Various Artists
I Want My 80's Box!
Hip-O Records *** (of 5)

I was born in 1977, and consequently, I missed out on a lot of the '80s music. That doesn't mean that I haven't been exposed to it, it just means that I don't have the strange, obsessive emotional attachment to this era's music that a lot of people I know do.

I was first re-introduced to the '80s sound four years ago while working in Musicland. We got an '80s compilation in that one of the employees played nonstop. I actually started to really enjoy the disc, and ended up taking the demo home.

So of course, I was pretty excited to review this set of three discs. But after the first CD, I realized that this wasn't what I love about the '80s. These people want their MTV, I just want my New Wave.

To be fair, there are a few songs that I really like on here, it's just that they're not the ones that I fell in love with from the last '80s disc I had.

This box set starts off with "Video Killed The Radio Star," (of course) followed by the Top 10 "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" from the Boy George-led Culture Club. The setıs #1s are "Rapture" (Blondie), "Mickey" (Toni Basil), "Celebration" (also #1 R&B, Kool & The Gang), "Sweet Dreams" (Eurythmics), "Take On Me" (A-Ha), "Come On Eileen" (Dexys Midnight Runners), "Missing You" (John Waite), "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" (Tears For Fears), "Sledgehammer" (Peter Gabriel), "She Drives Me Crazy" (Fine Young Cannibals), "Addicted To Love" (Robert Palmer), "I Think Weıre Alone Now" (Tiffany), "Here I Go Again" (Whitesnake), "My Prerogative" (also #1 R&B, Bobby Brown) and "Higher Love" (Steve Winwood).

The other Top 10s are "Steppinı Out" (Joe Jackson), "Let It Whip" (also #1 R&B, Dazz Band), "Relax" (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), "867-5309/Jenny" (Tommy Tutone), "Harden My Heart" (Quarterflash), "The Heat Of The Moment" (Asia), "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell), "Love Is A Battlefield" (Pat Benatar), "In A Big Country" (Big Country), "Our House" (Madness), "Suddenly Last Summer" (The Motels), "Hold Me Now" (Thompson Twins), "Sister Christian" (Night Ranger), "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (Wang Chung), "Walk This Way" (Run-D.M.C.), "Looking For A New Love" (also #1 R&B, Jody Watley), "One Thing Leads To Another" (The Fixx), "Luka" (Suzanne Vega) and "Lady In Red" (Chris DeBurgh).

Also included are "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" (Gap Band), "Poison Arrow" (ABC), "Tempted" (Squeeze), "Cuts Like A Knife" (Bryan Adams), "Weird Science" (Oingo Boingo) and "Oh Yeah" (Yello).

Plus, it comes with a GREAT set of liner notes with with TONS of pictures and an essay by Kevin Flaherty about the decade that brought us Boy George and Miami Vice.

If you're craving the '80s, there's no better pill than the I Want My 80's Box! However, if you're like me, and can take the decade or leave it, you're better off listening to your local '80s radio station.

-Django

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