The Best Of

So this is The Best of Fra Lippo Lippi, right? In fact, there are two important issues, both understandable, that may still annoy fans and curious minds. First is the absence of any tracks from the group's first two LPs, In Silence (1981) and Small Mercies (1983) — then again, they were more Gothic rock than pop, and both albums have been reissued two-fer style by Rune Arkiv as The Early Years simultaneously with this CD. Second is the fact that most songs are actually new recordings, since Virgin owns the rights to a hefty chunk of Fra Lippo Lippi's output. It is a "best-of" in spirit, but a far cry from what you may be entitled to expect. That said, the new recordings, made by original members Rune Kristoffersen and Per Oystein Sorensen, (with guitarist Börge Petersen Överlei helping out on a few songs), are elegant and faithful to the original versions. "Angel," the group's biggest hit, is included in its original recording. Extra tracks from Light and Shade (1987), Songs (1985), and The Colour Album (1989) have been re-recorded. Three songs were taken from Dreams (1992); one track from the live album Crash of Light (1989); and a previously unreleased song from 1995 ("Everybody Everywhere") are left intact. The fresh recordings flat out any sign of evolution in the group's sound, but they still make up an enjoyable hour of sweet, light, intelligent pop that retains a strong-'80s feel. ~ François Couture, Rovi