This band had its great breakthrough with the stellar "breakout", from the impossible to equal (for them at least) "It's better to travel". That album was played everywhere in Madrid when it was released, and I even had a neighbour who had it playing constantly. She had the cd at home and the tape version for her car (at that time, there were few cd players for cars and no MDs).

Well, many years have gone by and I had been thinking about getting that album on cd for myself, after having worn out my tape copy. Then, I decided to get this one. I found it to be a real collection of their finest moments. The journey takes you from 1985 to 1994, and contains several (slightly edited) tracks of their most famous tunes from their stellar album. There is a clear change of style midway through this album, mainly due to line-up changes of the band throughout the years. However, I must say I was not disappointed by those tracks I had never heard before, except for track 16, an ear breaker. For instance, you have a very soul Curtis Mayfield / Marvin Gaye type of atmosphere on track 12. Track 13 has that happy feeling and rythm that makes you want to tap your feet on the floor. Track 14, a mid tempo with a jazzy touch, could be played in any of those elegant bars in major capitals around the world. The closer, a brilliant 3 minute instrumental, has a sort of romantic Parisian-like atmosphere that also brings back special memories to me...

If you like British-like pop soul with "elegant" touches, unfortunately unfit for the US market, this is an album for you. The Japanese apparently love this band. Swing Out sister might make you think a bit about Matt Bianco (same era) or Working Week, or even Nick Heyward. If you like these artists, you will also like this cd. It's a great quality pop album, and a good compilation.

Now, my next move is to get "It's better to travel" on cd...

Let's begin this review with a question that has baffled me for years now. Which, simply put is, why hasn't this incredible U.K. group Swing Out Sister become a huge success here in America? They have all the correct ingrediants i.e. attractive female lead, infectious melodies and adult lyrics, that you can actually sing while in the privacy of your shower ( I know I have ). Yet, here in this country they probably couldn't even get arrested. It certainly doesn't bode well for the state of 'Pop' music here in the U.S. when artists of dubious talent such as Jewel are able to push more cd's out of the store than this incredible band. It's more than just a shame but...

Being a fan of this wonderful duo ( which actually began as a trio! ) I'll certainly do my part to sing their praises. The release of " Breakout " is an import compilation that includes not only their biggest hit to date," Breakout " but also a host of other songs that, while they may not seem recognizable at first, will soon become so. Highlight's for me include, " Am I the Same Girl ", " Notgonnachange " and " Blue Mood ", the last being an infectious bluesy number that I'm listening to right now. Heck, half the fun in owning this disc is finding out which tunes you like best! SOS's forte in writing tunes is simply putting together wonderful melodies with insightful lyrics and a spice of smooth jazz and R&B thrown in for good measure. This is truly Britpop at it's very best and, other than Lisa Stansfield, I can think of no other group that performs this style of music any better than SOS. And while I'm sure some listener's may consider this style a little too slick and contemporary for their taste that may be the reason I enjoy this band as much as I do. The entire disc carries a slightly nightclub/martini aura about it that feels just right. They don't pretend to anything other than what they set out to do....and I find that terribly refreshing.

In ending, if you prefer your music slightly jazzy with a 'pop' sensibility than please give Swing Out Sister a try. I've given this disc away as gifts on several occassions and the recipients never fail to tell me how thrilled they are with this 'new group' SOS! Well, who am I to ruin their fun! So run and pick up your copy of " Breakout " and soon you'll be a true trend setter in your neighborhood. And, with... pricing this disc at a budget rate, than you've no excuse as to why your not at home, listening to SOS, and dancing around your living room floor, singing with sheer abandonment. Just make sure you put something on when step out of that shower! Thanks

Swing out Sister is one of my favorite groups. I have most of their albums including many imports. This is a real value for an import and is a fairly comprehensive review of the group's earlier material. Appreciated greatly in Japan, SOS seems to have suffered from its lack of fitting to a genre in the States.

The group's distinquishing features are the lead female vocals which are amazing and which I never tire of and really fun and interesting arrangements. Its pop-jazz or jazz-pop or whatever. What it is really, is fun and light but always musically interesting at the same time. Can't beat this value if you are new to SOS or a long-time fan. If you are new I would get this and then the Living Return (I feel the best SOS album out there) and Shape and Patterns. These 3 will give you a good feel for the group and then you can decide if you want to buy the more recent albums which are import only.

This is a budget compilation on the UK Spectre label, containing an assortment of tracks from various albums by the group, plus a few non-LP tracks thrown in for good measure. The sequencing is rather odd, but the music itself is flawless. But why stop here? Get all of the Swing Out Sister CDs.