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Definitely worth picking up!

Steven Olaf | Kansas City | 03/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, 41 awesome tracks on 3 CDs! Includes extended mixes from Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Duran Duran, Visage, Lords of the New Church, Japan, Micro Chip League, Vicious Pink and many more. I appreciate the inclusion of the LONG version of the Flying Lizards' "Money," as well as Feargal Sharkey's hit song with Vince Clarke (of Depeche Mode, Yaz, Erasure, etc.) recorded under the name the Assembly. My only complaint with SPG releases is that many of the songs sound like they've been mastered off of vinyl; occasionally there are strange edits on the beginnings of the tracks and I can often detect the sound of a needle riding the record's groove.It should be noted that disc one appears to contain the same track listing as Hardest Hits #3 in the series ... similarly, disc two is the same as Hardest Hits #4 ... and disc three is apparently identical to Hardest Hits #5. Something to do with SPG's licencing of certain tracks, I imagine. But now you know to skip #3 through #5 and buy Hardest Hits #1 if you can find it. Then add Hardest Hits #2 for more top-notch retro music from the likes of Re-Flex, Trio, Naked Eyes, Pigbag, and the Normal (an early pseudonym used by Daniel Miller of Mute Records fame.) ..."

Volumes 3,4 and 5 of hardest hits series at a cheap price!!!

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 08/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't buy each volume separately except volume 2!!! This boxed set is volumes 3-5. Track times are:



CD1



1. story of love (5:39)

2. swamp thing (5:56)

3. first picture of you (5:27)

4. you move me (5:37)

5. love is shining down on me (6:09)

6. feels like heaven (3:31)

7. goodbye yesterday (6:26)

8. heartbeat like thunder (5:45)

9. dance with me (5:50)

10. Tokyo streets (4:42)

11. baby jude (5:05)

12. cccan't you see (8:11)

13. new york (5:07)

14. transdance (4:57)



CD2



1. never never (5:51)

2. san damiano (6:35)

3. money (5:50)

4. take me now (6:20)

5. 88 lines (5:30)

6. escalator of life (4:41)

7. you don't need someone new (6:05)

8. Everywhere I Go (4:18)

9. brilliant mind (7:00)

10. life in Tokyo (7:05)

11. planet earth (6:20)

12. into the fire (5:44)

13. let me go (6:23)



CD3



1. first last for everything (4:39)

2. whistle down the wind (3:41)

3. melody (3:58)

4. working with fire & steel (5:00)

5. baby's in the mountains (6:49)

6. day one (3:49)

7. pleasure boys (6:49)

8. only you (3:23)

9. doot doot (6:00)

10. love missile f1-11 (6:54)

11. simon says (6:10)

12. international (7:07)

13. jettown (3:40)

14. jet boy jet girl (7:00)"

12" Rarities!

Jason W. Bellenger | Byron Center, Michigan, USA | 08/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I stumbled across this 6-disc compilation a few weeks back and was quite interested in the tracklisting, since I had been looking for the 12" Version of "If You Leave" by OMD on CD for a while now. The same goes for the 'On-Mix (Extended Version)' of "The Promise" by When In Rome. Plus, there were a few other extended mixes that I hadn't heard before and I wanted to hear. However, I didn't recognize about half of the songs. But it's 6 CDs for [the price]! ... Fantastic price. I would have paid more for it actually. The collection is quite nice. The artwork isn't the best, but it's the music that matters. I was a bit worried that the sound quality wouldn't be that great, considering the price. Yet considering that these are rare 12" mixes the sound quality is quite good and fantastic on most of the tracks. Plus, I recognized a few tracks that I didn't even know the name of, such as "Situation" by Yaz (one of my favorites). Overall, it's a nice collection if you like 1980s extended mixes. Now if only more labels would release these rare 12" mixes on CD - but remastered! I wonder why more haven't. :/"