ABC - How To Be A Zillionaire (Expanded & Remastered)
Released in 1985, ABC's third album was unfortunately generally overlooked at the time of its release by the public. This was probably due to it not having the razzamatazz of a strong lead single, as had occurred with their previous two releases, and perhaps would have drawn more listeners to the album.
By this time, ABC was also reduced to a duo consisting of Martin Fry & Mark White, and subsequently went in a new direction. 'How to Be A Zillionaire' has a much stronger and 'dancier' edge than anything they had released before. This isn't to say the album is poor, but it was simply more experimental and embraced new styles, and in many respects perhaps to a greater musical degree than what else was being released around the same period.
The album opener 'Fear of the World' sets the trend for a fast-moving, but controlled pop/dance album that would have suited the clubs of the mid-1980s, and this is followed by the three single releases, spawned from this album. The first and biggest hit being 'Be Near Me', a catchy tune that reached the top 30 in the UK (but went to greater heights in the US and became the band's first Top 10 hit there). This was followed by a couple more releases, 'Vanity Kills' & 'Ocean Blue', of which neither came even near to cracking the Top 40 in the UK. Unfortunately, the singles chosen just didn't seem to have the finesse and energy of tracks like 'The Look of Love' & 'That Was Then, But This Is Now'.
Other notable tracks worthy of a mention are 'How to Be A Millionaire', which sums up the 80s extremely well & 'Between You and Me', a foot-tapping dance track, which closed the original release of this album.
There are plenty of alternative mixes and rare tracks tagged onto the end of this re-release, with the unreleased Harajuku Mix of 'How to be a Trillionaire' & the instrumental version of 'Tower of London', to name just two.
'Judy's Jewels', that appeared as the b-side to 'Vanity Kills,' makes an appearance towards the end of this collection, though it isn't really much of a surprise as to why it never appeared on the album, as it sounds more like an experimental/demo track rather than what you would traditionally expect from ABC, with peculiar lyrics about brillo pads and fibreglass! But this album is full of surprises, if you've only experienced ABC's greatest hits repertoire. Additional highlights includes the US remix of 'Vanity Kills' and 'What's Your Destination', the latter being the b-side to 'Be Near Me'.
Overall, this re-release is a worthy re-packaging of a largely forgotten album, which has been well re-mastered and produced that would make a fine addition to your CD collection.
By this time, ABC was also reduced to a duo consisting of Martin Fry & Mark White, and subsequently went in a new direction. 'How to Be A Zillionaire' has a much stronger and 'dancier' edge than anything they had released before. This isn't to say the album is poor, but it was simply more experimental and embraced new styles, and in many respects perhaps to a greater musical degree than what else was being released around the same period.
The album opener 'Fear of the World' sets the trend for a fast-moving, but controlled pop/dance album that would have suited the clubs of the mid-1980s, and this is followed by the three single releases, spawned from this album. The first and biggest hit being 'Be Near Me', a catchy tune that reached the top 30 in the UK (but went to greater heights in the US and became the band's first Top 10 hit there). This was followed by a couple more releases, 'Vanity Kills' & 'Ocean Blue', of which neither came even near to cracking the Top 40 in the UK. Unfortunately, the singles chosen just didn't seem to have the finesse and energy of tracks like 'The Look of Love' & 'That Was Then, But This Is Now'.
Other notable tracks worthy of a mention are 'How to Be A Millionaire', which sums up the 80s extremely well & 'Between You and Me', a foot-tapping dance track, which closed the original release of this album.
There are plenty of alternative mixes and rare tracks tagged onto the end of this re-release, with the unreleased Harajuku Mix of 'How to be a Trillionaire' & the instrumental version of 'Tower of London', to name just two.
'Judy's Jewels', that appeared as the b-side to 'Vanity Kills,' makes an appearance towards the end of this collection, though it isn't really much of a surprise as to why it never appeared on the album, as it sounds more like an experimental/demo track rather than what you would traditionally expect from ABC, with peculiar lyrics about brillo pads and fibreglass! But this album is full of surprises, if you've only experienced ABC's greatest hits repertoire. Additional highlights includes the US remix of 'Vanity Kills' and 'What's Your Destination', the latter being the b-side to 'Be Near Me'.
Overall, this re-release is a worthy re-packaging of a largely forgotten album, which has been well re-mastered and produced that would make a fine addition to your CD collection.
Support RememberTheEighties.com and Buy Online At
