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Written by Jim Campbell Monday, 28 August 2006 01:32

"Best of" compilations must be the format-du-jour as Legacy has recently unleashed a plethora of '80s retrospectives covering everything from pop to rock to rap.

 

Best of Scandal (Legacy/Columbia); Best of Loverboy (Legacy/Columbia); Best of A Flock of Seagulls (Legacy/Jive); Best of Whodini (Legacy/Jive)

Kicking off the walk down memory lane is a look at Scandal's body of work. Patty Smyth & Co. may have only finished two albums, but Smyth's fresh vocals helped the band chart several pop hits. All of the standards are included: "Goodbye to You," "Love's Got a Hold on You," and arguably the band's biggest hit, the funky "The Warrior." This collection works because it exposes so many of the band's lesser-known songs. Tracks like "Win Some, Lose Some" and "She's a Girl Who Can't Say No" are both testaments to the bands fantastic writing skills. Three previously unreleased tracks make this compilation a must have for any Smyth fan.

Next up is Toronto's answer to Journey: Loverboy. With the majority of tracks contained in the compilation charting in the United States, this collection showcases the band's legendary career. Some of the best tracks included are "Turn Me Loose," "Lovin' Every Minute of It," and the edgy 1987 single, "Notorious." The fact of the matter is that, even now, "Working for the Weekend" instantly transports me back to the Aloha Roller Rink in 1982 when I was kicking the feathered mullet and skating with the fast group; I was a bad-ass and so was this song. Truly worthy of a "Best of" title, this compilation will give you yet another reason to love Canada. (Kids in the Hall and Alanis Morissette being some other obvious reasons.)

A Flock of Seagulls were the "it" band in the '80s for two reasons: infectious synth-pop music and Mike Score's notorious hairstyle. They cracked U.S. charts with "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)," "Space Age Love Song," and the group's most recognizable hit, "I Ran (So far Away)." A Flock of Seagulls were unfortunately victims of overexposure. This compilation falls short after burning through these three hits. It's otherwise filled with tracks that never saw the light of day on these shores. For a band with so much style and originality, this compilation is actually rather stale and unimpressive.

Rounding out the onslaught are rap pioneers Whodini. Straight out of New York, Whodini broke into the music scene with equally impressive amounts of talent and style. Both Jalil Hutchins' and John Fletcher (aka "Ecstasy")'s vocals were unmistakably funky fresh, while Grandmaster Dee served as the legendary DJ for the trio. A few must-hear tracks on this jam-filled compilation are "Freaks Come Out at Night," "Funky Beat," and "Friends." Out of the four compilations reviewed here, this particular collection of songs is by far the most impressive and essential for any self-respecting '80s music lover.