Day 68 takes us to Now! #68, which was released on 19th November 2007.
It’s the time of year for party tracks. Don’t disappoint me, Now! compilers!
Track 1: Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
Lovely tune, quite like this one.
Track 2: Take That – Rule The World
I’ve always found this one a bit jarring, because the verse and chorus are two beautiful tunes that don’t really work with each other. Just when you’re enjoying one, it breaks the mood by switching to the other. Should have been two separate songs.
Track 3: Kylie Minogue – 2 Hearts
I like the stripped-back instrumentals at the start – it gives the track lots of edge and atmosphere. The vocals are great too.
Track 4: Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse – Valerie
I mentioned this cover four days ago in my review of the Zutons original on Now! #64. It’s a great, bombastic big band version, and I really like it, but the classic-rock-tinged original still has the slight edge for me.
Track 5: Sugababes – About You Now
Quite like this tune – nice solid pop song.
Track 6: Kanye West – Stronger
Really like this atmospheric electro-infused track – it’s probably the best song Kanye West ever did.
Track 7: Craig David – Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance)
It’s based around a sample of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, which is obviously appreciated, but the rest of the track is very generic and just makes me want to go listen to Let’s Dance instead.
Track 8: Sean Kingston – Beautiful Girls
Pretty tune, quite like this one. At the time, because I wasn’t following chart music very closely, I kept getting it mixed up with Mika’s Big Girls (You Are Beautiful). The songs are very different, but that’s the power of a title.
Track 9: Shayne Ward – No U Hang Up
I like the electro-tinged instrumentals – it’s getting into that late ’00s era when that was in vogue, yay! – but the vocals are too cheesy for me.
Track 10: Timbaland, DOE and Keri Hilson – The Way I Are
Oh, it’s this one! That electro hook is absolutely classic. Great atmospheric track.
Track 11: Britney Spears – Gimme More
‘It’s Britney, bitch‘. I remember everyone found this comeback a bit laughable at the time, but it was sampled brilliantly a few years later when she did Scream And Shout with will.i.am. I really like the electro bassline on this one, too.
Track 12: Rihanna – Shut Up And Drive
Great guitar on this one – it’s an unusual style for Rihanna, but I really like it.
Track 13: Girls Aloud – Sexy! No No No…
Awesome epic atmosphere – it builds really nicely at the start and then launches into a brilliantly frenetic rock-tinged song. Big fan of this one.
Track 14: Robyn and Kleerup – With Every Heartbeat
Quite like the chilled-out backing track, but the vocals are too high-pitched for me.
Track 15: Enrique Iglesias – Tired Of Being Sorry
Nice Latin tinge, though it jars slightly with the electro instrumentals.
Track 16: Groove Armada and Mutya Buena – Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)
Nice retro ’80s-sounding backing track, but I’m not hugely keen on the vocal style constantly veering between sung and spoken.
Track 17: Se:Sa and Sharon Phillips – Like This Like That
Nice upbeat track, with more retro instrumentals. Very danceable.
Track 18: Ida Corr and Fedde Le Grand – Let Me Think About It
There’s a bit too much going on in this dance track, and it doesn’t all work together.
Track 19: Axwell and Max C – I Found U
Bit of a throwback to early ’90s dance, with some added ’70s retro instrumentals for good measure. The tune’s boring though.
Track 20: Freaks – The Creeps (Get On The Dancefloor)
Another dull tune, with a very repetitive backing track.
Track 21: Peter Gelderblom – Waiting 4
House remix of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ By The Way. It’s okay, but it’s one of those ones where I just want to listen to the original instead.
Track 22: David Guetta and Chris Willis – Love Is Gone
Some very irritating siren-sounding instrumentals in the middle of this one, but otherwise it’s quite a good upbeat electro track.
Track 23: Plain White Ts – Hey There Delilah
Pretty tune, but it’s a bit too acoustic-y and twee for my liking.
Track 24: James Blunt – 1973
Always love a 20th-century-inspired title! Unfortunately the tune is not 20th-century-inspired – I was hoping it would be four-on-the-floor glam rock. Instead, it’s a fairly standard melancholy one from James Blunt – pretty tune, but not really my style.
Track 25: Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me
Boring tune, irritating twangy guitar. Not keen.
Track 26: The Hoosiers – Worried About Ray
Interesting instrumentals, good atmosphere, but the vocals irritate me.
Track 27: Scouting For Girls – She’s So Lovely
This one has always annoyed me – I find the tune and theme very twee.
Track 28: Feist – 1234
Too acoustic-y for me, and again I find the vocals irritating.
Track 29: Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
We’ve already had this one on Now! #12! I don’t care how awesome that 2007 Dairy Milk ad with the gorilla was – there’s no excuse for repeating songs!
As ever, see the link for my review.
Track 30: Avril Lavigne – When You’re Gone
Lovely piano at the start, but the vocals are too high-pitched and hurt my head.
Track 31: McFly – The Heart Never Lies
Horribly saccharine and repetitive. Not my kind of thing at all.
Track 32: Amy MacDonald – Mr Rock And Roll
Nice tune – if I were in a folk-rock mood I would absolutely love it, but I’ve not been that way inclined lately.
Track 33: KT Tunstall – Hold On
Not keen on the jarring guitar lines at the start, but it’s got quite a good atmosphere.
Track 34: The Killers and Lou Reed – Tranquilise
I shouldn’t like this, as the lines are sort of messy and jarring, but it actually works really well to create an awesome epic atmosphere.
Track 35: Stereophonics – It Means Nothing
Dull and drone-y, not a fan of this one.
Track 36: Peter, Björn & John and Victoria Bergsman – Young Folks
Oh, it’s this one. I’ve always found that whistling really annoying, especially due to its use in the Homebase adverts!
Track 37: Freemasons and Bailey Tzuke – Uninvited
Great atmosphere, but the vocals are irritatingly generic.
Track 38: Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
Daft theme, but it’s quite nice and feelgood. At the time, because I wasn’t following chart music very closely, I kept getting it mixed up with Sean Kingston’s Beautiful Girls…oh, wait, I’ve done that anecdote. Great bassline and retro feel, anyway.
Track 39: Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry On Their Own
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Amy Winehouse on track 4.
Great tune though, quite like this one.
Track 40: Jennifer Lopez – Do It Well
Some great, epic instrumentals going on here – good stuff.
Track 41: Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry
Slow and cheesy – not keen on this track.
Track 42: Akon – Don’t Matter
Nice tune, but the vocals are a bit too saccharine for me. Also, it kind of rips off R Kelly’s Ignition.
Track 43: Nicole Scherzinger and will.i.am – Baby Love
Super irritating tune on the vocals! Don’t like this at all.
Track 44: Westlife – Home
The usual nauseatingly saccharine guff from Westlife. Time to line up that original version of Let’s Dance.
Three days in a row without a ‘Not on Spotify’ incident! It would be nice if we’d seen the last of them, but I suspect there will still be a few lurking about.