Now This Is Music 5 – Volume 2 (EVA, 1986)

Review
The second part of Now This Is Music 5 looks exactly like Volume 1. It’s even more difficult to find and copies rarely surface on the used market.

Seven of the album’s 13 tracks had already featured on UK compilations such as Now That’s What I Call Music 7 [Peter Gabriel, Housemartins, Simple Minds], Now That’s What I Call Music 8 [Janet Jackson, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Boris Gardiner] and Hits 5 [Frankie Goes To Hollywood]. Sledgehammer and I Want To Wake Up With You had already received the digital treatment on Now That’s What I Call Music ’86 while (Forever) Live And Die also appears on the Now 8 CD. Having said that it’s great to see Happy Hour, All The Things She Said and Rage Hard appear on CD. Although ZTT fans should satisfy themselves about the latter.

After Janet’s superb opening selection, we’re then treated to Five Star’s shimmering Find The Time. Sadly it’s the Silk and Steel album take that’s here rather than the superior single remix. (Forever) Live And Die continues to grow in stature over the years while Jaki Graham’s emotionally-charged Breaking Away is a real blast. You can get the extended version of this joyful summer hit on Now Dance ’86 – The 12″ Mixes. It’s followed by the enigmatic E.G. Daily and the poptastic Say It Say It. Meanwhile Rage Hard was the first taster for Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Liverpool album and rocks like a beast. Love like the head of Apollo.

Big summer hits like Sledgehammer and Happy Hour have cemented their staying power over the years. Both hatched from big LPs – So and London 0, Hull 4. 1986 also saw Modern Talking’s only UK success – Brother Louie. However it’s the perfectly pitched Atlantis Is Calling that’s included here. Italo to make you swoon. It was also the time of my third concert. Simple Minds in the RDS. The Once Upon A Time tour. All The Things She Said was key. And now the Tina Turner song to smoke a joint to: the shiny Typical Male. With Phil Collins on drums. Lastly Talk Talk: The Colour Of Spring was their coming of age. Life’s What You Make It has a message that’s as relevant now as it was in 1985.

“Celebrate it
Anticipate it
Yesterday’s faded
Nothing can change it”.

Favourite tracks
Talk Talk – Life’s What You Make It

Jaki Graham – Breaking Away

Lest we forget
E.G. Daily – Say It Say It