As an introduction to go-go, you could certainly do worse than the soundtrack of this ill-fated 1986 film. The movie (which starred Art Garfunkel) was supposed to be the music's national coming-out party; it didn't work that way, but it certainly wasn't any fault of the tunes. The most oft-repeated criticism of go-go is that its percussion-heavy jams are hard to compress into radio-ready songs, which is true, but only to a point, and this soundtrack showed that it could be done with aplomb. Good to Go contains three classic ...
Read More
As an introduction to go-go, you could certainly do worse than the soundtrack of this ill-fated 1986 film. The movie (which starred Art Garfunkel) was supposed to be the music's national coming-out party; it didn't work that way, but it certainly wasn't any fault of the tunes. The most oft-repeated criticism of go-go is that its percussion-heavy jams are hard to compress into radio-ready songs, which is true, but only to a point, and this soundtrack showed that it could be done with aplomb. Good to Go contains three classic singles by go-go's top trio of acts: Trouble Funk's "Drop the Bomb," E.U.'s "E.U. Freeze," and "We Need Money," by Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers. Each would doubtless be better as a longer, live version, but each also has an irresistible hook that makes the sub-four minute lengths here make sense, too. In addition, the new Trouble Funk single "Still Smokin'" showed go-go could withstand even further commercialization, and Hot, Cold Sweat's "Meet Me at the Go-Go" is a "Hey Ladies"-style call to the clubs that's flat-out fun. Given those strengths, then, it's a shame the album is marred by the inexplicable inclusion of three tracks from Island's reggae stable. None of the songs has much to do with Jamaica -- the inferior remix of Sly and Robbie's 1985 release "Make 'Em Move" is big-beat rock, while Wally Baradou's "Keys" is a nondescript synthesizer instrumental -- but none has anything to do with go-go, either. The album's still worth owning for the singles, however, and points up the surprising lack of a good all-purpose collection drawn from go-go's '80s glory years. ~ Dan LeRoy, Rovi
Read Less