Music from the 80’s remains hugely popular and The Human League’s unique take on ‘pop’ played a huge part in creating the soundtrack for the decade. They’d actually formed in 1977 in Sheffield, initially as an experimental electronic outfit and by May 1980, as spring turned to summer, had begun making their mark on the UK single and album charts. They would be a constant presence on both for the next 8 years scoring 11 top 20 singles (all included here) and 5 top 20 albums from which many fan favourites have been taken for inclusion on this 3CD set. Disc 1 commences with the timeless No.1 Don’t You Want Me, followed by the equally infectious (Keep Feeling) Fascination (UK No.2), whilst the robust The Sound Of The Crowd (UK No.12) makes it a hattrick of hits to kick things off. With Open Your Heart (UK No.6), the haunting Life On Your Own (UK No.16) and Louise (UK No.13) the hits keep coming before firm fan favourites from their 7 studio albums issued between May 1980 and September 1990, start to take this collection beyond simply a ‘best of’. Disc 2 opens with Love Action (I Believe In Love) (UK No.3) which begins with that eerily distinctive sci-fi keyboard. Mirror Man (UK No.2) and The Lebanon (UK No.11) keep the hits coming. Love On The Run may not have been a single but it’s pure 80s pop, so is Are You Ever Coming Back? Soundtrack To A Generation, Rebound and The Stars Are Going Out display the bands ability to evolve musically in sync with the decade whilst disc 2 closer Dreams of Living reminds us just how they’d started it. This is certainly ‘New Pop’ as their music was known back in the 80s. Disc 3 starts with front man and main writer, Phil Oakey’s adventure outside of the band with legendary disco writer and producer (Donna Summer, Blondie, David Bowie to name just 3), Giorgio Moroder. Oakey’s distinctive and dominant vocals have meant Together In Electric Dreams is considered by most as yet another glorious Human League single. It would reach the UK No.3 spot in the autumn of 1984. UK top 10 single Human follows along with legendary early outing Being Boiled, which took the band to No.6 when issued in 1982, 4 years after the original (and their vinyl debut) 1978 release. A mix of classic album tracks, their earliest adventure with Virgin records as The Men with the disco influenced I Don’t Depend On You and more make up disc 3. In the 1980s The Human League were rarely off our TV screens because of their unusual, striking videos and shows like Top Of The Pops. MTV championed them across the globe and in particular in America which helped place them in the vanguard of British music and where they would be seen as part of the 2nd British Invasion of the USA, so named after the 60’s invasion spearheaded by The Beatles and involving The Rolling Stones, The Kinks etc. They still regularly tour to this day and along the way have influenced and been covered by artists including Pet Shop Boys, George Michael and Robbie Williams.
M**R
Comprehensive and some gems
Unarguably a bargain! 3 cd collection ; but on reflection would have preferred originals over remixes for the vey earliest tracks (which I alread have on vinyl drom 1980s)
M**E
I realize it's very difficult to be creative...
...but apart from "Do You Want Me, Baby?", "Things that Dreams are Made of", "Louise" and "Lebanon" - which were all superb tracks, and brilliantly sung - there's just far too much utterly forgettable "filler" here - rather than it being "Essential". It certainly doesn't justify 3 CDs. Many of these tracks really should sink without trace rather than corrupting the memory of one of the great 80s bands.
W**?
super sound! - rare tracks, 12" versions - the best compilation and its a sin its at this price!
I was blown away by this 3 cd set - i have bought and seen so many greatest hits /best of / singles collections - but this is amazingwell all know the most famous song and album - this has all the best from that, tracks from previous albums before the girls joined ( i love the girls) - rare b-sides like "you remind me of gold" - unreleased or 12" remixes " love is all that matters" "human" "heart like a wheel" .... and stunning album tracksthe 3 cds covers the period of the Virgin Label - they have released stunning singles / albums ( apart from "octopus / tell me when" not all hits but no less quality- and are a major tour act!i had never listened to the tracks from before the dare album - but they are great 80;s tracks - phil sounds great - but i just love the added extra of the sound and vocals of suzanne and joanne x
S**N
Very good
Very good
O**S
Worth every penny.
As a collector I don’t usually bother with budget League compilations as they have little to draw me in.This one however was a bit different as it features a more recent picture in the cover,so for a fiver I thought I’d give it a go.The track listing is typical if these sort of compilation,literally no rhyme or reason to it,but it does have a a good cross section of tracks from their virgin output.Singles,album tracks,the odd b-side and a few extended mixes(not mentioned on the sleeve)Which are,Human,love is all that matters,I need your loving(1st time on Cd in the uk)& Together in electric dreams.Also the two Romantic? Singles in their William Orbit form.Unfortunately the album versions of Love Action and Sound if the crowd have been used rather the single version.All in all a nice little reminder of how the Human League were ahead of the curve.
D**Y
It’s not called Essential for nothing. A rare occasion when it really is.
If you ever wanted an anthology of The Human League’s Virgin years, this is it. As a fan from day one I’ve already got nearly all the tracks, but there’s enough to make it a worthwhile purchasefor dedicated fans. For casual fans who like buyIng Greatest Hits packages it’s an essential. The criminally underrated album Romantic? had some great tracks that rarely appear on the bands best of releases and it’s great to see them included.At the time of writing The Essential Human League costs £4.99 and for that price only a fool would pass up the opportunity to acquire a huge collection of some of the best work from one of the UKs most influential bands.
M**D
Great album
Great album, got all the hits and more. Great pop group of the 80s and still touring and selling out venues. If you want to know beyond “ don’t you want me “ the great music this band produced this album is a great way to start. Funny thing is the band didn’t even like don’t you want me and didn’t want it on the album dare because they didn’t think it fit in with the other songs, but it went on to become their 1st no 1 single. And they one they are most known for.
L**L
Three CDs of good music
The Human League started as experimental synth band but the band split and Keyboard players Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh both left the band in 1980 and created the brilliant British Electric Foundation and then Heaven 17. I thought that’s it for the Human League but Phil Oakey brought us the album Dare which was the pivotal Pop album of the time. 80’s music that filled the dance floor
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