Delayed for obvious reasons, we are getting around to reviewing the latest edition in NOW's yearbook series that sees us return to the nineteen seventies, an era generally not well covered in year based compilations.
As with every issue in this series that started in 2021, this comes out in two cd forms, a simple cheaper quadraple fold card sleeve or in a book edition which has short entries each song, a short resumé of the year and a quiz.
Issued on September 9th, I opted to get the book edition with its 85 songsalthough there is a shorter 3lp version available too.
There's a decent width spine and the four discs are held in cuts outs which I lined with mylar inner sleeves
Musically the main chart sound as disco based which is well represented by Donna Summer and Hot Stuff, soul veteran Edwin Starr with Contact, the Village People with Y.M.C.A. and In The Navy (covered comically by Billy Connolly as In The Brownies) and Leif Garratts I Was Made For Dancing.
Classy soul included Still by the Commodores (darn fine group btw), Woman In Love by the Three Degrees, Lady's Night by Kool & The Gang and September by Earth, Wind and Fire.
Reggae including Ska was big thanks to the Two Tone scene with On My Radio by the Selector, One Step Beyond by Madness, that nutty North London group, Silly Games by Janet Kay and Walking On The Moon by the Police..
Great Pop included Pop Music by M, I Only Want To Be With You by the Tourists, We Don't Talk Any More by Cliff Richard, Bang Bang by B A Robinson, Abba with Chiquitta and Queen's Don't Stop Me Know.
New wave as big in in 1979 which pleased me so Dreaming by Blondie, Eton Rifles by the Jam, Accidents Will Happen by Elvis Costello, Money by the Flying lizards, I Don't Like Mondays and Rock Lobster are all included.
The Cars aren't included but after their first two UK hits were bigger in the States, pity as I loved them buying Candy-O that year.
Heaver rock sounds came in although they tended to sell better on albums so Rainbow's Since You Been Gone, Bat Out Of Hell by Meat loaf feature as does Rappers Delight by the Sugarhill Gang, the first really popular rap song.
It was a fantastic year to be a teen into music with big variety of styles, images and associated youth culture and we haven't even mentioned Don't Stop Til You Get enough from Michael Jackson's first Epic solo album issued that year.
On October 21st the now legendary top "Extra" volume was released that added an additional 67 tracks to the series in the more bare bones tri-fold card sleeve with slots for each disc.
This set isn't quite as disco heavy as the main having a mixture of Pop, New Wave and then Disco hits included such as Cats U.K. with Luton Airport a ditty to that other "London" airport, Sally Oldfield's Mirrors and the hard to forget as a fifteen year old Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney.
Other hard to forget numbers include Mike Oldfield's arrangement of the Blue Peter tv show theme, Daytrip To Banger by Fiddler's Dram and Gerry Rafferty's Get It Right Next Time from his Night Owl album.
Add a dose of new wave classics to the mix and it couldn't be better!
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