THE BARGAIN BUY: Various Artists; 100 Hits, 80s

Yes, it's easy to tick off who isn't represented among these 100 hits of the decade that discovered synths -- Prince, Madonna, Bowie, every decent hip-hop act, the paisley underground bands, alt-indie rock from the US, post-punk UK bands . . .

But this still manages a fairly decent pop overview of a period where Hot Chocolate and Sheena Easton rubbed hairstyles with Culture Club, Duran Duran, Kim Wilde and Spandau Ballet . . . all of whom are here represented by their big hits.

So at a quick glance this looks like the Eighties as your local classic hits radio station might want you to believe it was. 

But it's the other inclusions which make this a fair selection: Billy Idol (White Wedding and Rebel Yell), Dr Hook (Sexy Eyes), Dexy's Midnight Runners (Geno, good choice!), the Specials (Ghost Town, another good one), Feargal Sharkey (A Good Heart), Dusty Springfield (In Private), J. Geils Band (Freeze Frame), The Rock Steady Crew, Mel and Kim, the Go-Go's, Stan Ridgeway (Camouflage), Black Slate (Amigo of course), Talking Heads (Wild Wild Life) . . .

Some of those mentioned above get a hit and a near-hit which seems odd when there were other acts which needed inclusion, but who knows the vagaries of such compilations, licencing and so on.

No matter, this is a nostalgia trip for some and source material for a new generation which didn't know this stuff first hand but is now intent on graverobbing it for styles, melodies and oddy enough production values . . .

But thankfully, so far anyway, not the hairstyles.

And at just $30 for 100 songs over five CDs from JB Hi Fi stores here that makes this synth-drum collection our recommended Bargain Buy.