Music Review: Now! That’s What I Call Music #29

Day 29, and today’s Now! compilation takes us to 14th November 1994.

November 1994
This is how the world looked in November 1994…that is a giant lie. This was September (we have no pictures that are closer in time), hence why the trees are still green. I imagine we were still wearing those dodgy jumpers into November, though.

Let’s listen to some more mid-’90s tracks.

Now! That's What I Call Music #29
Track 1: Pato Banton, Robin Campbell and Ali Campbell – Baby Come Back

I should find that chorus annoying, but I’ve always really liked this one.  Classic track.

Track 2: Cyndi Lauper – Hey Now (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun)

Slightly odd chant-along track from Cyndi Lauper that reworks her 1984 classic and hence repeats the title.  For about five years after it was released, this was the only Girls Just Wanna Have Fun I was aware of (urgh, ’90s childhood, you embarrass me yet again) and so I was fairly flummoxed any time somebody talked about how great it was.  The 1984 original, of course, is wonderful, and was featured on Now! #2.

Track 3: Big Mountain – Baby, I Love Your Way

Super irritating chorus, super irritating lyrics!  Not a fan of this one.

Track 4: Take That – Sure

I think this was the point that I started being not-quite-as-hugely-keen on Take That.  I’ve never been a huge fan of this song, largely because of that annoying chorus.

Track 5: Michelle Gayle – Sweetness

Does what it says on the tin – saccharine as anything.  Not keen.

Track 6: Whigfield – Saturday Night

An absolute singalong classic with built-in dance moves that are the best thing in the world when you’re nine.  This was the highlight of every school disco for about two years.

Track 7: MC Sar & The Real McCoy – Another Night

‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).

The fanfare at the start is odd, but at least adds a bit of interest.  The track itself is a solid dance track with great electro lines and so-so vocals, which is fairly standard for dance of this era.

Track 8: Corona – The Rhythm Of The Night

Wonderful, classic dance track – love this one.

Track 9: New Order – True Faith ’94

1994 update of the ’80s classic.  Probably my favourite track from one of my favourite bands, and I’m lucky enough to have seen it live (well, half of it – when New Order played T in the Park 2005, the amps cut out during this track and the crowd had to finish the song for them.  Bernard Sumner then made a crack about Scottish sound engineers being stingy with the voltage, which did not go down well).  Beautiful, classic piece of synthpop.

Track 10: Sophie B Hawkins – Right Beside You

Interesting synth jingle at the beginning, then straight into a solid, atmospheric pop track.  Really nice song.

Track 11: Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry – 7 Seconds

Beautiful track – the vocals on this one are just something else, and that atmosphere is amazing.

Track 12: Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories – Stay (I Missed You)

Gorgeous tune, but it’s a little too acoustic-y for my liking.

Track 13: Crash Test Dummies – Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm

As a kid, I always got this one confused with REM’s What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? for some reason.  I think it was because Smash Hits put the lyrics to the two songs opposite each other in the lyrics section.

Anyway, this is a great track with inspired, whimsical lyrics.  I’ve always liked this one.

Track 14: Louis Armstrong – We Have All The Time In The World

’60s classic (and James Bond associated song) back in the charts due to a My Bloody Valentine cover.  Lovely tune.

Track 15: Robert Palmer – Know By Now

A welcome return to the charts for Robert Palmer – this song is a nice upbeat track with awesome spiky synth hooks and a great atmosphere.

Track 16: REM – What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

As a kid, I always got this one confused with Crash Test Dummies’ Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm…uh, never mind, you’ve heard about that a few songs ago.

Great singalong chorus, good solid track.

Track 17: Oasis – Cigarettes And Alcohol

I liked Oasis a lot more in the ’90s than I do nowadays – their music has not aged well at all – but this is still a good singalong track.

Track 18: The Rolling Stones – Love Is Strong

Good brooding atmosphere, great guitar lines.  Like this one.

Track 19: The Cranberries – Zombie

Beautiful, classic anthem.  Stunning vocals, stunning lyrics, stunning tune, just wonderful.

Fun fact: in 1998, I named my self-published magazine, which I edited and printed out for my friends for about six years, after a misheard lyric from this song.  (If you’re familiar with my teenage media ventures and are wondering just how deaf someone would have to be to mishear ‘in your head’ as ‘in my head’, well, I am that deaf.)

Track 20: East 17 – Around The World

Really nice tune, lovely instrumentals…annoying chorus.  Seriously, I’d forgotten how much that chorus annoyed me.  Oh well.

Track 21: Red Dragon and Brian & Tony Gold – Compliments On Your Kiss

Jaunty instrumentals, mid-century retro feel.  Fun track.

Track 22: Chaka Demus & Pliers – Gal Wine

Nice bouncy reggae track, like the tune.

Track 23: R Kelly – She’s Got That Vibe

Good beat, but the tune is pretty dull and repetitive.

Track 24: The Brand New Heavies – Midnight At The Oasis

Nice lounge-y atmosphere and general retro tinge.  Quite like this one, especially the sax solo.

Track 25: China Black – Stars

‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).

Lovely piano intro, great atmosphere, but boring vocals.

Track 26: Music Relief – What’s Going On

‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).

Charity multi-artist cover of the Marvin Gaye classic.  It’s a bit pointless, but, you know, charity.

Track 27: Céline Dion – The Power Of Love

Pointless ’90s cover of the Jennifer Rush classic.  Nothing added here at all other than an irritating dance-influenced spiky bit on the backing track.

Track 28: Kylie Minogue – Confide In Me

Lovely atmospheric track from Kylie, a bit more grown-up than her previous bubblegum pop stuff.

Track 29: Massive Attack – Sly

Great atmosphere, but the tune is pretty dull, and it’s a bit too slow for me.

Track 30: Eternal – So Good

Irritating drum hooks, irritating vocals, dull tune.  Not keen.

Track 31: Ultimate Kaos – Some Girls

Argh, I’d forgotten about this terrible group!  I’ve mentioned before that I find kiddie vocals pretty creepy, especially with a song as overtly sexual as this one.  Eww!

Track 32: Reel 2 Real and The Mad Stuntman – Can You Feel It?

‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).

Boring, repetitive tune, but it’s got a good, danceable beat.

Track 33: M-Beat and General Levy – Incredible

Not enough melody for me.  Is that ‘Wicket, Wicket’ bit at the start a Return of the Jedi reference?  I’d love it if it were, but somehow I doubt it.

Track 34: Shampoo – Trouble

Classic daft track with silly lyrics and fairly terrible vocals.  Still love it though, mainly due to nostalgia.

Track 35: Blur and Phil Daniels – Parklife

Another wonderful chant-along classic from Blur.  There are not many songs where I know all the words, but this track is one of the privileged few.

Track 36: Erasure – I Love Saturday

I love that Erasure were still bringing the synthpop in the mid-’90s.  This is another great tune.

Track 37: Sparks – When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’

I’m a big Sparks fan, and this is a great, atmospheric track with an awesome dance beat.  Lovely stuff.

Track 38: 2wo Third3 – I Want The World

‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).

Great dance track!  Wonderful tune, would be up on that dancefloor in the imaginary ’90s disco right now.

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