Cocktails and Records

As much as I love this country, I have to admit that Britain has let me down on occasion. One of the things I’ve found particularly disappointing is the quite frankly boring ideas that pass for pop compilation titles and covers. I know they do as it says on the tin, but Now That’s What I Call Music 1 – eternity, Top of the Pops, The Hits, Hits, Hits Scene etc. etc. just don’t cut it.

Let me show you how it’s done, Australian style, with some favourites from my personal collection.

Ripper ‘76

This was the second in a series of Ripper albums on Polystar with similarly themed covers. I think we can guess why these might have been popular…

Cocktails’ choice cuts:

1. Howzat – Sherbert
2. Right Back Where we Started From – Maxine Nightingale
3. Late Last Night – Split Enz
4. I Like It Both Ways – Supernaut
5. Convoy – C.W. McCall

Bullseye

Another Polystar favourite, this time from 1979, containing some corking tracks – none of which are even remotely related to darts.

Cocktails’ choice cuts:

1. Hot Summer Nights – Night
2. Let’s Go – The Cars
3. Get Used It – Roger Voudouris
4. Halfway Hotel – Voyager
5. Are ‘Friends’ Electric – Tubeway Army
6. He’s the Greatest Dancer – Sister Sledge
7. Sunburn – Graham Gouldman

Bacon and Eggs: The Album

Similarly, if there is any correlation between the songs below and fried breakfasts, I’ve yet to find it.

Cocktails’ choice cuts:

1. Knock on Wood – Amii Stewart
2. Chiquitita – ABBA
3. Shooting Star – Dollar
4. Lost in Love – Air Supply
5. On the Inside – Lynne Hamilton

Thru the Roof ‘83

This was one of the first records I ever bought with my own money. It was pink, had a top song about skipping and a strangely feminine sounding bloke on it called Mike Oldfield singing a song about a shadow – perfect for an 8 year old.

Cocktails’ choice cuts:

1. Moonlight Shadow – Mike Oldfield
2. Maxine – Sharon O’Neill
3. Double Dutch – Malcolm McLaren
4. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’- Michael Jackson

1984 Shakin’

This mid-80s crayon cover art belies a great album of Australian pop gems (and Cliff Richard).

Cocktails’ choice cuts:

1. Pseudo Echo – Listening
2. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Say It Isn’t So
3. Kids in the Kitchen – Change in Mood
4. Pat Benatar – Love is a Battlefield
5. QED  – Everywhere I go
6. Hoodoo Gurus – My Girl

With thanks to the K-Tel blog for the images

Tags: cultural difference, dirty nostalgia, music = opinions

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 pm and is filed under Records. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.