Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's, Vol. 9 (CD - 1994)

Includes liner notes by Andy Zax.

Compilation producers: David McLees, Andrew Sandoval.

Includes liner notes by Jim Fouratt.

Compilation producers: David McLees, Andrew Sandoval.

Includes liner notes by Jean Rosenbluth.

Volume 4 of Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's was for the new wave diehards -- Volume 5 is for the doubters. This is the installment for neophytes, or for the doubters who don't believe that new wave was a spectacular singles era. That doesn't mean that everything here is terrific, or every listener will like everything here, but it does mean that there's a wealth of great music here, and the best songs, whatever your taste might be, will convert you to new wave and make you seek out other volumes of this series, or at least albums from the featured artists. Why is this so good? Because it has hits as definitive as Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy," Kim Wilde's "Kids in America," and A Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran (So Far Away)." Because it has the Waitresses' unbearably sexy "I Know What Boys Like" (the great new wave girl anthem) and the unabashedly geeky and sweet "Love Plus One" by Haircut One Hundred. Because it has Marshall Crenshaw's thrilling update of Buddy Holly, "Someday, Someway," and Tommy Tutone's stylish power pop "867-5309/Jenny." Because it has the Go-Go's beach-movie salute "Vacation" followed by Frank Zappa's greatest novelty, "Valley Girl." Because it has songs as arty as Gang of Four's "I Love a Man in Uniform" and Japan's "The Art of Parties," plus Toni Basil's cheerleader singalong "Mickey" and the Jam's Motown tribute, "A Town Called Malice." These songs (in addition to those not mentioned, all equally worthy) are all new wave gems and, put together, they result in an irresistible volume of an irresistible series. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Apart from Killer Pussy's terrible heartless sub-B-52's parody "Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage" -- the series hasn't sunk so low since its first volume, with the atrocious "Too Young to Date" -- the ninth volume of Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's is one of the stellar volumes of the series. There are a couple of missteps, a couple of novelties like Total Coelo's "I Eat Cannibals" that either enthrall or bother depending on your viewpoint, but there's a wealth of terrific material here -- Duran Duran's jet-setting "Rio," Modern English's "I Melt With You," Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way," Marshall Crenshaw's "Whenever You're on My Mind," Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" (which is every bit as defining as Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Cutter"), ABC's "Poison Arrow," and the English Beat's "Save It for Later," a serious candidate for greatest single of the '80s, possibly of all time. That all results in a terrific listen, one of the finest volumes of the series, and one of the best new wave collections in general. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Following the brief dip of Vol. 7, Vol. 8 of Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's would have automatically seemed like a great listen, even if it wasn't as good as it is. However, a fortunate string of events made this one of the greatest collections of the series. It works because there's not just a bunch of big new wave hits, but because the cult favorites and miscellany filling out the rest of the collection are excellent as well. This, after all, is a disc that boasts Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come On Eileen," one of the greatest singles of all time, plus Greg Kihn's tense "Jeopardy," Wall of Voodoo's wonderfully geeky "Mexican Radio," the Tubes' arena rock new wave "She's a Beauty," and Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science," along with such lesser-known favorites as Heaven 17's "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing," Thompson Twins' "Lies," Oxo's "Whirly Girl," Mental as Anything's "If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?," the Bluebells' lovely "Cath," Missing Persons' "Walking in L.A.," and Rachel Sweet's "Voo Doo." That might not be the kind of lineup that attracts a lot of listeners, since there aren't too many blockbusters, but it does result in a very, very entertaining listen, one of the better volumes of the series. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Apart from Killer Pussy's terrible heartless sub-B-52's parody "Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage" -- the series hasn't sunk so low since its first volume, with the atrocious "Too Young to Date" -- the ninth volume of Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's is one of the stellar volumes of the series. There are a couple of missteps, a couple of novelties like Total Coelo's "I Eat Cannibals" that either enthrall or bother depending on your viewpoint, but there's a wealth of terrific material here -- Duran Duran's jet-setting "Rio," Modern English's "I Melt With You," Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way," Marshall Crenshaw's "Whenever You're on My Mind," Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" (which is every bit as defining as Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Cutter"), ABC's "Poison Arrow," and the English Beat's "Save It for Later," a serious candidate for greatest single of the '80s, possibly of all time. That all results in a terrific listen, one of the finest volumes of the series, and one of the best new wave collections in general. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize