RELEASED: 22 November 2004 I wasn't going to include any compilations in this list, but I just couldn't ignore "Ultimate Kylie". It was her second hits compilation and featured significant tracks from the first five years of her career, plus a whole bunch of good stuff from the subsequent 11 years as well. Disc one featured 15 of Kylie's hits from the 1987-92 Stock Aitken Waterman era. It's 80s/90s pop and it sounds it, which is no bad thing although, arguably, the likes of "What Do I Have To Do", "Never Too Late" and "Better The Devil You Know" have arguably aged more gracefully than the likes of "Tears On My Pillow" or "I Should Be So Lucky". Disc two featured 18 big hits from all 5 albums released between '94 and '03, plus her image-changing duet with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and two new songs that were better than you'd typically expect from new tracks on a hits compilation. "Confide In Me", "Did It Again" and "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" are perennial favourites. And ten years later? Every single second of this is still pop magnificence! Disc one sounds old, exactly as it should. Some of it was just plain cheesy when it was new, so it's no surprise that it sounds über-cheesy now. Disc two is a bit of an oddity - it's actually the most recent tracks, like "Red Blooded Woman", "Giving You Up" and "Chocolate", that sound the most dated.
I'm just a guy who loves words. I discover vast tracts of uncharted enjoyment by chucking words together and coming up with stuff that talks about the things I enjoy and love most. I'm also a massive listaholic, so I'm probably talking about a list, looking at a list or banging away at another What Culture list as you read this. My tone's pretty relaxed and conversational, with a liberal sprinkling of sparkling wit, wilting sarcasm and occasional faux-condescension - with tongue almost always firmly planted in cheek.
