Billboard Top Hits: 1984

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Various Artists

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This a a good selection and, as always with Billboard, the fidelity is first rate.

But don't buy for the Yes track "Owner of a Lonely Heart." Despite the fact that the CD makes the boastful claim that each track is "Sounding exactly as it did when first released," on "Lonely Heart" the crucial upbeat explosion of an ending--the strongest part of the whole track--is cut, entirely, in favor of a boring slow fade of the song's chorus. Since I never owned the track, my knowledge of it is 100% radio based, showing that Billboard is, shall we say, shading the truth a bit in its claims. In addition to on the original Yes album "90125," you can also find the complete version of the track on Vh1's "The Big 80s: Arena Rock," along with a few other interesting tracks.

But for the other tracks (back to the Billboard 84 CD), I don't hear any problems.

Billboard puts out a good product overall, I also recommend the 1979 disco CD if you like that stuff.