Now Dance – The Best Of ’94 (EMI / Virgin, 1994)

Review
“I believe that nostalgia is a breed of sadness. And sadness is the most important of all emotions. It teaches us what we value the most in life”. (Caldera Records)

The fourth Now Dance compilation of 1994 is a another double CD monster featuring 40 tracks. This led to a lot of duplication and was a sign of things to come – just look at the number of spin-offs that are currently released under the Now banner.

To recap, 18 tracks had already been released on the three previous Now Dances of 1994:
Now Dance ’94 – Volume 1: K7 – Come Baby Come, D:Ream – Things Can Only Get Better.
Now Dance ’94 – Volume 2: Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman – I Like To Move It, 2 Unlimited – Let The Beat Control Your Body.
Now Dance – Summer ’94: Gloworm – Carry Me Home, Eternal – Just A Step From Heaven, M People – Renaissance, Club House featuring Carl – Light My Fire, Maxx – Get-A-Way, 2 Unlimited – The Real Thing, The Grid – Swamp Thing, Atlantic Ocean – Waterfall, Cappella – Move On Baby, CJ Lewis – Sweets For My Sweet, Kym Mazelle and Jocelyn Brown – No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), Doop – Doop, Haddaway – Rock My Heart, Bitty McLean – Dedicated To The One I Love.

Seven more songs would go onto appear on Now That’s What I Call Music 29 which would land in the record shops a couple of weeks later. CD1 is front-loaded with this; five of the opening six tunes are new to NOD. So that’s the two Night anthems: MC Sar and The Real McCoy’s blinding Another Night and Corona’s hedonistic Rhythm Of The Night. And Pato Banton skanking with UB40 on Baby Come Back. Bring back my CD collection and my weed. Throw in M Beat’s jungle tune Incredible and R Kelly’s laidback She’s Got That Vibe. And on disc 2, there’s Red Dragon’s refreshing Compliments On Your Kiss and Reel 2 Real’s party zone banger Can You Feel It? Props to The Mad Stuntman.

A pair of bangers from 1993 went onto enjoyed a second bout of chart success in ’94. Both were remixed, presumably to enhance their danceability. Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s funky Shoop and Juliet Roberts’ powerful Caught In The Middle. Their first incarnations can be heard on Now Dance – The Best Of ’93. Elsewhere’s there’s a bunch of tracks that are new to NOD but already featured on 1994’s main compilation series:
Now That’s What I Call Music 27: Culture Beat – Anything, Deep Forest – Sweet Lullaby.
Now That’s What I Call Music 28: Ace Of Base – Don’t Turn Around, Aswad – Shine, China Black – Searching*, The Prodigy – (No Good) Start The Dance.
The Ultimate Hits Album: CJ Lewis – The Best Of My Love.
* While they’re both labelled as Mykaell S. Riley Mix, the one on Now 28 is the lame 4:08 version. This compilation has the proper 3:53 one.

Lastly come and dig the new breed. Start with Blue Bamboo’s ABC and D. An old skool classic; a hybrid of hardbag and house with an almighty rush. And the rest on CD2; a sequence beginning with Livin’ Joy’s timeless pounder Dreamer complete with groovy bassline and killer vocal from Janice Robinson. Our skin gets old but our souls stay young. And before the Faithless era, Sister Bliss dropped this handbag bomb Can’t Get A Man Can’t Get A Job (Life’s A Bitch). Then there’s Loveland’s uptempo Let The Music Lift You Up with Rachel McFarlane busting her lungs. Meanwhile Barbara Tucker gets the feet moving on the piano-driven I Get Lifted. Maxx make a second appearance and pile up the BPMs on the frantic No More (I Can’t Stand It). Just get up and dance till you drop.

Favourite tracks
Livin’ Joy – Dreamer