Published Date:
03 January 2008
AFTER two weeks of over-indulgence in chocolates, good food , and more than probable – alcohol – it may be that you're feeling slightly delicate.
It's also likely that you're trying to psyche yourself up for those inevitable couple of detox weeks that always kick off January.
But what if the thought of hitting the gym, or even pounding the dark and wet streets of an island winter are enough to overshadow any good intentions you may have for dragging you fitness levels back up?
Well, in their post-festive wisdom, record label EMI have released this – five CDs of classic number ones from over the decades to provide you with a little soothing comfort and that extra boost of energy.
Possibly taking a cue from Radio One's successful harvesting of the compilation hunger last year, the quintet of discs cover everything from Jackie Wilson's 'Reet Petite' to Fatboy Slim's 'Praise You' via the unashamedly poppy 'I Should Be So Lucky' and Cliff Richard's 'Living Doll' to create a warm fuzzy blanket that puts that smile back on your face through the grim weeks of January.
Moving almost chronologically through the years from the mid fifties onwards, '101 Number Ones' takes you by the hand and gently jives, grooves and Y.M.C.As you through a beginner's guide to 50 years of pop music.
This is a compilation that has absolutely no shame – it puts Frank Sinatra on the same album as Eternal – but knows exactly what it likes and revels in the happy cheesiness it produces.
It's hard not to sing along at the top of your voice to 'Why Do Fools Fall in Love' or 'Great Balls of Fire,' and there is absolutely something here for all the family – tracks from the 50s to the 90s will provide a nostalgia trip for anyone over the age of 15 and tracks like the Wurzels 'Combine Harvester' challenge even the biggest grinch not to smile.
But, of course, there is quality here - all of these tracks have become much-loved classics for a reason – unnaturally catchy they may be but they have permeated the cultural consciousness of society so thoroughly that you find yourself singing along to them without even realising that you've ever heard the song before.
Whether it be a track that accompanied a favourite advert ('Space Oddity' by David Bowie) or a reminder of your school dance ('Spaceman' by Babylon Zoo), '101 Number Ones' really is a must buy to get you through to spring and banish those winter blues.
This CD is available to buy now in Woolworths
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Last Updated:
03 January 2008 11:49 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Stornoway