Jon Savage's 1986-1990 Rollin' Under The Melody

As we’ve come to expect from Ace’s much-admired series of Jon Savage-curated two-CD collections, this new – and sadly final – volume is a multi-genre delight, taking the listener from house to baggy via post-punk, proto-grunge, minimalist avant-garde, the advent of sampling and more.

Among the many highlights are ‘Mystery Of Love’ by Mr Fingers, a track that turned Savage’s head during a trip to New York in early 1986; Hüsker Dü’s ‘Could You Be The One?’ from 1987, a perfect example of their melodic abilities; the action-packed ‘It Takes Two’ by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, which could be heard blasting out of boomboxes all over New York in spring 1988; Paul Oakenfold’s 1989 remix of Happy Mondays’ ‘Wrote For Luck’ into the early baggy classic ‘W.F.L.’; and the Holographic Goatee Mix of ‘What Is Love?’, the overlooked flip of Dee-Lite’s international hit ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ of 1990.

The compilation – and the series – ends with a contrast: David Morales’ seven-minute hardcore trance reconstruction of the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘So Hard’ followed by the reflective, sinuous guitar chime of the High’s ‘Take My Time’. They represent the twin poles of Jon Savage’s musical choices at a time when dance culture was still expanding exponentially and rock music had rediscovered its swagger and joie-de-vivre. Ten years in the making, the series began with a set devoted to 1965 and ends with 1990, two great periods for music.

Tracklist

CD ONE
1. MYSTERY OF LOVE - MR FINGERS
2. SAFETY NET - SHOP ASSISTANTS
3. LET'S GO SWIMMING (Gulf Stream Dub) - ARTHUR RUSSELL
4. WORD UP! - CAMEO
5. COULD YOU BE THE ONE? - HÜSKER DÜ
6. FINISHED - THROWING MUSES
7. BIG DECISION (Extended Version) - THAT PETROL EMOTION
8. PUMP UP THE VOLUME (Remix) - M/A/R/R/S
9. TRAVELING AT THE SPEED OF THOUGHT - ULTRAMAGNETIC MC'S
10. PAID IN FULL (Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix) - ERIC B & RAKIM
11. THEME FROM S-EXPRESS - S-EXPRESS
12. IT TAKES TWO - ROB BASE & DJ E-Z ROCK
13. CRASH - THE PRIMITIVES
14. BREAK 4 LOVE (Spanish Mix) - RAZE
15. FREAK SCENE - DINOSAUR JR
16. CHE - SPACEMEN
17. FULL FATHOM FIVE - THE STONE ROSES
 
CD TWO
1. TEEN AGE RIOT - SONIC YOUTH
2. A DAY IN THE LIFE (Club Mix) - BLACK RIOT
3. SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY - FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS
4. HALLUCINATION GENERATION - THE GRUESOME TWOSOME
5. HARD LIGHT - BAND OF SUSANS
6. W.F.L. (Think About The Future - The Paul Oakenfold Mix) - HAPPY MONDAYS
7. ONE OF OUR GIRLS HAS GONE MISSING - A.C. MARIAS 
8. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SLY & LOVECHILD (Soul Of Europe Mix) - SLY & LOVECHILD
9. ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART - SAINT ETIENNE
10. HIPPYCHICK (No Acid Ted Mix) - SOHO
11. THE ONLY ONE I KNOW - THE CHARLATANS
12. ROCKIN' OVER THE BEAT (Rockin' Over Manchester Hacienda Mix) - TECHNOTRONIC FEATURING YA KID K
13. WHAT IS LOVE? (Holographic Goatee Mix) - DEEE-LITE
14. SO HARD (David Morales Remix) - PET SHOP BOYS
15. TAKE YOUR TIME - THE HIGH