80's Hits Stripped
Every song was a certifiable hit back in the 1980s--the kind that MTV played incessantly (back when MTV actually played videos). Granted, superstars like Madonna, Prince, and Duran Duran are nowhere to be found, but this 15-track line-up of Brits, Yanks, and Aussies is a pretty accurate representation of an era. Twenty years have passed since then and times have changed, but the tunes haven't. Not much, at any rate. The majority of these acoustic interpretations may be slower or quieter than before, but they're hardly radical reinventions. ("No One Is to Blame," "Rebel Yell," and "These Dreams" were all recorded live.) Take Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl," for example. It sounds much the same as ever; the original Dr. McDreamy has simply sprinkled a little twang around the edges. The versions that deviate most include Berlin's "Metro," which speeds things up to fine effect, Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny," which sounds rougher and more rugged than the gold single, and Billy Squier's "Stroke," which makes a surprisingly successful segue from pop-metal to Delta blues. Then there are the voices, most of which (Colin Hay and Tommy Heath aside) sound as youthful as ever. On "Missing You," for instance, John Waite channels his twentysomething self with ease, while on "Our Lips Are Sealed," the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin sounds downright girlish. Bottom line: If you liked these songs in the first place, you'll like 'em in the second.--Kathleen C. Fennessy