ABC BEST OF/20TH CENTURY

ABC includes: Martin Fry, Mark White.
Producers include: ABC, Mark White, Bernard Edwards, Martin Fry, Gary Langan.
Compilation producer: Mike Ragogna.
Recorded between 1981 & 1987. Includes liner notes by Tony Sachs.
Digitally remastered by Elliott Federman (SAJE Sound, New York, New York).
This is part of MCA's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series.
Audio Remasterer: Elliott Federman.
As one might expect, ABC's entry in Universal's 20TH CENTURY MASTERS collection of budget hits compilations leans heavily on the group's stunning 1982 debut, THE LEXICON OF LOVE. Four of the collection's 11 songs come from that album, and a fifth is the relatively rare B-side "Theme from Mantrap," a vampy, cocktail-style piano-and-vocal recasting of the hit "Poison Arrow."
The remainder of this functional compilation is filled out by the two best tracks from the uneven Roxy Music-style follow-up, BEAUTY STAB, including the lovely, LEXICON-esque single "S.O.S.," plus three more cuts from 1985's HOW TO BE A ZILLIONAIRE. These are highlighted by a hi-NRG remix of the dancefloor-destined "Vanity Kills," and the group's last American hit, 1989's ultra-slick "When Smokey Sings." 20TH CENTURY MASTERS is directed more towards the hit-oriented casual listener, but the inclusion of "Theme From Mantrap," making its US CD debut, is a nice gesture to fans.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock