"This version is acceptable, but the blue covered CD has extended-length songs, and is more worth the expense. The "Blue Cover" version can be found at HTFCDS.COM, based in Aurora, Illinois."
Doesn't really qualify as a "greatest hits" album
Matthew Wilcox | Lansing, MI | 12/23/1999
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I empathize with the AON fans who once owned the illustrious "blue cover" version of this title. I'm fortunate enough to still have my copy which, to set the record straight, is basically the 12" mixes of most of the titles on this release. It is true that removing "Moments In Love" from this album is a crime, but I also believe that the original version of "Legs" was a much better single for Art Of Noise than its evil twin, "Legacy". Finally, I have never been able to locate a CD with the original version of "Beat Box" (the version on the Into Battle ep). Even the Daft CD, which compiles Into Battle, the Moments In Love ep, and (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! left this version out, which should have also been included on this compilation of their 7" singles. Keep your eyes open for the hard-to-find "blue cover" version."
A place where art and noise do belong in the same sentence
Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 03/05/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One of the off-beat bands to hail from the UK was the trio of Ann Dudley, J. J. Jeczalik, both keyboardists, and Gary Langan doing various instruments and sharing production chores with Jeczalik, while Dudley handled the arrangements. Billed as the Art of Noise, their music can be classified as experimental keyboard music using bizarre sounds, sound loops, and computerized vocals. The material on this compilation takes the group following their departure from Trevor Horn's ZTT Records and onto China Records.An example of their unconventionality can be heard in "Opus 4," in which the phrase "nous sommes, das", "nous nous" are repeated over and over and overlapped for the first couple of seconds, and the same process is repeated with different phrases and many of them while a keyboard melody is played."Yebo" has a running and throbbing Jan Hammer-like rhythm, with some African vocals and words rapped and later sung, while a long-drawn Steve Lukather-like guitar is played."Instruments of Darkness" is an exercise in early 90's rave, with the words "all of us are one people" and other rave shouts included. Also noteworthy is one of the producer/arrangers: Liam Howlett, later to form Prodigy.A complete contrast can be seen in "Robinson Crusoe," with its saccharine high-pitched Percy Faith-like string arrangements.The years 1986 and 1988 were two of their better years. Their rendition of the Henry Mancini-penned Peter Gunn theme, with Duane Eddy's surf-guitar, and weird squealing sound fills for the main rhythm, became a UK Top Ten hit."Relax, you're quite safe here," says a sensuous female voice to Max Headroom (those who remember the computerized spokesperson for New Coke who bore a strong resemblance to Red Dwarf's Kryten) in "Paranoimia," which features the usual keyboard while Max performs a spoken stream of consciousness soliloquy to a lightly swaying rhythm, and even his shot at poetry: "come sweet slumber and shroud me in your purple cloak. Doesn't rhyme."And then: "DRAGNET! THEIR JOB--TO ENFORCE THE LAW AND PRESERVE THE SAFETY OF DECENT CITIZENS. DUM DA-DUM-DUM!!" Their instrumental exercise on the Dragnet soundtrack for the Dan Aykroyd/Tom Hanks movie is not the version on the soundtrack or the one used on MTV, but an extended mix with more vocal samples that are looped, particularly Aykroyd ("My name is Friday. I carry a badge", "Just the facts, ma'am.") and Hanks ("You got a lot of repressed feelings, don't you, Friday?") amid a sea of keyboards, drum machines, and other effects going amuck."Legacy" is a bizarre mixture of odd vocals, keyboards, drums, and samples that's also in place on a Yello album.A song with mixed results is a cover of Prince's "Kiss," with Tom Jones on vocals. It strips down the original to drum machines and keyboards to a minimalist sound. But the backing vocalists and bursts of brass work somewhat, with a brief improvisation on the Peter Gunn theme included."The Art of Noise is weird" says a female voice on "Something Always Happen." An A for truth on the other tracks, but not for this exercise on drums, airy synths, vibe-like synths, which is more conventional.Following their dissolution, Anne Dudley would go on to work on soundtracks as well as a collaboration with Jaz Coleman on some Middle Eastern music, Songs From The Victorious City, more exotic, but less conventional than the material in this collection, a testament to the noise...I mean the art present in the Art of Noise."
BLUE vs. PINK Versions revealed !
D.O. | 10/21/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I finally decided to upgrade my A.O.N. cassetes to CD,
and I had forgotten there were two versions of the 'Best Of A.O.N.'- blue AND pink- which I still resent today as when I was first was forced to choose-
(and there is confusion when the color specification is missing - so hopefully this helps you to choose the color that's right for you.
When I first discovered A.O.N., I was enthralled.
I opted then for the BLUE version on cassette because it had more songs and boasted the extended and 'AON' mixes(which are essentially just extended post-release), but fear it's demise as cassette decks become harder to replace.
Over the years, I came to accept this BLUE version as the definitive collection of A.O.N., but, alas, some of the extended,
mixes were kind of long-winded (like this version of 'Dragnet 88' with a Dan Ackroyd sampled vocal overdose,
and the superfluous, repetetive orchestrals).
'Moments In Love' , with it's pulsing, hypnotic texture had to grow on me through relistening, is on this version.
The extended 'Paranoimia' featuring Max Headroom here (6:30)-as noted in one of the other reviews,
is not the radio version, but this should have been the only extended re-mix
(I love all three Paranoimia versions though, as this sampled, beatbox style was the distinctive, fun, A.O.N. sound )
The glaring differance of BLUE is the inclusion of 'Beatbox (Diversion One)', Close(To The Edit),
and the extended mix of 'Paranoimia' and 'Peter Gunn Theme' (which begs editing), but this
sampled-techno-beat style IS the art of Art Of Noise.
'Moments In Love' is also on this BLUE version. It's pulsing, hypnotic style IS the art of A.O.N.
BLUE contains the best (long) version of Princes' 'Kiss', featuring Tom Jones - -
this is the main reason I'd reccomend BLUE as the desert island selection..
The PINK edition, more considerate in regard for succinctness, has fewer of the
signature beat driven tracks and sampling technique tracks that distinguished A.O.N.
The biggest departure comes in the first half :
'Yebo' , 'Instruments Of Darkness', and 'Robinson Crusoe' replace
'Beatbox','Moments In Love', and Close(To The Edit) from the BLUE version
Shorter versions of 'Paranoimia', and 'Peter Gunn' are refreshing, and I do prefer the female spoken
intro to 'Paranoimia'
-but 'Kiss featuring Tom Jones' on the blue version is the quintessential version.
I reccomend the Blue version AND the Pink version combined - without Dan Ackroyd at all ! I hate remixes as a marketing ploy! What a tool!
So I went with PiNK on CD...so now, I still have to afford a Blue one too
on a future purchase since my cassette is still good...
[* It should be a LAW to include release dates on CD'S!!! ]
~David Galloway"
Bring back the Blue!!
R. Townsend | 10/09/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This is not really a review of the Pink version, since I don't plan to buy it. However, I do own the Blue version on cassette and was hoping to update my copy to CD. After listening to Amazon's sampling of the Pink version, I just want to add my voice to those that are unhappy with this reissue. Why? What happened to "Moments in Love" and "Close to the Edit"? Why dump the superior Twang mix to "Peter Gun"(which was one of my favorites)? Definitely recommend the original Blue over this one. I'm definitely holding out until I can snag a copy or until a superior Greatest Hits is released (maybe with the original "Legs"?) Cheers!"