All others who should know better, read on, baby!
Like the other two sensible reviewers of this 'album', my standpoint on the Now series is to completely slate, destroy, burn, and decimate it 'til there is nothing left but ashes. I have given it a 16s and above advisory label as you can't expect the pop-fed majority of today's chart loving kids to be into good music. True, there is a growing number who are seeing the light, and realising what this sort of corporate-driven drivel truly is- a money spinner. Music doesn't have to be one giant machine, churning out the same old same old in order to bring in the bucks, it can be something to be truly enjoyed. These kids only take this stuff in because they are force-fed it by the corporate giants who oversee the influx of profits every minute of the day. Please, we dont want to see another Pop Idol!

Music to me should be about artists who can play their own instruments, make music which is meaningful to them and comes from their own inspiration. Sure, all musicians need to make a living, and unfortunately that's where the concept of singles comes into play, but when the music itself is given to faceless acts (prime example: S Club Juniors or whatever they're called), by major label writers, that's when it stops being important or meaningful.

I'm not going to comment on the tracks on this CD, because I would say the same about all of them (that being.....Rrrrrrrubbish!), HOWEVER there are a couple of exceptions here which stand out as being more genuine. The likes of Katie Melua, Norah Jones, Keane, Snow Patrol, Joss Stone, and Jamie Cullum are, in my eyes, worthy of being called musicians. I listen to a wide range of music, from Chillout (e.g. Zero 7), through Art Rock (i.e. the mighty Radiohead), Electronica and Techno (Prodigy, Leftfield, Chemical Brothers), Alternative (Cooper Temple Clause), Metal (Machine Head), Alt rock (Tool, etc), Hip Hop (Jurassic 5, The Roots), to Swing (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy)- I'm telling you, these are all GOOD, REAL artists. I'm only saying this to show that I know what I'm talking about. I assure you, none of the tracks on the CD would match the quality of any of the artists above. If any intelligent person is still reading this, I think you've gathered what my views on the Now series are. There must be SOME people who look at the reviews of the series cynically, just to see what others think. If you're one of them, isnt it good to hear the truth for once? Review over. 0 stars

KID LISTENER'S SECTION (PLUS PARENTS OF THOSE KIDS)
For those kids who do listen to the Now series, I assure you, this one is juuuust as good as the others. In fact, EXACTLY as good. I don't think you could get any closer in goodness. So buy this album now! I'm sure you won't regret it, for another few years anyway. Parents, you should buy this album for your kids. It's what they want. Just don't complain verbally when they want it on in the car, and don't go into denial either and pretend that you like it. But you should buy it for them. It'll make them happy. 5 stars!!!!


a summary of everything that's wrong with the music industry   June 22, 2004
 8 out of 23 found this review helpful

I still don't know why people insist on buying these albums. Every single one of them is filled with the same generic pop of the moment, plus a song that hasn't been released but is still on a hits compilation (now tell me that the record industry isn't going to ram THAT song down your throat until it really does become a big seller). The only saving grace is when a non-mainstream song gets into the top 10, and they have to find a way to fit a song that is completely off-kilter to the rest of the album, & try to fit it between the fast food rockers & the cheeky girls. All in all, I think that if you like a song, then a: buy the single(of course i don't condone downloading!lol), or b: buy the album, as you will get to hear the songs on the next Now compilation anyway, & after 6 months, you may just listen to it again, instead of just buying the songs that the suits want you to listen to. The record companies are making a mint and a monkey out of you at the same time, and they are making even more money out of the poor sap that they roped in to sing their latest money spinner (but then that's the price of fame without talent). am I being pessimistic? maybe, but how many times have YOU listened to your hear'say album recently? think about that, whilst I go and listen to something with a bit more substance, like paint drying. My rating? one star, and that's only because I can't put a zero.


Ooh a shiny coaster!   May 12, 2004
 33 out of 45 found this review helpful

Now 57 is an over-priced drinks coaster. It is the perfect gift for deaf spaniards and magpies (they like shiny things). Any self-respecting Britney Spears or Will Young fans - that's the under 12 market - will already have these songs. The few good bands in there are vastly outnumbered by the pre-teen drivel. The other reviewers are clearly EMI employees or idiots


The best NOW ever released!   May 11, 2004
 9 out of 25 found this review helpful

This is the best NOW ever released, includes all my favourite hits from November 2003 to April 2004 and is the real reflection of the latest charts.
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Britney Spears - Toxic (No.1) Britney's back and she's stronger than ever!
2. Kelis - Milkshake (No.2) Kelis greatest song ever! She manages to make you dance all night long.
3. Jamelia - Thank You (No.2) Excellent lyrics, great melody... awesome song!
4. Kylie Minogue - Red Blooded Woman (No.5) This is one of Kylie's best songs in the latest years. It deserved to get higher than only No.5.
5. Justin Timberlake - I'm Lovin' It (Download only) A huge hit if it was released as a single.
6. Enrique Iglesias feat. Kelis - Not In Love (No.5) First top ten for Enrique since 2002's "Escape" made No.3. Kelis maximize the potential of the hit.
7. The Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up (No.7) My favourite B.E.P. hit, followed in March 2004 by No.6 "Hey Mama".
8. 2 Play feat. Raghav & Jucxi - So Confused (No.6) Great dancehall single.
9. Beenie Man feat. Ms. Thing - Dude (No.7) This is the only Beenie Man song that I like... it's a very good hit.
10. Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl (No.1) Re-issued in February 2004, originally a No.2 hit back in the summer of '96.
11. DJ Casper - Cha Cha Slide (No.1) Released on March 1st, the single was only blocked from the top-spot by Britney Spears' "Toxic", but reached No.1 a week later switching possitions with Britney's hit.
12. Girls Aloud - Jump (No.2) Originally a hit for the Pointer Sisters back in the 80's, Girls Aloud manage to make a better version even when the hit keeps its 80's electropop sound.
13. Boogie Pimps - Somebody To Love (No.3) One of the greatest dance hits of the year to date!
14. Atomic Kitten feat. Kool & The Gang - Ladies Night (No.8) Released for Christmas week, the song faced huge competition with christmas hits and ballads and so it made Top Ten.
15. Emma - I'll Be There (No.7) ex-Baby Spice seems to be the most successful of them! She survived through the years to be the only Spice Girl to have 3 consecutive Top 10 hits in 2003-04.
16. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - I Won't Change You (No.9) Good pop song, "Mixed Up World" was better.
17. Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb (No.10) Great dance hit.
18. Deepest Blue - Give It Away (No.9) Love Deepest Blue, hope they continue makin' such great hits.
19. LMC vs. U2 - Take Me To The Clouds Above (No.1) The first No.1 dance hit since Tomcraft's "Loneliness" in April 2003.
20. Special D - Come With Me (No.6) Very similar to Scooter's biggest hits.
21. Ultrabeat - Feelin' Fine (No.12) Only blocked from the top ten by Christmas hits (released on Christmas week).
22. Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (No.11) Great undersold dance hit.
23. Ferry Corsten - Rock Your Body Rock (No.11) Great undersold dance hit.

Disc: 2
1. Will Young - Leave Right Now (No.1) Pop Idol's winner's best song to date.
2. Katie Melua - The Closest Thing To Crazy (No.10) Katie's debut is smart and fresh.
3. Norah Jones - Sunrise (No.30) Just like Katie Melua and Jamie Cullum, Norah Jones is the kind of artist who has no singles chart career... why? because everybody's got their albums.
4. Blue - Breathe Easy (No.4) Smart ballad, great song, huge hit.
5. Kelly Osbourne feat. Ozzy Osbourne - Changes (No.1) Daddy and daughter song... a huge hit back in December 2003.
6. Blink-182 - I Miss You (No.8) Blink's return to the top ten. Their first and only top ten hit was "All The Small Things" (No.2 in 2000).
7. Busted - Who's David (No.1) Follow-up to No.1 "Crashed The Wedding" is this good hit.
8. Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy's Mom (No.11) Amazing song! Thought it would make top ten.
9. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out (No.3) good rock.
10. Alistair Griffin - Bring It On (No.5) Sweet song.
11. Sugababes - Too Lost In You (No.10) Master-piece! Excellent.
12. VS - Love You Like Mad (No.7) Good R&B pop hit.
13. Joss Stone - Fell In Love With A Boy (No.18) Amazing but shamely undersold hit... go on Joss!
14. FYA feat. Smujji - Must Be Love (No.13) Good hip-hop song.
15. N.E.R.D - She Wants To Move (No.5) NERD's first ever top ten hit. Excellent song.
16. Jamie Cullum - Frontin' (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge) (No.12) It deserved to be a top ten hit.
17. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know (No.3) Sweet and slow.
18. Snow Patrol - Run (No.5) Coldplay wannabes... but they're great.
19. Alex Parks - Maybe That's What It Takes (No.3) beautiful.
20. Ronan Keating - She Believes (In Me) (No.2) don't care about this one.
21. Michelle - All This Time (No.1) beautiful ballad.