Search - Bananarama :: Pop Life

Come back Siobhan, Sarah and Keren are talented!

William | United States | 05/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pop Life is an excellent album, especially Preacher Man, Long Train Running, and Only Your Love. The only thing I do not like about the album is that Jacqui O'Sullivan, I am sure she is a nice lady, but she never belonged in Bananarama. Keren Woodward and Sarah Dallin are so talented and beautiful. It would be so awesome if Siobhan Fahey reunited with them and made new albums as a trio the way it was meant to be, it would mean so much to fans around the world. The truth is Keren and Sarah alone make excellent albums, that last release Drama was the best work they have done ever. Pop Life is right up there too, it gets an A."

No movement in style for the Rams

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 12/06/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Following their hit album Wow and the departure of Siobhan Fahey, the Rams took on Jacqui O'Sullivan, released a greatest hits album, and then came out with Pop Life in 1991. This time, they have Youth producing most songs here, although they get one song with additional production and remix by Shep Pettibone, and one by Stock-Aitken-Waterman. The overall tempo is the same hi-energy stuff as in Wow, but a different kind of sound. They try some industrial-type drum machines but nothing much has changed. They're treading water with this one."Preacher Man" is a strong opening track on the title character warning a girl about the wrong kind of man sporting the bouncy bubblegum synths that coloured Wow. The seven and a half Ramabanana Alternative Mix features the usual techno padding, airy synths, thumping drum machines, quick vocal dubs, and miscellaneous keyboards.The cover song of this album is a likeable and bubbly take on The Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Running," complete with accompanying guitar. One of their better cover songs.Another uptempo song is "Only Your Love" featuring an "ooh ooh" chorus reminiscent to that done in "Sympathy For The Devil." Not bad of its kind.The Rams liltingly ask "What Colour R The Skies Where U Live" in this dub reggae jam featuring piano and industrial style drum programming. It's lower tempo but at least decent.A strong bass beat backs the mid-tempo "Is Your Love Strong Enough" with bubblegum synths like S-A-W. The trip the Rams offer to take one on is that of life, "where the winds of change are bittersweet" and where "good intentions are hard to keep."A weird sitar like instrument and intense interlocking drum machines colour "Tripping On Your Love", which later briefly features a guest rap vocalist. A trippy cacophony here.

"Ain't No Cure" is the S-A-W produced song, meaning it shouldn't miss, and it doesn't. Definitely the best song here, with a kicking tempo and keyboard synths. According to the Rams, "ain't no cure for love, there ain't a remedy, joy and pain was the same as it ever was." The vicious cycle and addictive nature of love is exemplified here as well: "you'll be back for more, and you'll be hurt just like before""I Can't Let You Go" has a slower beat, with Stevie Wonder-type keyboards a la "Superstitious", an industrial drum machine beat like Madonna's "Justify My Love," and old style rap scratching. A well-paced multilayered cacophony of sounds."Heartless" is another uptempo bubblegum tune that rivals the S-A-W sound.Sadly, Jacqui O'Sullivan left after her contribution here, resulting in Keren and Sarah continuing as a duo. As for Pop Life, well, it's rich in continuing Bananarama's reputation as pleasing harmony-singing bubblegum pop damselles, but doesn't represent a step up or down. Maybe a return to songs like "Young At Heart" or "Cheers Again" is in order."

The girls' later CDs don't get a very good selection of bonu

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 03/29/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Both Pop Life and Please Yourself suffer from a really lame selection of bonus tracks. In actuality, they could have released probably 3 CDs for each disc to fit all the remixes that were spawned from these releases. Instead of getting some 'alternate 7" mixes' of the singles here, we could have been treated to the bevy of 12" mixes of "only your love", "preacher man", "long train runnin" and "trippin on your love." Not to mention, this reissue has removed the bonus track "Preacher Man (Ramabanana Alternative Mix)" that was on the original pressing of the CD!!! The only real surprise here is the long version of What Colour R The Skies Where U Live?"