Fantastic

Great album after get it back in her collection when she lost a long time ago.

Wham!, Fantastic, is the first album I owned as a teenager: a Christmas present from Gran and Grandad, in 1983. Prior to this I had already purchased the singles Bad Boys (1983) and Club Tropicana (1983). I used to get my vinyl records from Woolworths on a Saturday, back when the store would have the top twenty 7" vinyl singles up on the wall, so you could browse that weeks chart and choose you favourites, see how they were doing. They did the same with the albums. I knew that Fantastic was going to be a worthwhile addition to my then small record collection on the strength of the singles.Most of the album is pure 1980s synth-pop with catchy but often repetitive choruses. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) - the boys debut single - showcases George Michael's attempt at rap, which is actually not that bad: the single reached #8 on the UK chart, after a second re-issue. Young Guns (Go For It!) and Bad Boys peaked at #3 and #2 respectively and, like Wham Rap!, the song lyrics centred on government, unemployment and the DHSS system, clearly aiming at connecting with the 1980's youth living under a Thatcher government; their pretty boy looks further ensured a large fan base of screaming teenage girls.Club Tropicana (1983), which reached #4, is the only one of the four singles not socially or politically motivated. Michael and Andrew Ridgeley are dressed as airline pilots in a video filmed in Ibiza; they are also seen lounging around by the poolside, taking in the sun rays. The song - like its video - is clearly a dig at the 18-30 package holiday crowd that was getting popular by the 1980s. It is the only ballad out of the four singles - well ballad-esque - for the song is still quite jaunty and trumpet-driven. Club Tropicana sounds more like the Wham! that would emerge out of Make It Big (1984), and hints at a future solo Michael.There is a fifth single, Club Fantastic Megamix (1983), which is comprised of three of the remaining album tracks: A Ray of Sunshine, Love Machine, and Come On. The single was released by Innervision despite protests from Michael and Ridgeley. Subsequently they dropped Innervision and moved to Epic and into an era where Wham! would break into the United States as well as becoming the biggest pop act of the 1980s. Club Fantastic Megamix fared poorly in comparison with the previous singles, but nevertheless made the top twenty, climbing to #15.The CD itself: this refers to the 1998 issue and features bonus instrumental tracks of A Ray of Sunshine, Love Machine and Come On. Their are also a couple of photos on the inner sleeve, but not as many as the original LP version. Good quality sound; no complaints here. I would, however, like to see a CD+DVD version, perhaps with all 7" and 12" versions (including those of Club Fantastic Megamix), and related music videos. But if, like me, you were a fan of this album, this CD is perfect for a trip back in time. Pure nostalgia. If you are new to Wham!, this is the place to begin.This 1998 re-issue track listing:Bad BoysA Ray of SunshineLove MachineWham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)A Ray of Sunshine (Instrumental Remix)Love Machine (Instrumental Remix)Club TropicanaNothing Looks the Same in the LightCome OnYoung Guns (Go For It!)Nothing Looks the Same in the Light (Instrumental Remix)Other formats available: Vinyl Album, Cassette, and the original CD releases and early import editions, all minus the three bonus instrumental tracks.Fantastic made the #1 spot in the UK