Platinum & Gold Collection [Original recording remastered, Best of]

 

 

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Of the artists who were instrumental in defining my musical tastes during the '90s, Ace Of Base ranks quite high. From the Top 40 radio airwaves, to the thumping speakers of the late-night dance clubs, Ace of Base was there for quite a long time. And this particular 'best of' collection gets it just about right. They have compiled some of the best songs by this Swedish pop group, and have a created a great trip down memory lane, complete with cool photographs and thorough liner notes. It really is quite a nice package.

All of the major American hits are included here, from "The Sign" to "Don't Turn Around" to "Beautiful Life" and, of course, their US major break, "All That She Wants". They all sound great, too. The sound quality for this CD is excellent, no question about it. And the inclusion of non-American hits is also greatly appreciated. Such poppy personal favorites like "Wheel of Fortune" and "Happy Nation" make for good compliments to the other, more obvious tracks on the CD. I also appreciated the original version of "Lucky Love", as I tend to favor the more europop sound the group is known for, as opposed to the 'acoustic' version of the song, which was released for American audiences.

The booklet which comes with the CD is great. There are a few nice photographs included which seem to come from their "Cruel Summer" era (one can never get enough Ulf), and there are detailed liner notes by Bill Pitzonka, who carefully goes through the group's history, from inception to the present day. And then, for each song, release dates and Billboard chart positions are given. That was a nice touch.

What we have here is a 'best of' CD for one of europop's greatest groups, which sounds excellent and comes with nice pictures and complete liner notes. I could ask for nothing else.

Words cannot describe how good Ace of Base is. No one can make pop/dance music like they can. This collection is incredible. In only 12 songs they have covered all of their megahits, and then some.

1) THE SIGN
This song is incredible. It went to No.1 for 6 weeks. I love the way they mix reggae with pop. It is their biggest hit and was also No.1 on the airplay chart for an incredible 13 weeks.

2) CRUEL SUMMER
This brought Ace of Base back to the top 10 after 4 year hiatus from it (It hit No.10 on the Hot 100). This song is much better then the original by Bananarama. AofB's version has a really good beat which makes the song so much more catchier. Great Song.

3) DON'T TURN AROUND
This was originally done by Tina Turner as a B-side on her "Typical Male" single. It was also covered by James Ingram, Neil Diamond and Aswad (who hit No.1 with it in the U.K.). This song was never a hit in the States until Ace of Base recorded it. they changed the key from a major to a minor, so it sounds different then all of the other versions by other artists. It also made it to No.4 on the Hot 100, but No.1 on the Hot 100 Airplay list for 2 weeks.

4) LUCKY LOVE (ORIGINAL VERSION)
Thank God this version is on here. I really am not a fan of that bland acoustic remix that is on the North American version of "The Bridge" Album. This is actually the version that I always heard on the radio anyways. This original one is great. "Lucky Love" made it to No.30 on the Hot 100.

5) ALL THAT SHE WANTS
This is what made Ace of Base world famous. After they hit it big in Europe, they released this in North America and it exploded. It made it to No.2 on the Hot 100 and No.1 on the Hot 100 Sales Chart for 3 weeks.

6) EVERYTIME IT RAINS (RADIO MIX)
This was originally a ballad on the "Cruel Summer" CD, but on here it is a dance remix. It's good.

7) WHENEVER YOU'RE NEAR ME
This song is a remix of "Life is a Flower" from their "Flowers" album (The International version of "Cruel Summer"). It has the same melody, but different lyrics and it is in a higher key. I prefer this version better. It appears on the American verison of "Flowers" (Cruel Summer). This song got moderate airplay in the fall of 1998. It made it to No.76 on the Hot 100.

8) LIVING IN DANGER (D-HOUSE MIX)
This was the fourth single from "The Sign" album. It made it to No.20 on the Hot 100. It appears in remix form on this collection. It is a dance remix by David Morales. It has heavy piano on it and it is very different than the original. It's on here because this is primarily the version that radio stations chose to play. This is the version that I always heard on the radio.

9) HAPPY NATION
This song was written after the Swedish press found out that Ulf was a skinhead when he was a teenager. It was not released on the States but was an international hit. I love this song, and it has a very positive message.

10) WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Like Track No.9, this song was not released in the states/Canada but it was an international hit. In fact it was their first single ever to be released.

11) NEVER GONNA SAY I'M SORRY
This song was the third single released from "The Bridge" album. It wasn't a big hit, and it only charted on the Bubbling Under Chart. I think it's a fantastic song though. It' classic Ace of Base.

12) BEAUTIFUL LIFE
This is very fast compared to their other songs. This is one of my favorites from them. The video is amazing. It made it to No.15 on the Hot 100.

Overall this CD is pop paradise. They are in my opinion, the best pop group of all time. If you want all of their hits in there most popular forum, then this is the album to get. It's Awesome!!

A great collection with great images and biography of the band. It would have been nice if Arista included an unreleased track. There's so many Ace of base tracks out there that deserve to be recognized on a compilation album like this one.

Look out for a brand new album from Ace of base in early August of 2006. Without a doubt, it will be the best album released. www.Aceofbase.com

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5.0 out of 5 stars Platinum & Gold Collection
Arista/BMG Heritage's "Platinum & Gold Collection" series compiles hits from now-disbanded acts from the '90s, i.e. Read more

Published on May 6 2004 by Mark

5.0 out of 5 stars cruel summer is magic
Mmm... I like this so much. Swedish music is Awsome!
This band is just as good as swedish bands like:
Hellacopters
Abba
Roxette
The Hives... Read more

Published on April 15 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Guilty As Charged
I am a mega fan of Ace of Base...since "The Sign" I have devoured just everything with their name written on it. Maybe it's nostalgia... Read more

Published on Jan 25 2004 by A. Bennett

5.0 out of 5 stars Their Best
I know what you want to know. Is this cd really worth it if you have the albums. Well in reality no, it is their best hits but the only real differnces are that lucky in love is... Read more

Published on Oct 16 2003 by Robby

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent U.S. Ace of Base "Best Of" Compilation
The Platinum & Gold Collection series is a great idea. The biggest hits by Arista-BMG artists collected on one CD with a detailed biographical history of the group and chart... Read more

Published on Jun 29 2003 by Joseph Wierzbicki

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Best Of Collection! Better Sound!
Platinum & Gold Collection of Ace of Base is Digital Remastered and has far better sound quality than their other best of cd.

1.The Sign
2.Cruel Summer
3. Read more

Published on May 24 2003

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