ABC - HOW TO BE A ZILLIONAIRE

ABC are a pop band from the 80's New Wave movement.  However, they combined a lot of acoustic instruments with their music to create an almost Motown feel to a lot of their songs.

For the most part, I quite like ABC.  I remember listening to their singles on the radio and really enjoying them.  But it wasn't until I was an adult that I bought any of their CDs and only then when I found them used and super cheap.  This particular version of "How To Be A... Zillionaire!" includes some bonus tracks and I sorta feel like I got lucky here.  

Compared to other ABC CDs I have, this one is sorta hit and miss for me.  It has some excellent tracks on it.  Some of which I'm completely into and some I have lukewarm feelings about.  For example, I love 'Be Near Me', 'How To Be A Millionaire' and 'Tower Of London', while other tracks like 'Ocean Blue', 'A To Z' and 'Fear Of The World' I'm not as excited about.  There are also a couple of tracks on this disc I don't like at all, but I'm not gonna focus on those.

I like how ABC settled into their sound eventually and focused on being a white band playing some soulful R&B.  I feel like this album was an attempt to create an image.  The songs sometimes seem like they were written to fit a popular sound and to climb the charts.  It definitely feels orchestrated to sell.  I don't usually have a problem with that because at the time, popular artists who sold lots of records enabled record companies to spend money on artists who were infinitely more talented but wouldn't cross over into the top 40 charts.  Of course, my opinion of that soured over the years, but I still don't have a problem with an artist trying to make a record that would sell.  They all need to survive and make money.

Regardless of how I view this record, the fact is it's a 50/50 for me.  I love the songs I love, hate the ones I hate and the rest just lingers somewhere in between.  The mixes included at the end are a nice addition, but I'm not sure they would justify buying this version just to get them.  None of them stand out as stellar.  But it's sorta fun to have them.

I'm not going to go into this release more than this.  I've listened to it quite a few times trying to come up with things to say and the fact is, it just doesn't grip me as intensely as other material they've released.  My final words:  AN OK EFFORT BACK IN THE 80'S.

ABC - HOW TO BE A... ZILLIONAIRE!
01. Fear Of The World
02. Be Near Me
03. Vanity Kills
04. Ocean Blue
05. 15 Storey Halo
06. A To Z
07. How To Be A Millionaire
08. Tower Of London
09. So Hip It Hurts
10. Between You & Me
11. Fear Of The World (In Cinemascope)
12. Be Near Me (Munich Disco Mix)
13. How To Be A Millionaire (Bond St. Mix)
14. Vanity Kills (The Abigails Party Mix)