Disco de Modern Talking: “Very Best Of”

If you really want the best music of Modern Talking please note the following.

1. There's only the inferior 98 remix of You're My Heart - You're My Soul. Forget that version. MT existed 1985-1987 and 1998-2003, but the newer songs are of a different style and approach.

2. Although the single version of Atlantis Is Calling is included, you should definitely check out the extended version as well which I admit is a little harder to get. (The other extended and instrumental versions are also recommended, if you can get them. There is a Selected Singles '85-'98 box out which has all that material plus the original artwork.)

3. Weak choice of original album tracks here that round out the CD. Songs to look for instead are Charlene, Only Love Can Break My Heart, Blinded By Your Love, Princess of the Night, Diamonds Never Made a Lady, You're the Lady of My Heart etc. NOT Slow Motion, NOT Lady Lai NOT You and Me. In fact, you need not be afraid of the original albums #1 to #5 because you will be hungering for more anyway.

4. The last three tracks are 1998-2000. Of the later singles try to get the rap versions featuring Eric Singleton (that also goes for YMH-YMS). The best post reunion singles are TV Makes the Superstar, YMH-YMS (rap) & China in Her Eyes (rap).

5. A good MT album for international tastes is America, which was released in 2001, and to me it's by far their best contemporary album. There is also a DVD with all the promotional clips.

6. After Modern Talking, move on to Bohlen-produced songs of Chris Norman and C.C. Catch. And especially check out the early Blue System CD's Body Heat (1989) and Twilight (1990) plus the single Sorry Little Sarah which was written for Modern Talking.

Irresistible, energetic and immensely enjoyable dance music, the Modern Talking arrangements are sensational, and the songs melodic and fun. There are a few ballads in this compilation, but most of it is high-voltage and addictive; once in the stereo, this CD tends to get played over and over.

Among my choice cuts are "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", "In 100 Years", and "Locomotion Tango", and these are the some of the songs that made "Modern Talking" sell enough records to make them one of the Top 10 most successful artists worldwide.

The creative force is composer/arranger/producer Dieter Bohlen, who in 1984 started the duo with pop singer Thomas Anders as his partner; they split in 1987, to reunite 11 years later for another 5 years. It's the incredible arrangements that make this music what it is, and the polished professionalism of its performance. The voices are high and "electronically enhanced", and sing over the throbbing rhythm and blazing electronic sound.

Dieter has produced many CDs for other artists, and one of my favorite albums, highly recommended if you like Modern Talking, is the one he produced for Engelbert Humperdinck, now released as "Step Into My Life", where Engelbert does a fabulous cover of "You're My Heart, You're My Soul".

Dance your heart out to these nifty disco tunes, which will never go out of style as long as people want happy music for dancing and listening.

The sound is fantastic and total playing time is 70'09 minutes.

As a person growing up in a depressing, oppressing and closed Iranian society in 1980s and early 1990s, Modern Talking was the only bright light of those days. I know, the music is probably crap and not worth a cent now that I know better, more original and greater bands but I am giving this a 5 star review because I grew up with these tunes. Brings great memories and I still like them.