi); Jimmy Z (harmonica, saxophone); Bob Ezrin (keyboards, Hammond organ); Andy Richard (keyboards, programming); Dan Van Patton (drums); Osamu Kitajima (koto, biwa); Charles Judge, Joseph Julian, Arthur Barrow (keyboard programming); John Lee Batoff, William Batstone, George Merrill (background vocals). Producers include: Chas Sandford, Giorgio Moroder, Richie Zito, Bob Ezrin, Daniel R. Van Patton. Engineers include: Gary McGachan. Berlin: John Crawford (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar); David Diamond (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Rob Brill (vocals, drums); Terri Nunn (vocals); Richard Olsen (guitar); Matthew Reid (keyboards). The Berlin entry in Universal Music's discount-priced best-of series, 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection, is a straight reissue of the 1988 album The Best of Berlin 1979-1988. Berlin's electro-pop sound is salvaged only by the enduring and assertive voice of Terri Nunn, which is why The Best of Berlin is the most preferable place to hear this Los Angeles-based group's music. The synth-soaked punch of ""No More Words"" from 1984's Love Life album and the week-long number one ballad ""Take My Breath Away"" from the film Top Gun are the album's high points, while the other tracks are made up of clean and bright techno pop/rock with heavy emphasis stemming from three different keyboard players employed throughout the band's career. Berlin's '80s poignancy provided some rather palatable music, even if the charts didn't say so. Songs like ""For All Tomorrow's Lies"" and ""Blowin' Sky High"" could compete with anything Soft Cell or A Flock of Seagulls spouted at the time, and the range of Nunn's vocals elevated most of Berlin's efforts above the norm of the run-of-the-mill synthesizer glitz, but only marginally. A compressed lineup of their most accomplished material is definitely the best way in which to enjoy Berlin, avoiding all the inessentials that crept through their albums. ~ Mike DeGagne

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