I don't know that much about this band--really, I'm only familiar with them through their greatest hits album, but it's a nice greatest hits. Go West was a UK duo made up of Peter Cox and Richard Drummie who released music in the 1980's and early 1990's. Most of their success occurred in the UK, but you can occasionally still hear them on U.S. radio, mainly because of their song "King Of Wishful Thinking," used in the movie Pretty Woman, which gave them their highest-charting U.S. song (#8). In the UK, chart-wise, they had the sort of career that apparently is no longer good enough for most record companies (which frustrates me), with songs usually reaching in the 10-25 range. Their sound is very '80's, with synths and percussion and probably some other things I can't identify.We Close Our Eyes--Go West's debut single, and one of two songs that helped them get signed. It's up-tempo and energy-filled, though that doesn't mean it's super fast. There's a great build up in what is either the middle 8 or leading into the middle 8 and, despite talk of hiding feelings and girls being shown up, there's something oddly empowering about it.
The King Of Wishful Thinking--a little more ballad-oriented, though it's not really that slow. As you might guess from the title, it is about love, with the singer promising "that I'll get over you, I know I will," while at the same time knowing that he's actually just trying to fool himself. That probably sounds really sappy, and I suppose it could be, but the fact that this isn't a straight-up ballad helps prevent it from seeming to be (or seeming too much to be).
Don't Look Down--returning to more up-tempo songs, we have a song that's reminiscent of "We Close Our Eyes" (and that makes sense, because it's from the same era as "We Close Our Eyes"). It's fun, catchy--really, what more could you ask for? Just a rhetorical question, as I know one could make an argument for the more arty groups of the '80's, and those are important, too; it would be a shame, though, to ignore a group that had a knack for catchy pop songs, an art of its own.
To buy Go West's greatest hits album, Aces And Kings: The Best Of Go West, go here (physical) or here (digital).
Next up: maybe an album review.
4 comments:
i think i remember liking Go West - and they were definitely on the British Hit Me Baby One More Time... i think! King of Wishful Thinking was from Pretty Woman - a soundtrack that i loved and so embraced the two boys and went searching for some back catalogue! What a lovely reminder - thanks!
Were they really? I meant to watch the US version of that show! Would you believe I only saw Pretty Woman for the first time a year ago? I'd heard the soundtrack for a while before that, though, and you're right--it is good! Julia Roberts has been in a couple of movies with good soundtracks--I think I liked the one to Runaway Bride, too.
Poster Girl, this may have been before your time -- heck, even I was only *cough* three years old at the time -- *ahem* -- but they had another U.S. hit in winter 1992 / early 1993, with "Faithful." It charted at #14.
Also, "Don't Look Down" went to #39 here in 1987.
That was definitely before I was paying attention to the radio! I had no idea "Faithful" did so well here, or that it and "Don't Look Down" were even released here. Thank goodness for the ever-knowledgeable (and apparently quite precocious ;) ) J'ason!
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