Bad Boys Blue - Rarities Remixed

Over the years, Bad Boys Blue has been through its share of personnel changes. This self-titled release from 1993 was the last album by the group's John McInerney/Andrew Thomas/Trevor Travis lineup; by the next album, Travis was gone. Personnel changes, of course, can be a major distraction for a group, and they can be a cause of inconsistent albums. Bad Boys Blue's albums haven't always been consistent but, more often than not, this CD is enjoyable — that is, if you have a taste for the European school of high-tech dance-pop. If you've spent a lot of time savoring the Pet Shop Boys or various artists that the Stock, Aitken & Waterman team has produced, you'll find that the McInerney/Thomas/Travis edition of Bad Boys Blue is in good form on sleek, infectious tunes like "Rhythm of the Night" (not to be confused with dance diva Corona's 1995 hit), "A Train to Nowhere," and the single "Save Your Love." Also pleasing is an unlikely cover of the Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk," which works surprisingly well in a Euro-dance setting. A few of the tracks are weak; "I Totally Miss You" is as stiff and mechanical as it is forgettable. And while "Show Me the Way" isn't a bad song, it is marred by the group's awkward, ill-advised attempt to incorporate rapping. Although some Euro-dance acts have fared well with hip-hop elements, "Show Me the Way" ends up sounding clumsy and unnatural. But while Bad Boys Blue is mildly uneven, it has more ups than downs and was a generally respectable end to the group's McInerney/Thomas/Travis period.