Updating the NOW's - Now Yearbook 79 on vinyl

 As we start to move out of the period of mourning we return to a  topic explored in July in what may prove to be interesting development in a series of records issued.

To recap a little, the people behind That's What I Call Music, a compilation series born in late 1983 decided in 2021 to issue a series of year based compilations that while having a main book format cd set came with a extra set of discs.

Within the NOW Yearbook series as it was called they decided to make a special three lp selection from the main set available in part a tribute to those NOW albums we bought on vinyl and also a tribute to increased vinyl sales for collectors.

The music contained within these sets for many of us connected with the vinyl era buying both singles and those NOW albums on slabs of vinyl.

The series has moved from the 80's to the 70's with 1979 and back in that year we were treated to compilations usually around a three to four month period by KTel and Ronco jamming some 20 tracks per disc with thin sound and edits but no "Top hits of the Year" type sets.

Disco music was popular that year and WEA records did issue a Disco compilation as did EMI both of which sold well.

This issue is therefore of value within vinyl based collection for having some 48 tracks across six sides and possibly benefits from being a tighter set less disco heavy than the cd version on four very long discs.

Each record comes on bright orange vinyl, individually sleeved within a single thick pocket.

Kicking off on LP 1 we begin with one of Queen’s most popular songs ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’,  includes #1s from The Police (‘Walking On The Moon’) and the defining ‘Heart Of Glass’ from Blondie, as well as timeless hits from ABBA, Kate Bush, Olivia Newton-John and closing out side A with the haunting ‘Song For Guy’ by Elton John.

‘Hot Stuff’ by Donna Summer from her brilliant Bad Girls album features on Side B alongside massive Disco-Floor-Fillers from Chic, Sister Sledge, and Amii Stewart plus two further iconic #1s from Gloria Gaynor with ‘I Will Survive’ and ‘YMCA’ from Village People.

LP2 Side A showcases an astonishing run of New Wave and Post-Punk hits leading with #1s from Ian Dury & The Blockheads (‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’) and The Boomtown Rats (‘I Don’t Like Mondays’), and featuring Squeeze, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Clash and Sex Pistols, before three Ska/Pop crossover hits from The Specials, The Selecter and ‘One Step Beyond’ from Madness.

Turning to Side B, the theme is Classic Rock from Meat Loaf and Electric Light Orchestra is joined by timeless hits from Billy Joel, Gerry Rafferty, Dave Edmunds and the debut ‘Stop Your Sobbing’ by Pretenders.

LP3 is all about golden pop – starting with ABBA’s ‘Chiquitita’ and including ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ – #1 for Cliff Richard, along with the year’s biggest-selling single, ‘Bright Eyes’ by Art Garfunkel from the film Watership Down, plus Neil Diamond, Roxy Music, and the winner of 1979’s Eurovision Song Contest – the Top 5 hit ‘Hallelujah’ from Milk & Honey.

Concluding the set, Side B features Goodnight Tonight by Wings, September by Earth, Wind & Fire, and opens with the superb ‘Street Life’ from The Crusaders. The unforgettable chart debut for The B-52’s with the iconic ‘Rock Lobster’ is included and the side concludes with four Synth-Pop smashes that pointed the way to the upcoming decade – ‘Money’ by The Flying Lizards, ‘Pop Muzik’ from M, and two further #1s from 1979: ‘Cars’ – one of two chart-toppers for Gary Numan in 1979 – and closing with ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ by The Buggles. This track was co-written, produced and performed by Trevor Horn whose work would define the pop landscape over the next few years, whilst the song would be the first to be played on MTV in the US when it launched in 1981.

This set captures well the diverse, well crafted music scene of 1979 that for many of us were the songs we played, sang and talked about in school or college and the memories associated with that era.

Added to our original NOW albums on vinyl this series expands our collections of hit singles collected on vinyl albums updating while offering better sound than our original compilations issued that year.

Recommended.