Day 5’s Now! compilation was released on 5th August 1985.
Um, let’s listen to some tracks that I may have heard but probably couldn’t have cared less about at seven months old.
Track 1: Duran Duran – A View To A Kill
I love Duran Duran! Did I say that already?
I also love the James Bond films, so this 007 theme tune should be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, for me it’s not quite up to the usual standard for either Duran Duran or James Bond soundtracks. Still a good tune though.
Track 2: Scritti Politti – The Word Girl
Lyrics are a bit saccharine for me, but it’s got a nice beat.
Track 3: Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F
Really great, interesting track, slightly ruined by the memories of the horrific Crazy Frog cover that everyone had as their ringtone circa 2005.
I’ve never seen Beverly Hills Cop, incidentally, though I’m sure with a soundtrack like this it can’t be bad. One to add to the watch list.
Track 4: Fine Young Cannibals – Johnny Come Home
Great head-nodder, though the lyrics annoy me a little. Except for ‘what is wrong with my life/that I must get drunk every night‘. That bit’s awesome.
Track 5: Dead Or Alive – In Too Deep
Pretty boring and generic song considering it’s Dead Or Alive! The synth solo in the middle is all right though.
Track 6: Stephen ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy – Icing On The Cake
Stephen Duffy was a founding member of Duran Duran, fact fans, though I’m not really feeling the love-by-association here. Nice upbeat pop, but nothing special.
Track 7: Kool & The Gang – Cherish
Nice intro, but then it turns into a ballad that’s far too cheesy for my tastes. Not a fan of this one.
Track 8: Paul Young – Every Time You Go Away
Paul Young did some great stuff, but I find this one pretty dreary.
Track 9: Marillion – Kayleigh
A longtime favourite since childhood <tries to avoid making ‘misplaced childhood’ reference, fails miserably>. Absolutely beautiful track. That guitar solo, the stunning lyrics – I adore everything about it.
Track 10: Bryan Ferry – Slave To Love
I quite like this one, though the backing vocals on the chorus irritate me a bit.
Track 11: David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group – This Is Not America
Nice atmospheric song, and Bowie’s vocals are great here.
Track 12: Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
Simple Minds don’t have that weird Scottish-’80s-band-sound-I-can’t-put-my-finger-on (come to think of it, neither do Marillion). Maybe it was the Scottish bands who were able to lose it who were the ones that really made it big. Or maybe it’s all in my head and there is no ‘Scottish ’80s band sound’. It’s driving me nuts though.
Bands who I DO think have that sound: Deacon Blue, Big Country, Aztec Camera, Hipsway, Del Amitri, Hue & Cry.
Anyway, Don’t You (Forget About Me). Because it was such a big hit due to The Breakfast Club, it’s your standard ‘the band don’t actually like this one’, but I do. Great pop tune.
Track 13: The Power Station – Get It On (Bang A Gong)
Awesome things about this song:
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- It’s a T-Rex cover, and T-Rex are my favourite early ’70s glam rock band and one of my favourite bands of all time. I adore the original version, and this one is pretty great too – it’s quite different, no ‘pointless ’80s cover’ here.
- More love-by-association due to the fact that half the band were also in Duran Duran.
- Robert Palmer’s vocals.
Track 14: China Crisis – Black Man Ray
Typically nice tune from China Crisis, though I find the synth line a bit twee.
Track 15: Phil Collins – One More Night
The Now! compilers do love a Phil Collins ballad. Thankfully, I quite like this one.
Track 16: Sister Sledge – Frankie
One of those ‘dance to it at a wedding’ tracks – pleasant bouncy song, but I don’t like it enough for it to make my playlist.
Track 17: Mai Tai – History
Good pop tune, nice singalong chorus, but a bit forgettable.
Track 18: Simply Red – Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)
The ’80s are probably my favourite era for Simply Red (and for most things, let’s face it). I love the instrumentals on this one.
Track 19: Steve Arrington – Feel So Real
A bit repetitive for me, not really my thing.
Track 20: Jaki Graham – Round And Around
Nice synths, but the vocals are a bit cheesy for my liking.
Track 21: The Conway Brothers – Turn It Up
More repetitive beats, though the track does improve as it goes. I can’t say I’m loving disc two so far.
Track 22: Loose Ends – Magic Touch
Dull tune, bizarre irritating xylophone-sounding hook, vocals not at all to my taste. Actively dislike this one. It’s the kind of song that would have exacerbated my travel sickness on long car journeys as a kid. There’s a generic sax solo about two-thirds in that provides a bit of welcome relief from the vocals, but it can’t save the song.
Track 23: The Commentators – N-N-Nineteen Not Out
Not on Spotify, so I had to do the YouTube Pause (TM).
While I do love Paul Hardcastle’s Nineteen, this parody always amuses me, despite the fact that being a Scot I don’t even understand cricket.
Track 24: U2: The Unforgettable Fire
It’s the kind of song I’d normally find pretty dreary, but there’s something about the atmosphere of it that I quite like, especially when it builds towards the end.
Track 25: The Style Council – Walls Come Tumbling Down
Another Style Council song that I actually quite like! They’re on a roll. It’s Dee C Lee’s backing vocals that really make this one for me.
Track 26: Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
I’ve always found this one pretty irritating, I’m afraid. If you play it at a wedding I will be at the bar ordering another cider.
Track 27: Gary Moore and Phil Lynott – Out In The Fields
Gotta love that guitar riff. I can’t tell you how refreshing a good singalong rock song is after what has been a fairly mediocre second disc for this compilation.
Track 28: The Damned – The Shadow Of Love
Nice bit of goth rock to follow, too! Things are looking up.
Track 29: Howard Jones – Life In One Day
The song’s fine, but it’s the video that’s the awesome thing here. When I was searching for it the other day, it took me ages to realise that it actually was the proper video, due to the bit at the start with the announcer (and given that the auto-complete when searching on YouTube throws up ‘howard jones life in one day official video‘, I’m clearly not the only one). I doubt they were actually being prescient enough to troll people searching for the video on a then-unimaginable technology more than thirty years later, but if they were, it worked.
Track 30: Jimmy Nail – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore
Bit of an over-the-top ballad, but there’s something about the atmosphere of it that I quite like.