Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's, Vol. 14

The 14th, and penultimate, edition of Rhino's Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's series glides by not on the series' reputation, but on its own momentum. At this point, the series is concentrating on MTV hits and other songs that gained popularity after new wave broke big. That could mean Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok," taken from Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' rock musical, Chess, or it could mean Mitch Easter's pop underground classic, "Every Word Means No." Some of the songs don't feel right in this context -- Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" seems too mainstream, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" seems too post-new wave -- but much of this works and, while there aren't many classics (apart from the aforementioned tunes, there's Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry," Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy," and After the Fire's fantastic "Der Kommisar"), it's still a good choice for new wave fanatics (who may be the only people paying attention by Vol. 14, anyway).