Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 57 [CD]

the now series is aging slightly, yet each time it comes around it brings the same type of tracklisitng you would expect. mostly the cds are dull, consisting of poor chart-toppers and unispiring hits, and the odd ballad now and then.

The same is for vol.57 but this time there is an impressive selection of songs to go with it, and for once some of the chart toppers are actually quite good. Toxic an outstanding track that you have to pinch yourself to make sure it was releaesed by britney, deepest blue, and sugerbabes beautiful "lost in you" are all great songs.

Having said this there are some awful gut wrenchingly bad songs on both cds. atomic kittens ladies nights reminds us of why we should be thankful they are taking a break. the other awful tracks come from pop idol and fame academy. its hard to decide which one is worst.

Yet this double disk manages to save itself from mediocracy verging on crap by the wise inclusion of some brilliant alternative songs. Keane, franz ferdinand and snow patrol all contribute brilliant tracks. Blink 182 even join in, joining britney in the category of "never released a good song before but this ones great. Miss you is suprisngly one of the best tracks on there.

All in all, not a bad effort. but be warned if you buy it you will only be paying for a handfull of good tracks.

Never mess with a winning formula, they say, and they haven't.

There aren't quite 57 varieties of musical styles to match the volume number now reached, even though the 44 tracks are a few more than normal, but they've tried their hardest, with a little jazz, courtesy of the boy Cullum, added to the usual mix of pop, soul, modern r&b, chart-friendly rock and dance, and what has become the almost traditional rave from the grave, in this instance Peter Andre.

For those who like statistics there are eight No 1's, eight cover versions, five products of the Pop Idol/Fame Academy shows and at least four tracks bearing the credit of Pharrell Williams. And eleven tracks have already appeared on the rival "Hit 40 UK" compilation.

Notwithstanding all that, the Now series is still the best of its genre and number 57 is well up to standard. It has the greatest range of coverage, is well programmed or sequenced and has informative, if sometimes inane, sleevenotes on each track. Obviously you can't please everybody with everything, but for the price of five singles it represents great value, and it would be a very jaded ear indeed that couldn't find at least twice that number of songs to their liking. My score is 32!

This is the first Now album I bought and it's a great one.

44 TOP CHART HITS

COMPACT DISC 1 Chart Peak Weeks On Chart

1.Britney Spears- Toxic 1 14 Weeks(Mar-June)
2.Kelis- Milkshake 2 15 Weeks(Jan-Apr)
3.Jamelia- Thank You 2 14 Weeks(Feb-June)
4.Kylie Minogue- Red Blooded Woman 5 9 Weeks(Mar-May)
5.Justin Timberlake- I'm Lovin' It 79 1 Week(Dec)
6.Enrique Iglesias ft Kelis- Not In Love 5 9 Weeks(Mar-May)
7.The Black Eyed Peas- Shut Up 2 12 Weeks(Dec-Feb)
8.2 Play ft Raghav & Jucxi- So Confused 6 13 Weeks(Jan-Apr)
9.Beenie Man ft Ms Thing- Dude 7 11 Weeks(Mar-May)
10.Peter Andre- Mysterious Girl 1 11 Weeks(Feb-May)
11.DJ Casper- Cha Cha Slide 1 18 Weeks(Mar-July)
12.Girls Aloud- Jump 2 14 Weeks(Nov-Feb)
13.Boogie Pimps- Somebody To Love 3 15 Weeks(Jan-Apr)
14.Atomic Kitten ft Kool And The Gang-
Ladies Night 8 11 Weeks(Dec-Mar)
15.Emma- I'll Be There 7 8 Weeks(Feb-Apr)
16.Sophie Ellis-Bextor- I Won't Change You 9 6 Weeks(Jan-Feb)
17.Scissor Sisters- Comfortably Numb 10 8 Weeks(Jan-Jan)
18.Deepest Blue- Give It Away 9 8 Weeks(Feb-Apr)
19.LMC vs U2- Take Me To The Clouds Above 1 12 Weeks(Feb-Apr)
20.Special D- Come With Me 6 11 Weeks(Apr-June)
21.Ultrabeat- Feelin' Fine 12 12 Weeks(Dec-Mar)
22.Motorcycle- As The Rush Comes 11 9 Weeks(Jan-Mar)
23.Ferry Corsten- Rock Your Body Rock 11 6 Weeks(Feb-Apr)

COMPACT DISC 2 Chart Peak Weeks On Chart

1.Will Young- Leave Right Now 1 18 Weeks(Nov-Apr)
2.Katie Melua- The Closest Thing To Crazy 10 20 Weeks(Dec-Apr)
3.Norah Jones- Sunrise 30 3 Weeks(Apr)
4.Blue- Breathe Easy 4 12 Weeks(Mar-June)
5.Kelly Osbourne ft Ozzy Osbourne- Changes 1 16 Weeks(Dec-Apr)
6.Blink-182- I Miss You 8 10 Weeks(Mar-May)
7.Busted- Who's David? 1 10 Weeks(Feb-May)
8.Fountains Of Wayne- Stacy's Mom 11 7 Weeks(Mar-May)
9.Franz Ferdinand- Take Me Out 3 9 Weeks(Jan-Mar)
10.Alistair Griffin- Bring It On 5 6 Weeks(Jan-Feb)
11.Sugababes- Too Lost In You 10 13 Weeks(Dec-Mar)
12.VS- Love You Like Mad 7 7 Weeks(Feb-Apr)
13.Joss Stone- Fell In Love With A Boy 18 5 Weeks(Feb-Mar)
14.FYA ft Smujji- Must Be Love 13 7 Weeks(Mar-Apr)
15.N.E.R.D- She Wants To Move 5 12 Weeks(Mar-June)
16.Jamie Cullum- Frontin'(Live) 12 5 Weeks(Mar-Apr)
17.Keane- Somewhere Only We Know 3 13 Weeks(Feb-May)
18.Snow Patrol- Run 5 25 Weeks(Feb-Nov)
19.Alex Parks- Maybe That's What It Takes 3 9 Weeks(Nov-Jan)
20.Ronan Keating- She Believes(In Me) 2 7 Weeks(Feb-Apr)
21.Michelle- All This Time 1 11 Weeks(Jan-Mar)

Best Songs

COMPACT DISC 1

Jamelia- Thank You
2 Play ft Raghav & Jucxi- So Confused
Beenie Man ft Ms Thing- Dude
Peter Andre- Mysterious Girl
Boogie Pimps- Somebody To Love
Deepest Blue- Give It Away
LMC vs U2- Take Me To The Clouds Above
Special D- Come With Me
Ultrabeat- Feelin' Fine
Motorcycle- As The Rush Comes
Ferry Corsten- Rock Your Body Rock

COMPACT DISC 2

Katie Melua- The Closest Thing To Crazy
Busted- Who's David?
Fountains Of Wayne- Stacy's Mom
Alistair Griffin- Bring It On
Sugababes- Too Lost In You

Artists repeated from Now 56

Jamelia- Thank You
Kylie Minogue- Red Blooded Woman
Justin Timberlake- I'm Lovin' It
The Black Eyed Peas- Shut Up
Girls Aloud- Jump
Atomic Kitten ft Kool And The Gang- Ladies Night
Emma- I'll Be There
Sophie Ellis-Bextor- I Won't Change You
Ultrabeat- Feelin' Fine
Blue- Breathe Easy
Busted- Who's David?
Sugababes- Too Lost In You

Artists that appear on Now 58

Britney Spears- Everytime
Kelis- Trick Me
Jamelia- See It In A Boy's Eyes
Kylie Minogue- Chocolate
The Black Eyed Peas- Hey Mama
2 Play ft Raghav & Naila Boss- It Can't Be Right
Girls Aloud- The Show
Atomic Kitten- Someone Like Me
Scissor Sisters- Laura
Blue- Bubblin'
Busted- Air Hostess
Franz Ferdinand- Matinee
Sugababes- In The Middle
VS- Call U Sexy
Joss Stone- Super Duper Love
N.E.R.D- Maybe
Keane- Everybody's Changing
Ronan Keating ft LeAnn Rimes- Last Thing On My Mind

8 Number 1's

Britney Spears- Toxic
Peter Andre- Mysterious Girl
DJ Casper- Cha Cha Slide
LMC vs U2- Take Me To The Clouds Above
Will Young- Leave Right Now
Kelly Osbourne ft Ozzy Osbourne- Changes
Busted- Who's David?
Michelle- All This Time

Release Date: 5 April 2004