Great Compilations: #3 A Taste Of Summer

The idea of this series was to trawl through my record collection for compilation albums for those which contained great music. Artists and songs captured in a moment, standing the test of time.

This morning’s addition is more of capturing a moment in time rather than being timeless songs. Frankly, it’s so far off the beaten track as far as my musical tastes are concerned that under normal circumstances, I’d wouldn’t have touched it with a bargepole.

While I ignored Wham!, I loathed Level 42. Still do and I suspect that has as much to do with the music, their audience in the early-mid 80s, and being dragged along to a gig at the Albert Hall by a then-girlfriend, who thought they were the best thing since sliced bread.

In the pantheon of ‘Worst Gigs I Ever Went To’, that’s right there, untouchable at Number One. Even the Stone Roses at Wembley in 1995, resplendent with Ian Brown’s off-key singing, couldn’t match it for sheer awfulness. Two hours of my life I can never get back.

Anyway, Level 42 are on here but this compilation for the summer of 1986 was on the stereo, wherever and whenever we could. It just captured the moment. I’m guessing I was sold by the extended mix of Long Hot Summer and that it was curated by Gary Crowley.

But as the sun shines through the blind this morning, I am transported back to the Thames Valley for one glorious summer.

Enjoy.