Bananarama

Their second album in all of its quirky, fun, new waveish glory. This reissue, all six in the series as a matter of fact, are the type of release fans dream of. How I wish other bands would follow suit and release quality, all-inclusive, reissues like these. The packaging is great, the liner notes superb, tons of extra photos, and every b-side, demo, single mi1x, dub mix, and 12" remix associated with the album. This newest release collects ALL versions in their complete, unedited formats. Add to this a bonus DVD that includes all of the music videos from the album and even a few live TV appearances to top that off. Even though the band has stated their disappointment as not being included in the track selection and remastering, l feel the record company did an excellent job with these re-issues and the girls should be proud of their accomplishments and these stellar re-releases! Quite simply, a collector's dream. NOTE: This review is for the 2CD/1DVD 2013 Re-Issue from Edsel Records.

(Track listing follows.) As an album, "Bananarama" is a solid accomplishment, and proves that Keren, Sara and Siobhan's songwriting skills had matured since "Deep Sea Skiving." "Cruel Summer" would have been a better title for this collection of (mostly) socially-conscious themes and beach-friendly sounds. Not all is doom and gloom, but this is far and away the most thought-provoking album from the group to date. The Jolley & Swain production, generally upbeat and slightly whimsical, offers a contrast to lyrics about alienation, injustice and loss. It's a balancing act, and not every listener will find the contrast appealing. Along with "Cruel Summer," this album produced hits like "Rough Justice," "Hot Line To Heaven" and "Robert DeNiro's Waiting," and this deluxe three disc set includes album/single and extended versions of them all. It also includes a non-lp track, "The Wild Life," in single, instrumental, extended and dub versions. The remainder of "bonus" tracks on discs one and two are b-sides, dub versions, and remixes. Of these, "Cairo," "Push!" and "Live Now" are especially notable. The 1989 "Swing Beat" remixes of "Cruel Summer" were produced by Stock Aitken Waterman over five years after the original version debuted, and in this reviewer's opinion they don't add much value to this collection. The dvd in the set is one of the better compilations to come with these deluxe reissues, with seven promotional music videos, and four additional appearances on the BBC. And like the other Bananarama packages, the discs all come in a small hardcover book that also includes song lyrics, release notes, chart data, original album/single art, and an informative essay by reissue producer Tom Parker. Be aware that some collectors have reported problems with split disc sleeves, and small amounts of adhesive on the edges of discs that make it difficult to remove them from the sleeves. My set does have the split bottoms on the sleeves, but only the lower edge of each disc protrudes slightly. As an essential early release from Bananarama, the original 1983 album is highly recommended to new listeners and casual fans. This deluxe collection adds such great supplemental material to the package (including six previously unreleased cuts) that it's a recommended buy for Bananafans and completists alike. DISC ONE: Cruel Summer 3:35, Rough Justice 5:04, King Of The Jungle 3:26, Dream Baby 3:08, Link 1:30, Hot Line To Heaven 7:16, State I'm In 2:45, Robert DeNiro's Waiting 3:42, Through A Child's Eyes 3:39, plus bonus tracks The Wild Life 3:54, Cairo 3:46, Push! 4:08, Live Now 3:05, Cruel Summer (12" version) 4:55, Robert DeNiro's Waiting (extended version) 5:42, Rough Justice (extended version) 5:20, The Wild Life (extended version) 6:23, Cruel Summer ('89 swing beat dub) 5:17 DISC TWO: Cruel Summer ('89 swing beat version) 3:21, Robert DeNiro's Waiting (7" version) 3:29, Rough Justice (7" version) 3:38, Hot Line To Heaven (7" version) 3:45, The Wild Life (7" version) 3:17, Cruel Summer (cruel dub) 3:27, Rough Justice (original 12" mix) 6:40, King Of The Jungle (unsegued version) 3:18, Dream Baby (unsegued version) 3:09, Push! (extended version) 5:55, State I'm In (extended version) 4:37, The Wild Life (dub version) 7:04, Cruel Summer (summer dub) 5:13, State I'm In (instrumental) 3:07, The Wild Life (instrumental) 4:06, Cruel Summer ('89 swing beat instrumental) 5:02 DISC THREE (dvd): Cruel Summer, Robert DeNiro's Waiting, Rough Justice, Hot Line To Heaven, State I'm In, The Wild Life, Cruel Summer '89, Cruel Summer (On "Top Of The Pops"), Robert DeNiro's Waiting (on "The Russell Harty Show"), Rough Justice (on "Top Of The Pops"), Michael Row The Boat Ashore (on "Saturday Superstore")

Although some might balk at the price of the BANANARAMA CD SET, as of this writing it's about $26.00, you're actually getting a good deal. The release by Edsel/Rhino has 2 CDs with bonus tracks including different mixes and versions of the songs contained on the self-titled second album from Bananarama, including the song "The Wild Life," which was added on the cassette back in the 80s but missing from the first CD version of this album. Plus, you also get a DVD that has all the music videos released for the singles from BANANARAMA and performances on the BBC! But the goodies don't stop there! There's also a booklet that features color and b&w photos of the group and the various album art from different countries, as well as song credit, and the lyrics to all of the songs -- including the bonus ones. This is especially appreciated because most of the really good reissue companies like Big Break Records don't include the lyric sheet with their reissues opting to focus on interviews and other info from the recording sessions instead. There's also liner notes written in August 2013 by the reissue producer, Tom Parker, that provides the background information of what happened between the group's first release and this one, and the inspiration behind each of the songs. I didn't know that group (Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward and Siobahn Fahey) also contributed to the writing of the songs on BANANARAMA and many of them had strong lyrics dealing with social issues, which was belied by their angelic harmonies. The discs are housed in medium weight cardboard sleeves with a cut-out notch at the top and bottom, allowing part of the disc to be visible, so they can be accessed and put away easily, and the set is looks like a hardcover book. I would use the term "digi-pack," but this is much more sturdier than most digi-packs that feature only a cardboard cover (like a mini album replica). One note though, the inside of the sleeve isn't laminated as much as I think it should be (I don't even really know if that makes a difference) so I don't know if repeated taking the discs in and out would cause scratches. Normally I'll place the discs in a CD case but I'll probably leave them as is in this situation. If you're a fan of the group than I would definitely recommend picking this up because not only is it worth it, but it lets companies that take the time and care to reissue older music with care that there is a market out there and if they make it we will buy it.

"Cruel Summer" remains one of the all-time best pop songs of the 80's. And "Link" has to be the best harmonies the group ever recorded. "Bananarama" & 1982's "Deep Sea Skiving" stand as their most charismatic albums. After that 2 year pop peak they're more of a singles & dance act - never the same once Siobhan Fahey departs. Additional favorites: "Wild Life", "Hot Line To Heaven", and "Robert DeNiro's Waiting".

El segundo disco de Bananarama es una explosión de pop en su máxima expresión. Imposible no conocer el tema de apertura "Cruel Summer" con su sonido tan pegadizo y lleno de energía por parte de sus vocalistas. Temas como Robert De Niro's Waiting, Rough Justice, King of the Jungle y más, harán de tu tornamesa un viaje de ida y vuelta a una de las mejores décadas en cuanto a cultura popular se refiere. Evidentemente el sonido es muy rico y se escucha de maravilla en este formato, el cual fue prensado a 180g y su disco es color púrpura. Un adicional es que incluye el álbum en compact disc.

Sin lugar a dudas un disco mítico de Bananarama. Edición color y gran calidad de sonido. Acompaña CD en su interior. Para los amantes de los 80 un placer!

Personnellement je n'aime que leurs deux premiers album !

Bananarama: gruppo femminile che ha venduto oltre 40 MILIONI di dischi nel mondo dagli anni 80! Il loro genere pop dance "brilliant" ha conquistato generazioni e la casa discografica ha pensato bene di rendere omaggio a questo gruppo ristampando tutti i loro classici album anni 80 (6 in totale) in edizione Deluxe (2cd + dvd): i cd includono ovviamente tutto l'album, gli inediti, le B-sides ( il famoso lato B dei 45giri spesso brano inedito non incluso nell'album), le versioni in spagnolo, tutti i mix e remix e per concludere il DVD con tutti i video dei singoli dell'album e LE APPARIZIONI TV ALLA BBC!!!! Tutto remasterizzato dai master originali 80s e impacchettato come strong digipak con libretto che include testi e foto. What else? un must per chi adora la dance, gli anni 80 e soprattutto le Bananarama! Li ho presi tutti!!!!

I agree with other reviewers, this is their best album by far. Much as I like SAW, the Jolley & Swain production suited them more. They were never part of the SAW production line of artists & I think the tracks they co-wrote with them prove that. Notably I Heard A Rumour & Love, Truth & Honesty. I put them in the same category as Dead Or Alive who seemed to have a clear identity & just used SAW for a commercial production sound. I would really like the True Confessions re-issue, just for the BBC documentary where, if I remember correctly, some poor guy made a video for A Trick Of The Night only to have it rejected. It wasn't a hit a big hit (why??), so maybe they should have stuck with his effort.