80s Compilation: Living in Oblivion Volume 1

 i've been listening to my CD collection over the last couple of months. Sadly, there are some skips (small playback issues) - some of these are over 30 years old. i used to have many more CDs, but sold of a bunch of them over the years.

If you're wondering, i consider the 1980s to be 1981-1990. i love the 80s. The 90s were hit and miss, this millennium sucks.

i consider compilation collections like Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80s (have less than half of the 15-release series) as companions to individual artists like George Michael/Wham!, Richard Marx, Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc. Compilations are how i added breadth to my collection. Songs i may remember from artists i did not. i bought a few Greatest Hits due to specific songs in this series. Living in Oblivion may be the only series i have all of (with the exception of the rumored volume 6). 

There are brief liner notes with US and UK peak chart positions.

Let's get into the listings/commentary

Volume 1: 

• Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
• Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes
• Talk Talk - Talk Talk 
• Turning Japanese - The Vapors
• The Politics of Dancing - Re-Flex
• 19 - Paul Hardcastle
• Homicide - 999
• Romanticide - Combo Audio
• Guilty - Classix Nouveaux
• (Get) a Grip (on Yourself) - The Stranglers 
• 2-4-6-8 Motorway - Tom Robinson Band 
• c30 c60 c90 Go - Bow Wow Wow
• (She's) Sexy + 17 - Stray Cats
• She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby 
• Chant No1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
• I Eat Cannibals - Total Coelo
• Shiny Shiny - Haysi Fantayzee

Comments: 

This might be the weakest track list of the series. Solid 80s standard faire like; "Too Shy", "Always Something There to Remind Me", "Kids in America" and "She Blinded Me With Science". Includes such 1970s songs as "Turning Japanese" (1980), "Homicide", "(Get) A Grip (On Yourself)", and "C30, C60, C90 Go" (1980). 

If you don't know the last one dealt with re-recording audio on these things called tapes (C = cassette, 30 equals minutes - i usually used C60 or C90). Yes, i have made mix tapes and recorded stuff off of the radio. i will not miss tapes being "eaten" by the player and using a pencil to respool them. 

Vaguely remembered: "Talk Talk", "(She's) Sexy + 17"

Never heard of that i was ok with:  "The Politics of Dancing", "Romanticide", and "Chant No. 1" (i only knew Spandau Ballet's "True").

Songs, i was not a huge fan of (on the flip side): "19" (factually incorrect and too much talking), "Homicide", "Get A Grip on Yourself", and "C30 C60, C90 Go".

Albums bought: i got Naked Eyes greatest hits after listening to this. Something appealing about their synthpop style.