Updating the NOW'S: Now Yearbook 1980-1984 Vol. 2

The last time we mentioned The Now Yearbook Extra '80-84 was on January 9th last year in a group of post Christmas post that looked at that, the vinyl edition of the 80-84 The Final Chapter and after then we all thought that was it for this part of the New Yearbook series.

A couple of weeks back the reactivated with a Vaults sub series that looked at less compiled lower down in charts songs from 1983 coupled with hits in America rather than the U.K which I didn't bother with as 1983 is well represented on vinyl here.

Then this thing was announced for issue on Friday June 14.

 A volume 2 following the same form as the original set, one album per year in individual sleeves with a outer box with printed track details which rather like the original caused some soul searching as with the last set, having original Nows 1 to 4 and Hits 1 and 2  and a number of the better Ronco compilation the 1983 and 1984 volumes for me were a bit redundant.

That said the 1980 -1982 discs were useful so I bought that and much of the reason for getting this unexpected follow up is the same.

This package adds some 78 tracks not previously issued on the vinyl Now Yearbook editions on coloured vinyl, one colour per year.

1980: Queen’s classic ‘Flash’ opens the record before a track selection including Paul McCartney with ‘Waterfalls’ from McCartney II, The Clash with ‘Bankrobber’, The Cure, Grace Jones and Madness.

Disco hits from Diana Ross and The Gap Band, are joined by electronic pop from Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, John Foxx, and Devo.

1981: The Police start a procession of  classic hits that includes on Side One, The Jam, The Teardrop Explodes, Siouxsie and The Banshees and pure pop from Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin and Aneka with their #1s

The second side celebrates the explosion of artists enjoying massive synth based hits in 1981, featuring The Human League, Soft Cell, Visage, Spandau Ballet and Heaven 17 – coupled soul ballads from Randy Crawford and Grover Washington featuring Bill Withers.

1982: Roxy Music, ABC, Dollar, Haircut 100, Japan, The Associates, Toyah, and Gary Numan all presented hits in a great year for classic pop, included here alongside huge soul-pop crossover hits from Shalamar, Dionne Warwick and Fat Larry’s Band classic Zoom.

1983: Flashdance (What A Feeling)’ one of ‘83’s biggest hits for Irene Cara, starts this record and it features the best of the year’s contemporary chart stars including New Order, Altered Images with Don't Talk To Me About Love, Echo And The Bunnymen and Aztec Camera… plus pop smashes from Duran Duran, Adam Ant with Puss And Boots, and Nick Heyward (Swoon!) – before Marillion’s debut hit ‘Garden Party’, Tom Robinson’s timeless ‘War Baby’ – and a perennial Christmas favourite, ‘2000 Miles’ from the Pretenders.

1984: A fantastic year for pop is celebrated here with a selection of hits from Eurythmics, Ultravox, Nik Kershaw, Culture Club, and Bananarama on the first side.

 Side two highlights the emergent  Hi-NRG and Electro-dance classics from Bronski Beat, Dead Or Alive, Evelyn Thomas, Divine, Shannon and signing off with the enduring feel-good anthem ‘It’s Raining Men’ from The Weather Girls’.

While I'd of preferred a set of double albums for each year other the clumsy feel of the two box sets , cherry picking the 80 to 82 volumes, there is plenty which is of value given pre 1983 we only had the twenty track edited and thin sounding K Tel compilations and these are better sounding.

For the £75 I was able to pay after looking around, it's worth it.