TIME LIFE started the Body Talk series in 1996 and brought out 22 volumes before the series was discontinued in 2002. Each 2-CD set collected hit songs from 1965-1995. I can’t discern any rime or reason why these particular songs were chosen for Volume 9 Magic Moments. It all seems random to me. The aim seems to be to present what used to be called “Easy Listening Music” in a convenient, affordable package. Many of the older songs have been remastered for these sets. The sound is good to excellent. There’s a little something for just about everyone on these sets. Do you see any of your favorite songs here? GRADE: A-
BODY TALK: Vol. 9 – Magic Moments (1996) TRACK LIST:
DISC 1:
Lionel Richie / Truly – levels excellent
Manhattans / Shining Star – diff EQ than Rhino’s Smooth Grooves Vol. 1 (1995); clips a tiny bit
Bangles / Eternal Flame – diff EQ than Billboard Top Hits 1989 (1994); clips a lot
Champaign / Try Again – diff EQ than Billboard Hot R&B Hits 1983 (1996); levels excellent
REO Speedwagon / Can’t Fight This Feeling – levels excellent
Stylistics / Betcha By Golly Wow – levels excellent
Doobie Brothers / What A Fool Believes – diff EQ than Warner Bros.’ Sweet Freedom (1986); levels excellent
Friends Of Distinction / Going In Circles – levels excellent
Hollies / The Air That I Breathe – levels excellent
Deniece Williams / It’s Gonna Take A Miracle – levels excellent
Dan Fogelberg / Hard To Say – levels excellent
Dorothy Moore / Misty Blue – levels excellent
DISC 2:
Three Degrees / When Will I See You Again – levels excellent
James Taylor And J.D. Souther / Her Town Too – 0.5 dB, Early ’80s and diff EQ than Razor and Tie’s Forever ’80s (1994) levels excellent
Pointer Sisters / Fire – diff EQ than Billboard Top Hits 1979 (1991); levels excellent, have L/R channels reversed from original 45
A Taste Of Honey / Sukiyaki – 1.255 dB > Sounds Of the ’80s – the Early ’80s Take Two (1996) and diff EQ than Smooth Grooves Vol. 7 (1996); levels excellent
Jeff Healey Band / Angel Eyes – diff EQ than Priority’s 80’s Greatest Rock Hits Vol. 5 from the Heart (1992); clips severely around -3 dB
Art Garfunkel / All I Know – levels excellent
Fleetwood Mac / Over My Head – levels excellent
Bill Withers / Ain’t No Sunshine – levels excellent
Daryl Hall And John Oates / I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) – diff EQ than Sounds Of The Eighties 1980-1982 (1995); levels excellent
Engelbert Humperdinck / After The Lovin’ – levels excellent
Dave Loggins / Please Come To Boston – levels excellent
Teddy Pendergrass / Close The Door – levels excellent
I once had a bunch of Time-Life cassettes. They corrupted while others I bought from different sources worked fine! I have no faith in the quality of their products!
Bob, I had the same problem with TIME-LIFE cassettes back in the day!
Some good ones—What A Fool Believes, Her Town Too, All I Know, Ain’t No Sunshine—mixed in with some real drek (oh God, please don’t let that Englebert Humperdinck song start ear worming in my head!). All in all, an ok package, but nothing I’d pay money for today.
Deb, I still don’t understand the popularity of Englebert Humperdinck.
He’s for people who find Neil Diamond too intense!
EH was my mother’s favorite pop heartthrob. I never quite got it, either, but if you tried to mix Tom Jones and Mac Davis up in a blender…a dash of Don Ho…
“You can take me to Paradise,
Then again you can be cold as ice.”
Love me some Christine McVie. Definitely some good ones there: What a Fool Believes (it has been interesting hearing both the Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald, who did sing it when he was with them, do it live in recent years), FIre (though my preferred version is Robin Williams doing it like Elmer Fudd), Ain’t No Sunshine (I used to count the consecutive “I know”s), Betcha By Golly Wow.
I agree with you, I see no rhyme or reason in this collection.
Jeff, I fail to detect any pattern in the selection of these songs. Very random. Nice background music.
I used to count the “I know”s too, Jeff. It was either 26 or 28, iirc.
Not much here I like. Ain’t No Sunshine being the best. I prefer Fire by Bruce Springsteen over the Pointer Sisters cover. A lot of dreck here.
Steve, I think TIME-LIFE was trying to appeal to every musical taste.
“Eternal Flame” is probably the worst song the Bangles have recorded, and certainly their weakest hit. Still not terrible, but every other Bangles song would be a better choice!
This does seem like they took a playlist from a MOR station and put it in a home-package.
Where did the equalization notes come from?
Todd, I’m with you on “Eternal Flame.” But, it keeps cropping up on these retro-CD collections. When I downloaded the times for the songs, I got these equalization notes, too. Go figure…