Search - Various Artists :: Now That's What I Call Music! 2

Now 2, comes in clear

Bob from accounting | Accounting | 11/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is more or less a hit mix. It has plenty of songs from artists that I like, or has the only good songs from an artist. This is for the people who like various music types. One problem is, they're all clean version,but you know what they're saying anyway. So pick it up, its seventy minuets of a radio mix."

Nice,but music changes.

bartz | Seattle | 01/17/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"At first I really enjoyed this CD.It has modern hits....or does it?The spice girls died out long ago.I felt no need for more.Also,It seemed that some artists were missing.Genie in a bottle by christina aguilaiar,was far more popular then becuase of you by 98*.But then again,no Cd is perfect,but other flaws made this Cd worse.the title says NOW 2,meaning modern music.Some CD's,you will like 5 months later.Not this one. the current hits will change,making this Cd seem poorer.It's a nice compilation,but it gets old,so beware."

"NOW" : Version 2.0

GMac | Anywhere, USA | 04/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If "NOW 1" was an experiment that happened to succeed; "NOW 2" displays the results. The album gives brings back all the qualities that made the 1st one work, and refines them. There are a couple of tracks that don't work, but they can be ignored when compared to the number of good songs we get. Wheras the the 1st album was all safe pop/rock with some R&B; this one has some harder rock (Garbage, Sublime), alternative sounds (Fatboy Slim, Cake), even some rap (Jay-Z) and spoken word (Baz Luhrmann). The diversitry is essentail, as that is what truly makes it sound like Top 40 radio. All the sounds mend well for a solid cimpilaton:

(1) Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time" C-. The song is very catchy with a sexual tone in it's slick production, yet there's really nothing left beneath the sugar. Sounds great at first; then we realize how little the song really. Still, it was a VERY big hit, so I guess it deserves a place on the album.

(2) New Radicals "You Get What You Give" A. In response to the fast, flash of Britney; here is a relaxed, low key tune that's really about something. Lead singer, Gregg Alexander has a cool tone to his voice that is perfect for delivering his intelligent lyrics. Though the song clocks in at near 5 minutes; it is always able to keep attention throughout.

(3) Robbie Williams "Millennium" A-. Of couse it was shamelessly released to take advantage of the Y2K craze, but it's still a really good single. Robbie is definetly a great male vocalist and his material is equal to his voice. The lyrics really do sum up the insane feelings and fears of the time. It's a shame Americans have never caught on to Robbie.

(4) Semisonic "Closing Time" B. Semisonic was praised to be a great post-grunge band, but they never lived up to it. The 1st single of their sophmore LP isn't bad at all; it's just on the safe side. There's nothing wrong with the craft of delivery, but think about what it could have been if it was more daring.

(5) U2 "The Sweetest Thing" (The Single Mix) B+. Originally a B-side from "The Joshua Tree" (1987), this is a pretty good mix of a U2 classic. Although it's not one of their VERY BEST works; it still does a nice job of conveying the talent U2 brought to the 1980s. A minor, if highly satisfing offer from one of the greatest groups ever.

(6) Sheryl Crow "My Favorite Mistake" A. Simply put; this is Sheryl Crow at her best. Striking, heartfelt lyrics combined with her near flawless guitar chords make for an excellent pop/rock track with real heart. One of 1998's best and possible a personal best from her 11 year career.

(7) Fatboy Slim "Praise You" A. Another brilliant offering from Fatboy Slim: an artist who always does things HIS way. Light on substance and lyrics, yet there is so much to praise for the skill and energy which he infuses into the song. This is the perfect example of why he was the front runner of the "Big Beat Movement".

(8) Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid" A. Perfect, cutting edge rock from a great female group. The song has some meaning, but the most notable parts are the group's electrified beats which are flowing with energy. It's a catchy, distinct sound that we've never heard before, and that is a relief when you consider today's rock music.

(9) Cake "Never There" B-. Very toned down and subdued compared to the last two tracks. Cake seems like an old fashioned group, yet there is something unmistakenly modern about them. This song has many charms, including the content and horn arrangments, but something seems to be holding it back. You wait for everything to just "pop" into something really grand, yet it never does.

(10) 98 Degrees "Because Of You" A-. While "Invisible Man" was good; this was the single that elevated 98 Degrees among the rest in their genre. It is presented as a pop song, yet the slick R&B current runs beneath it all. As male groups go, few can harmnonize like these guys can; and the essential to gracefully deliver these beautiful lyrics. It'a a small treasure.

(11) Spice Girls "Goodbye" A. Yes, that is an "A" next to a song by the Spice Girls. After all the worthless, mindless dance-pop they bombarded us with; they pull together to create a powerful, touching friendship ballad that really gets under the skin. How ironic is it, that their last song released released in the U.S. would turn out to be a masterpiece?

(12) Blackstreet and Mya feat. Ma$e and Blinky Blink "Take Me There" D. What were all these talented artists thinking? Signing up to do a theme song for "Rugrats" is not a smart career move. Everything about this song diminishes the crdibiliity of the artists involved. As a vehicle for the talents of Blackstreet, Mya and Ma$e; this is a deadly miscalculation. A real disaster from otherwise sane producer Teddy Riley.

(13) R. Kelly "When A Womnan's Fed Up" A. Now this is what music SHOULD be. Powerful and deep; this is a perfect single to display R. Kelly's vast talents. Everything falls perfectly into place, and carries alot of atmosphere and dimension. The writing and beats are so crisp and touching that we can't help but get caught up in this heartbreaking tale.

(14) Everclear "Father Of Mine" B+. The usual quality that expect from that wondeful, underrated group known as Everclear. As always, Art Alexakis' powerful lyrics and voice create a rich, vivid single that is flowing with the group's style. Serves as a good companion to Simple Plan's "Perfect" (2004).

(15) Sublime "What I Got" C. There's some skill in this rock tune, but it's just not very satisfying in the end. It's too short and breif to really go anywhere and we crave more. The group, although higly overrated, does have some talent; yet the don't let it shine to it's full potential here.

(16) Backstreet Boys "I'll Never Break Your Heart" B+. An early showcase for the boys' mastery of the pop ballad. The wrioting seems outdated, yet their smooth voices and charisma elevate it to heartfelt and beautiful. They get panned as "teen pop", but this exceeds that classification in almost every way.

(17) Jay-Z "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" B+. One of the few rap songs on the earlier "NOW"s; this is a strange mix from Jay-Z. His lyrics a rhyming is as tight as ever, but the chorus borrowed from "Annie" is a little jolting at times. Thankfully it isn't used too much, a mixes fairly well at times. In the enmd this is a solid rap track from a great rapper.

(18) Baz Luhrmann "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" A-. This is definetly the most unique song ever put on ANY "NOW". The entire song is spoken word over 5 minutes long. Yet the words have deep sense of poetry to them, and are highly effective because of their relevance. If nothing else this is original to every word.

Bottom Line: ***. A solid collection of Top 40 hits from Late 1998 and early 1999. A good amount of variety and quality helps the album flow very well throughout it's entire running time. It also serves as proof that "NOW" figured out the secret to making a good compilation from the begining. Something that many imitators can't seem to accomplish





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