The Last Dance [2 CD]

When your a real fan, there's no way you could go without owning every compilation of your objects of adoration there is, even a bunch of B-sides and remixes. And no doubt this is even a good one, though no Gold, of course.

CD1

#1 Overture 10

All the greatest good old hits mixed together with an orchestral arrangement - a fantastic concept! Majestetic, comic and musically great at the same time.

#2 Too Busy Thinking 'bout My Baby 8

Giant step down after the breathtaking first track. A very trainlike track, not too exciting but quite pleasant and sing-a-longable.

#3 To Be Your Hero 8

Pretty much the same kind as the previous one, why did they put these in the beginning of this album?

#4 Baby Don't Dance 8½

A somewhat less powerful version from this Gold track. More 70's, more water, slicing a ½ out of the grade.

#5 Human Touch 9½

Now we're back in the real business, though even this is a watered-down disco version of the cheery and rectangular track. The original version would be an easy 10. That bass arrangement is sooo Kylie...

#6 I Know Him So Well 9½

An ABBA song I first heard through this version. Very peaceful, charming, also a bit kaihea. In fact, this must be the only very good slow ABBA track I know.

#7 Lay All Your Love on Me 8

I really can't understand the track order here. First waste the exciting start with two ordinary songs, then put the two ABBA covers next to each other? Never on of my favourites, too hollow.

#8 You'll Be Sorry 8½

Funny they left this out of Gold and put it here instead. This is the first alternate version that's actually better than the original. Again, why is this right after LAYLoM? They are too similar to be adjacent.

#9 Merry Christmas Everybody 7

A very promising start, a bit like Chain Reaction, but the chorus has awful chords taking away 1-2 points. I'm afraid in terms of holiday music Bubbles' Xmas Time is a lot better, it's even original.

#10 Why 8

Someone called this the best Steps ballad. I may disagree (of course it's ItWYMMF) but still it's not bad at all. The ending of the chorus is still very strange, though I've quite got used to it. Overall it's better than many of their actual album ballads, like Stay With Me, I Believe, When I Said Goodbye etc...

#11 Mars & Venus 7

And then they did and released this as a single in the US? And then they wondered they never made a breakthrough over there? Wake up. This is even less interesting than Words Are Not Enough. I'm so glad this didn't make it onto Gold.

#12 Just Like the First Time 10

The best non-instrumental ;] track on the CD, this hasn't suffered much from the new version. Whereas the original sounded very much like LToMM, this is more like OfS, neither of which are bad comparisons, of course :] This should already have been on Buzz, and why not Gold as well.

#13 One for Sorrow (WIP Mix) 10

Speaking of OfS, here comes the real thing. The original is better, this one's too hasty, but you can't spoil a good thing so easily.

#14 Deeper Shade of Blue (WIP Mix) 10

Pretty much the same comments as for the previous one, except that this remix works somewhat better.

CD2

#1 5, 6, 7, 8 6

It's very amusing to hear this song in a form totally different from the one it's used to be heard. That, however, doesn't change the fact this is a very boring remix indeed.

#2 Tragedy 9½

The beginning threatens to be the same as the previous one but after some time it becomes more regular, though the background is still more boring than the original.

#3 Last Thing on My Mind 9½

I just can't understand the logic of repeating some single word or expression in remixes, like "stranger, stranger, stranger, like a stranger,..." here. I'm yet to come across a Steps remix that I'd prefer to the original. Towards the end I got the idea that this bears some resemblance to Gina G's Ooh Aah Just a Little Bit...

#4 One for Sorrow 10

This one's already familiar from somewhere, I guess it was the B-side of some single. Again here we have the stupid repetition phenomenon "Love, love, love, love, your love,...". Maybe through accustomance, this sounds better than the previous two. An extra bonus is that the vocal changes that in the original are so far in the end fading they are rarely heard, are here completely audible.

#5 Better Best Forgotten 9

Either I'm getting used to these remixes or they are actually getting better...

#6 Love's Got a Hold on My Heart 9

With a more powerful choir in the chorus this could be very good. However the instrumental sections are outright annoying.

#7 After the Love Has Gone 10

The same problem as with OfS, the interest generated by the rhythm development is totally lost in the remix. However, maybe because of that or for some other reason, these two are just the one that have suffered the least.

#8 Deeper Shade of Blue 9½

The same coffee cup sounds as already somewhere before, I'm getting bored of those. With less of those sounds I'd give a 10. This is one of the few remixes to get something positively extra from the process.

#9 Summer of Love 8½

This didn't have so much to lose in the first place...

#10 Stomp 8½

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