Spandau Ballet - Twelve Inch Mixes (CD 2002)

Some steretched versions of some old Spandau Ballet classics (or 12" as they called them 500 years ago!), some versions just have a drum solo here or there or an extended intro, but they are not over mixed.
Now if I told you I only like five tracks on this collection you may think I dislike it, but to me they stand out from the dated others by a mile! "Gold", "True", "Only when you leave", "Round and Round" and, "I'll fly for you" are the ones. (This Album was released before another favorite of mine "Through the Barricades") Classic pop music by the fab five, always dressed as if they were appearing in court straight after Top of the Pops but for a while everything they touched turned to Gold.

Track listing
1. Gold
2. Lifeline
3. Round And Round
4. Only When You Leave
5. Instinction
6. Highly Restrung
7. True
8. Communication
9. I'll Fly For You
10. To Cut A Long Story Short
11. Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
12. She Loved Like Diamond
13. Paint Me Down
14. Freeze
15. Musclebound

The early 80's New Romantic culture summed up in in just over an hour. Forget Culture Club and the Duranies, Spandau Ballet where THE pop band of the era fashion forgot. The extended 12" inch mixes -from the days when the 12" single carried serious kudos, if you bought "records" you had to have it in its extended version!- cover the bands first four albums.
From the tartan kilt wearing inventive, To Cut a Long Story Short, The Freeze and Musclebound through the pop catchy Chant No.1, Instinction, Lifeline and Communication, to the classics, Gold, Only When You Leave and True, they are all here in the re-mixed versions. Only Paint Me Down and the least commercially -didn't make the top 40 singles chart- She Loved Like Diamond are missing.
An early greatest hits of extended pure nostalgia. If you loved the 80's and the New Romantics, then let this take you back, and reminisce the best band of their generation.