Living in the 80's, Vol. 2 [Import]

living in the 80's, vol. 2 [import]

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Pilto of the Airwaves - Charlie Dore

2. Fly Too High - Janis Ian

3. Gonna Get Along Without You Now - Viola Wills

4. When I'm With You - Sparks

5. Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime - The Korgis

6. Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie

7. Nobody Told Me - The Monitors

8. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

9. Love in Motion - Icehouse

10. Only Crying - Keith Marshall

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr.

2. Out of Touch - Hall & Oates

3. Riddle - Nik Kershaw

4. One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head

5. Kiss Me - Stephen Duffy

6. We Close Our Eyes - Go West

7. Obsession - Animotion

8. Bittersweet - Hoodoo Gurus

9. Freeway of Love - Aretha Franklin

10. Tarzan Boy - Baltimora

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 1
1. Pilto of the Airwaves - Charlie Dore
2. Fly Too High - Janis Ian
3. Gonna Get Along Without You Now - Viola Wills
4. When I'm With You - Sparks
5. Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime - The Korgis
6. Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie
7. Nobody Told Me - The Monitors
8. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
9. Love in Motion - Icehouse
10. Only Crying - Keith Marshall
See all 20 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr.
2. Out of Touch - Hall & Oates
3. Riddle - Nik Kershaw
4. One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
5. Kiss Me - Stephen Duffy
6. We Close Our Eyes - Go West
7. Obsession - Animotion
8. Bittersweet - Hoodoo Gurus
9. Freeway of Love - Aretha Franklin
10. Tarzan Boy - Baltimora
See all 20 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Australian Exclusive Compilation. Artists Include Janis Ian, Rick Springfield, Nick Kershaw, Stephen Duffy, Mental as Anything, and More.

Living in the 80's, Vol. 2,Various Artists,Bmg Int'l,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Adult Contemporary,Album Rock,Alternative Pop/Rock,Club/Dance,Dance-Pop,Disco,New Wave,Pop,Pop/Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop Collections,Synth Pop,Urban,V/a Compilations

Living in the 80's, Vol. 2 [Import]

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 4

Average customer rating:

Back from Oblivion - Volume 4
Dynamite compilation of non-typical 1980's hits!
hits for sure
Living Oblivious
Some gems, some better forgotten

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 4
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 5
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13

ASIN: B000002TOJ
Release Date: 1994-10-04

Tracks:

Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
One Thing Leads To Another - The Fixx
True - Spandau Ballet
Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Digging Your Scene - The Blow Monkeys
Sister Of Mercy - Thompson Twins
Under The Milky Way - The Church
Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) - Red Box
Since Yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade
You Don't Know - Scarlett & Black
Some People - Belouis Some
Shock - The Motels
Belly Of The Whale - Burning Sensation
Tenderness - General Public
Get Out Of London - Intaferon
Go - Tones On Tail
Slang Teacher - Wide Boy Awake
Lawnchairs - Our Daughter's Wedding
Mexican Radio - Wall Of Voodoo

Customer Reviews:

Back from Oblivion - Volume 4.......2007-04-13

Music from the 1980's was often unusual. Music went several directions after the demise of Disco, seeking new sounds and ideas. Big hair bands, New Wave and a host of other styles came and went. Though most of these styles failed to catch on, collectively this music represents an array of unique and unusual music. Most of these songs were released as singles and made at least the top 100 either in the U.S. or the U.K. A few did not. Most of these songs are great reminiscences of the 1980's, and fans of 80's music should find a lot of music to refresh their musical memories and broaden their musical horizons.

The songs, chart position (from the CD booklet) on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.K. Top 75, and a brief comment:

(1) Dance Hall Days; U.S. #16. This song has a mature sound that may remind some listeners of David Bowie in the same era. This song was one of Wang Chung's biggest hits.

(2) One Thing Leads to Another; U.S. #4; U.K. #86. This bouncy dance song was The Fixx's biggest hit and also made it to #2 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and #14 on the U.S. Dance 50.

(3) True; U.S. #4; U.K. #1. Spandau Ballet was an English group with many charting singles in the U.K. In 1983, they broke into the U.S. charts and achieved their greatest success with this ballad.

(4) Come On Eileen; U.S. #1; U.K. #1. This quirky, award winning song made Dexys Midnight Runners a one-hit wonder in the U.S., but the group was successful in the U.K. in the 1980's until the group disbanded in 1986.

(5) Digging Your Scene (U.S. Single Version); U.S. #14; U.K. #12. This sophisticated song contains an array of influences from earlier eras and was The Blow Monkeys biggest U.S. hit.

(6) Sister of Mercy (Single Version); U.K. #11. The Thompson Twins had a series of hits in the U.S. and the world. This mellow song is representative of the group's music.

(7) Under the Milky Way; U.S. #24. This beautiful song is one of The Church's biggest hits. The haunting music just begs to be played over and over. This song is also a good reminder that Australia has great musicians.

(8) Lean On Me; U.K. #3. This tune is quite catchy and fun to hear. Red Box never did have a hit in the U.S., though this song seems like it could have done well in the 80's in the U.S.

(9) Since Yesterday; U.K. #5. The song is cute and made Strawberry Switchblade one hit wonders. The attractive Scottish ladies were unable to duplicate their success with this song and disbanded well before the decade ended.

(10) You Don't Know; U.S. #20. This pop song by Scarlett & Black is very catchy and helped give this duo a one-hit-wonder.

(11) Some People; U.S. #67; U.K. #33. This song is average 80's music but become one of Belouis Some's biggest hit. His real name is Neville Keighley. One of his songs made an appearance in "Pretty in Pink."

(12) Shock; U.S. #84. This song is faster with a slightly harder edge than most of the songs in this collection. The Motels had other, bigger and better songs than this one.

(13) Belly of the Whale; did not chart. Burning Sensations had a short history that included this song. The song has a lot of Reggae influence, which makes it unique on this album.

(14) Tenderness; U.S. #27. General Public came and went, leaving behind a few songs such as this minor hit.

(15) Get Out of London; U.K. 93. Though Intaferon was in and out of the public eye so quickly that you might have missed them, this song enjoyed another moment of fame when it was chosen for the soundtrack of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie, "Winning London." The song is one of the faster songs in this collection with interesting electronic sound effects.

(16) Go; unknown chart position. Tones on Tail's music was psychedelic and surreal, and thus generally not in the mainstream. However, this unusual song has become a favorite at retro dance clubs. When you listen to it you will see why.

(17) Slang Teacher; unknown chart position. This funky song was one of the few recorded by Wide Boy Awake. Kevin Mooney helped form this short-lived group that never released an album. Mooney's claim to fame was a stint as the bassist for Adam and the Ants.

(18) Lawnchairs; U.K. #49. Sometimes American bands invaded the U.K. Our Daughter's Wedding had a minor hit in the U.K. with this song that was never released in the U.S. The group quickly disappeared into oblivion.

(19) Mexican Radio; U.S. #58; U.K. #64. Quirky music sold well in the early days of MTV as long as there was a video, as Wall of Voodoo proved with this minor hit. This song ended up being their only charting song, though the group continued to release albums until their breakup in 1988.

Musicians experimented with many different sounds in the 1980's as a new generation looked for something different from music of the early 70's and disco. Many groups were formed, had one hit or semi-hit, and then broke up. What remained is an eclectic collection of songs that may be dated, but are still a lot of fun to hear. These songs may not be the best songs of the 1980's but they do capture the feeling of the era. Be glad that these songs were rescued from oblivion.

Enjoy!

Dynamite compilation of non-typical 1980's hits!.......2005-11-30

The Living In Oblivion series of CD compilations does something that many similar compilations do NOT do: they give us some great variety of "hits".

There is no doubt that "Mickey" by Toni Basil was a huge hit. There's also no doubt that "Our Lips are Sealed" was a break out hit for the Go Go's, but the Funboy Three version wasn't. But what about "Living in a Box"? It only hit the Billboard top 100 at #89 in 1987. So why is it here? Why are a large number of these songs? They're not top 10 hits, right?

Wrong!

I'm sick to death of so many compilations relying on top 40 hits from the 80's. The U.S. music tastes are typically very different from those of Europe. Just because a song doesn't make the U.S. Billboard top 40 doesn't mean that it isn't a hit in other countries. And although I'm an American, my music tastes have always run more in line with those of Europe.

I'm delighted that the Living in Oblivion series (and the Pop and Wave series) have incorporated a variety of hits from the U.S. and Europe.

I also like that some of the more obscure groups and their songs are available on these compilations. There are several songs on these albums that never were released on CD (as they hadn't come into being at the time of the groups' albums initial releases), so albums such as these are the only place where you can find these hits. The Boys Don't Cry song "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" hit the Billboard charts at #12 in 1986, but the group disappeared soon thereafter. Then all of a sudden a dance version of that same song came out in the early 2000's and rocketed up the dance charts.

Don't be misled, the Living in Oblivion series is one of the absolutely best series for a variety of music from the 80's. If you want to hear run of the mill, top 40 only hits from the 80's, well, then you'll just have to look elsewhere.

Also, the liner notes and pictures of the groups included in the jewel box are really clever. You get to find out what the chart position was for the songs in the compilation and see what the groups looked like at the time of the song's release. My only issue with these liner notes is that the author of them seems to be disparaging the very music which these albums are espousing. Apparently many believe that the music from the 80's was vacuous and devoid of emotion. One need only listen to the song "The Promise" by the group "When in Rome" (Living in Oblivion Volume 5) to know that such a statement is false. While that group only had this one hit and then faded into obscurity, "The Promise" made the Billboard Top 100 at #11 and the Billboard Dance Chart at #1.

Anyway... I can't recommend this album and its entire series any more! It's simply awesome! Before believing those who would disparage this series of albums, please check the Billboard charts and you'll see that these songs were in fact hits.

GET IT!

hits for sure.......2005-09-02

This is the type of 80s compilation i would go for it contains a lotof hits you cant find in any other compilations exspecially songs like Get Out of London - Intaferon and Sister of Mercy - Thompson Twins are something hard to find in other compilations i bought this album because it features Digging Your Scene [US Single Version] - The Blow Monkeys and also for Go! - Tones on Tail

Living Oblivious.......2004-09-20

There are some tracks on this disk that (thankfully) I had never heard of. However, there are a few songs here that are very difficult to find.

Belly of the Whale - Burning Sensations. In fact it was for this one song that I bought the CD.

Get out of London - Intaferon. As previously mentioned this is a hard song to locate.

Also, WangChung, Tones on Tail and the Thompson Twins add to the value of this disc (for me at least.)

Some gems, some better forgotten.......2004-08-06

As with any compilation, some tracks you already have, some you want, and some you don't really care for. The selling point for me was the inclusion of Intaferon's 'Get Out Of London' - REALLY hard to find on CD - and I'd rather get it on this for a handful of bucks than on the Olsen twins' Winning London soundtrack for maybe 3 times the price.

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 5

Average customer rating:

Helps you remember the decade you tried to forget
Highly Recommended! Great compilations of non-typical 80's hits!
THIS AIN'T NO TIME-LIFE SERIES PEOPLE!
hit list
The 80's greatest hits (and misses).

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 5
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 4
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 11

ASIN: B000002TWV
Release Date: 1995-04-04

Tracks:

Major Tom (Coming Home) - Peter Schilling
Hyperactive - Thomas Dolby
Promises, Promises - Naked Eyes
The Promise - When In Rome
Vienna - Ultravox
Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up) - China Crisis
Steady - Jules Shear
Our Lips Are Sealed - The Fun Boy Three
Pleasure And Pain - Divinyls
Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream) - The Icicle Works
The Honeythief - Hipsway
Souvenir - Rubber Rodeo
I Wanna Be A Cowboy - Boy's Don't Cry
The Captain Of Her Heart - Double
When Your Heart Is Weak - Cock Robin
Love Changes (Everything) - Climie Fisher
More Than Physical - Banarama
Vanity Kills - ABC
We Close Our Eyes - Go West

Customer Reviews:

Helps you remember the decade you tried to forget.......2007-05-21

This CD has tracks I could not find any where else, not even Napster or Walmart Custom CDs. I played it on my summer break to the beach and it brought back memories. My kids even like the music. So, if you Wanna be a Cowboy, or you miss the Captain of your heart, listen up and enjoy!

Highly Recommended! Great compilations of non-typical 80's hits!.......2005-11-30

THIS AIN'T NO TIME-LIFE SERIES PEOPLE!.......2005-11-28

I own all 5 of the LIO series and must say that v.5 stands out as the issue that most personifies (what I believe) is the point of the series. Many of the songs in the series were songs I may have heard only once in the 80's (in clubs, on the radio, in movies). But were it not for the LIO series, many of the tunes would definitely be relegated to musical "oblivion". (Hint to the LIO naysayers: Just because you never heard it before, doesn't mean it isn't "GOOD"! If you want only what was in the TOP 40 in the '80's, try a TIME-LIFE series!)

Everything here shines in it's own '80's quirky sort of way. I left off 1 star only because the version of "Hyperactive" is an edited version and not the full version included on Thomas Dolby's "Retrospectacle" album.

Not everything in the LIO series is a hit, but it contains so many songs not found anywhere else that truly deserve a second listen and their own place outside of oblivion.

PS: I am told that v.5 is officially OUT OF PRINT.

hit list.......2005-09-02

I used to earlier buy the NOW compilation series thinking the best songs were found in the NOW compilations but i now realise i wasted a lot of money on the now scrap only after coming across the Living In Oblivion series of 80s hits i had listened to volumes 1 and 2 and feel this is the type of music i always wanted

The 80's greatest hits (and misses). .......2005-04-17

Truth be known, most of these songs were not big hits, and some I never even heard before. I mean where is Prince, Cyndi Lauper, and Huey Lewis on these 5 cd's? But I will say half of this collection is really strong, and the other half is at least decent. My personal favorites would be "Major Tom (coming home)", "Promises, Promises", "The Promise", and "I Wanna Be A Cowboy". Also good is "Pleasure And Pain", "The Honeythief", and "Enola Gay". However, the reason I bought this was for Doubles "Captain Of Her Heart", which I often heard as a kid, and haven't seen anywhere in years. This 5th volume in the series is roughly the same as the others, it's just a matter of what tracks you're really trying to hunt down.

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3

Average customer rating:

Awesome compilation of non-typical hits from the 1980's!
Best of the Living in Oblivion Series
Totally 80's Man
Brilliant from Start to Finish
If you valued the 80's, don't buy this compilation

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 4
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 5
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 11

ASIN: B000002TNH
Release Date: 1994-03-22

Tracks:

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - The Human League
Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Life In A Northern Town - The Dream Academy
Election Day - Arcadia
Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz
Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart
The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3
Make A Circuit With Me - The Polecats
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
Sidewalk Talk - Jellybean
It's My Life - Talk Talk
(I Just) Died In Your Arms - Cutting Crew
Hanging On A Heart Attack - Device
Poison Arrow - ABC
Aeiou Sometimes Y - Ebon-Ozn
Are You Sure - So
The Way You Are - Tears For Fears
What Do All The People Know - The Monroes

Customer Reviews:

Awesome compilation of non-typical hits from the 1980's!.......2005-11-30

Best of the Living in Oblivion Series.......2004-11-13

I own all five Living In Oblivion discs and this one is the one I listen to the most. Just like all compilations, there are some songs that you can find on just about any '80s retrospective CD, but there are many good songs that are not on those other discs. These songs include the fantastic "It's My Life" by Talk Talk, "Hanging on a Heart Attack" by Device, "Are You Sure" by So, "What Do All the People Know" by The Monroes, and my personal favorite, "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy.
Every fan of the 1980s will find one disc more to their liking, but chances are that most of you who love 80s music will find several songs on this disc that you will like.

Totally 80's Man.......2004-09-13

Ok, just to make it clear, some people (ahem, some reviewers) clearly don't understand the point of the Living In Oblivion series. So far, in my listening experience, this CD has been the best one yet. With tracks of Single Hit bands and those rare songs that are just downright 80's, L.I.O. delivers a dose of the unique sounds of the eighties, and gives a splash of some of the era's greatest hits. This is what its all about.
Awesome Tracks:
Device - Hanging On a Heart Attack
Talk Talk - It's My Life
EBN-OZN - AEIOU Sometimes Y
So- Are You Sure
ABC- Poison Arrow

Rock On 80's Woo Hoo!

Brilliant from Start to Finish.......2002-04-14

Despite the complaints below, there are great songs here that, in fact, are hard to find elsewhere: AEIOU Sometimes Y, Hanging On a Heart Attack, Sidewalk Talk, Make a Circuit with Me, and Shattered Dreams. And that reviewer assumes that you already have the same discs as he does. Um, OK.

If you valued the 80's, don't buy this compilation.......1999-08-30

You'd think that an 80's anthology of music would understand that it caters to an audience which is nostalgic toward that decade.

Tracks:

Mickey - Toni Basil
Get It On (Bang A Gong) - Power Station
Lay Your Hands On Me - Thompson Twins
Let Me Go - Heaven 17
Love Plus One - Haircut One Hundred
Heart And Soul - T'Pau
Just Got Lucky - Jo Boxers
It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It) - Fun Boy Three Bananarama
The Jam Was Moving - Debbie Harry
Love Missile F1-11 - Sigue Sigue Sputnik
88 Lines About 44 Women - Nails
Only The Lonely - Motels
Living In A Box - Living In A Box
Walking On Sunshine - The Waves
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Church Of The Poison Mind - Culture Club
Destination Unknown - Missing Persons
Never Ending Story - Limahl
Mickey (Spanish Version) - Toni Basil

Customer Reviews:

Great disk.......2007-06-14

"80's" compendiums usually are code for, "KROQ playlist". This one's no different, and thank heaven! As in, Heaven 17, of course, and while there are a couple fillers on here (the Spanish version of "Hey, Mickey" is a waste of space), it's a great disc.

Do Not Buy For T'Pau! (Review for Liv in Obliv Vol 2).......2006-03-08

For some reason this review seems to show up on Living In Oblivion Vol 1 (and so do others). This is a review of the Vol. 2 disc.

Hmm. The tracks selected for this CD are kind of interesting, a bit more obscure (to American ears, anyway) than most 80's collections. The only real mega-hit, T'Pau's 1987 smash "Heart and Soul," is butchered by the low fidelity of the track--a problem plauging this CD in its entirety to an extent, but the T'Pau track is by far the worst. It sounds almost like it's mono, but I'm not sure.

Still, a few of the more obscure features make this an interesting compilation. DJ's doing 80s stuff might want to throw on the Spanish language version of Toni Basil's "Mickey" (provided along with the regular version)--it's a Hoot! Power Station's cover of the T-Rex early '70's hit "Get It On (Bang A Gong)" is one I recall from the 80's--though unequal to the original, it is worth playing from time to time. Some of the other well-known tracks by the Vapors, Motels, Thompson Twins, Missing Persons, Culture Club, Katrina & the Waves, Thomas Dolby, Naked Eyes, Talk Talk, as well as the English version of Toni Basil's Mickey, are best acquired elsewhere where the fidelity is better.

There are some real wacko tracks on this CD not generally available elsewhere. Most notable is "88 Lines About 44 Women" by the Nails (who??), a definitely R-rated discussion, of, apparently, the "artist's" female conquests. It amuses a little (if you like crude off-color sex puns, that is) but does not overwhelm either, and it is not an under-17 track (which is a shame since the humor in is is more like under 13). The Fun Boy Three with Bananarama track "It ain't what you do," is another obscurity that, probably, deserves its fate. The remaining songs I haven't mentioned I will leave to Rest In Peace, as they are all vintage forgettables except for the strangely out of place "Neverending Story," which surely is available elsewhere with better fidelity.

In sum, maybe buy used, but for God's sake don't buy this mediocre effort new.

(For a different, very interesting perspective on this CD, read "Atlanta Native's" post.)

Half awesome!.......2006-02-13

The truth is, with 80's collections, the more songs it has that you want, the better it is. This "Living In Oblivion" series is no different. I find "Volume 5" to be the best, others may not. Like most of them though, I really love half of what's here, the rest is still ok. My favorites are the excellent "Get It On (bang a gong)", "Lay Your Hands On Me", "Heart And Soul", and "The Jam Was Moving". Others I'd call classic are "Running Up That Hill", "Destination Unknown", and the infamous "Never Ending Story". If you can find this for a few bucks, it's well worth the trip down memory lane.

Awesome! Non-typical "hits" from the 80's .......2005-11-30

The Living In Oblivion series of CD compilations does something that many similar compilations do NOT do: they give us some great variety of "hits".

There is no doubt that "Mickey" by Toni Basil was a huge hit. There's also no doubt that "Our Lips are Sealed" was a break out hit for the Go Go's, but the Funboy Three version wasn't. But what about "Living in a Box"? It only hit the Billboard top 100 at #89 in 1987. So why is it here? Why are a large number of these songs? They're not top 10 hits, right?

Wrong!

I'm sick to death of so many compilations relying on top 40 hits from the 80's. The U.S. music tastes are typically very different from those of Europe. Just because a song doesn't make the U.S. Billboard top 40 doesn't mean that it isn't a hit in other countries. And although I'm an American, my music tastes have always run more in line with those of Europe.

I'm delighted that the Living in Oblivion series (and the Pop and Wave series) have incorporated a variety of hits from the U.S. and Europe.

I also like that some of the more obscure groups and their songs are available on these compilations. There are several songs on these albums that never were released on CD (as they hadn't come into being at the time of the groups' albums initial releases), so albums such as these are the only place where you can find these hits. The Boys Don't Cry song "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" hit the Billboard charts at #12 in 1986, but the group disappeared soon thereafter. Then all of a sudden a dance version of that same song came out in the early 2000's and rocketed up the dance charts.

Don't be misled, the Living in Oblivion series is one of the absolutely best series for a variety of music from the 80's. If you want to hear run of the mill, top 40 only hits from the 80's, well, then you'll just have to look elsewhere.

Also, the liner notes and pictures of the groups included in the jewel box are really clever. You get to find out what the chart position was for the songs in the compilation and see what the groups looked like at the time of the song's release. My only issue with these liner notes is that the author of them seems to be disparaging the very music which these albums are espousing. Apparently many believe that the music from the 80's was vacuous and devoid of emotion. One need only listen to the song "The Promise" by the group "When in Rome" (Living in Oblivioon Volume 5) to know that such a statement is false. While that group only had this one hit and then faded into obscurity, "The Promise" made the Billboard Top 100 at #11 and the Billboard Dance Chart at #1.

Anyway... I can't recommend this album and its entire series any more! It's simply awesome! Before believing those who would disparage this series of albums, please check the Billboard charts and you'll see that these songs were in fact hits.

GET IT!

Great for the true new wave fans.......2005-08-13

I don't understand why people keep reviewing the Living in Oblivion series and whining that these aren't the songs they heard on the radio. There are plenty of compilations out there with all the 80s radio hits. This series has a lot of the great songs that didn't get much radio play. I knew all but one song on this disc because in the 80s I was hanging out at postpunk/new wave clubs and listening to college radio. For anyone who truly loves new wave/club music from the 80s, this is a great collection.

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

good compilation for a decent price
Awesome collection of hits that aren't run of the mill!
For the 80s new wave fan
Only buy used
Oblivion from the Obvious to the Obscure

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

British Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 4
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 5
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13

ASIN: B000002UR9
Release Date: 1993-03-23

Tracks:

Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes
Talk Talk (Remix) - Talk Talk
Kids In America - Kim Wilde
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
The Politics Of Dancing - Re-Flex
19 - Paul Hardcastle
Homicide - 999
Romanticide - Combo Audio
Guilty - Classix Nouveaux
(Get A) Grip (On Yourself) - The Stranglers
2-4-6-8 Motorway - Tom Robinson Band
C30, C60, C90, Go - Bow Wow Wow
(She's) Sexy + 17 - Stray Cats
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
I Eat Cannibals (Part One) - Total Coelo
Shiny Shiny - Haysi Fantayzee

Customer Reviews:

good compilation for a decent price.......2005-12-30

I bought this 5 cd set years ago and I still get it out often. True, I wasn't familiar with all of the songs (which is strange since I was a teenager in the 80's), but there are enough great songs to justify the purchase.
Most compilations rely on the same 15 songs (yawn). This set reminds you of some songs you may have forgotten and introduces you to some you may have never heard before.
If you love the energy and the off-beat style of 80's new wave, this is a great start.

Awesome collection of hits that aren't run of the mill!.......2005-11-30

For the 80s new wave fan.......2005-08-13

I remember all of these songs and love most of them! But, I am not looking for mainstream 80s stuff, a lot of the songs on the Living in Oblivion series were hits on MTV or in the postpunk/new wave clubs or college radio. Anyone who hit these types of clubs at the time should know these. A great collection for the true fan of new wave/club music.

Only buy used.......2005-07-21

I bought this CD used for about $2.00. I did that on purpose because out of 18 songs, I like (& know) only 8 of them. However those 8 are great ones. My favorites being "Talk,Talk" and "The Politics of Dancing" which alone are worth $2 to me!! I recommend listening to the samples first and see for yourself what you think.

Oblivion from the Obvious to the Obscure.......2004-09-09

The Living in Oblivion series is the way compilations should be made. It offers a wide variety of music from the very well-known to bands I've never heard of. The booklet includes a brief, interesting history of the tracks and there are photos of EVERY band on the track list. Even for some of the more famous bands like Bow Wow Wow and Spandau Ballet, the LIO people did not choose the obvious songs like "I Want Candy," or "True" that we've all heard tons of times on the raido, but chose other hits we may have forgotten about or never heard. The LIO series is an excellent way to catch up with some 1980s favorites while also discovering stuff you missed.

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1-5 [COMPLETE SET]

Average customer rating:

only 5?
Great 80's music

Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1-5 [COMPLETE SET]

Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Similar Items:

Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 12
Classic Alternatives, Vol. 4
Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 5
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 11

ASIN: B000DZFM82

Product Description

5 CD set featuring new wave artists of the 80's. Artists featured in this collection are: Naked Eyes, Kim Wilde, Ultravox, When In Rome, Thomas Dolby, ABC, Go West, Bananarama, Toni Basil, Hipsway, Human League, Thompson Twins, Timbuk 3, The Polecats, Arcadia, Stray Cats, The Monroes, Tones On Tail, and many, many more.

Customer Reviews:

only 5?.......2007-07-03

The set of Cd's is great! I am just curious why there are only five for sale? I have the box set and it came with six...

Great 80's music.......2006-08-15

If you are looking for alot of great 80's music in one set, this is the one to buy.

Selling the set on Amazon can be a problem. Amazon only gives you $2.59 credit to mail 5 CD's. My suggestion here is to sell each CD separately.

Average customer rating:

Take a trip down "Memory Lane"

Living in the 80's, Vol. 2
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Bmg Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000J9Y5
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

Pilto of the Airwaves - Charlie Dore
Fly Too High - Janis Ian
Gonna Get Along Without You Now - Viola Wills
When I'm With You - Sparks
Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime - The Korgis
Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie
Nobody Told Me - The Monitors
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Love in Motion - Icehouse
Only Crying - Keith Marshall
Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
Words - Missing Persons
Wot - Captain Sensible
Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band
Puttin' on the Ritz - Taco
Come Said the Boy - Mondo Rock
Politics of Dancing - Re-Flex
Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) - Scritti Politti
I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman
Missing You - John Waite

Tracks:

Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr.
Out of Touch - Hall & Oates
Riddle - Nik Kershaw
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
Kiss Me - Stephen Duffy
We Close Our Eyes - Go West
Obsession - Animotion
Bittersweet - Hoodoo Gurus
Freeway of Love - Aretha Franklin
Tarzan Boy - Baltimora
Sara - Starship
Kyrie - Mr. Mister
Let's Go All the Way - Sly Fox
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
He's Just No Good for You - Mental as Anything
Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz
True Faith - New Order
Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
Say Goodbye - Indecent Obsession
Talk It Over - Grayson Hugh

Album Details

Australian Exclusive Compilation. Artists Include Janis Ian, Rick Springfield, Nick Kershaw, Stephen Duffy, Mental as Anything, and More.

Customer Reviews:

Take a trip down "Memory Lane".......2000-08-09

I originally wanted a copy of the song entitled " One Night in Bangkok." However, I couldn't find the "Chess" soundtrack from which the song originally appears, so I bought this compilation instead. It has been a pleasure to stroll down memory lane while listening to the funky tunes of that born-again decade of geometrical haircuts and fuschia colored anything. On the whole, I feel the disc set is solid. I would reccommend it to anyone who grew up in the eighties and fondly remembers the styles that were churned out then.

Enjoy!

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