English Beat - Beat This! The Best Of The English Beat *

Artist:

English Beat

See Also:

Fine Young Cannibals Marley, Bob Brown, James General Public

Description:

This is a Hyper CD, which contains regular audio tracks and also provides a
link to the artist`s website with the help of a web browser.
English Beat: Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar); Rankin` Roger (vocals); Andy Cox (guitar); Saxa (saxophone); Dave Steele (bass); Everett Morton (drums).
Includes liner notes by Malu Halasa.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
A key element of the late-1970s/early-`80s UK ska revival, the English Beat nevertheless always had more pop smarts and a wider stylistic palette than compatriots like the Specials and the Selecter. As BEAT THIS! THE BEST OF THE ENGLISH BEAT makes clear, ska wound up being just one color in the band`s musical paint box.
Early on, the Beat showed a knack for re-imagining `60s pop tunes in patented two-tone style (Smokey Robinson`s "Tears of a Clown," Andy Williams`s "Can`t Get Used to Losing You"). "Click Click" reveals the influence of punk, while "Doors of Your Heart" shows the group`s skill with a straight reggae groove. The Motown-flavored chug of "Sole Salvation" and the jangly pop of "Save It for Later" show how the band was maturing towards the end of their tether, Dave Wakeling`s lyrics growing ever more literate and Elvis Costello-esque as the music expanded. Unfortunately, though, the Beat eventually had to die so that offshoots General Public and Fine Young Cannibals might live. Lucky for us, we have BEAT THIS! as a memento of the English Beat`s glory days.

Track Listing:

BEAT THIS: THE BEST OF THE ENGLISH BEAT:

1. Mirror in the Bathroom
2. Best Friend
3. Hands Off She`s Mine
4. Too Nice to Talk To
5. Doors of Your Heart
6. I Confess
7. Twist and Crawl
8. Rankin Full Stop
9. Drowning
10. Save It For Later
11. Sole Salvation
12. Click Click
13. Tears of a Clown
14. Can`t Get Used to Losing You
15. Stand Down Margaret

Album Information

Release Date:

09/11/2001

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Reggae

Subgenre:

2 Tone Ska

Label:

London/Sire

Producer:

Bob Sargeant

Catalog Number:

40735

Original Release Year:

2001

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

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