Read this wonderful review from UK:

roxette ? the ballad hits.

since the release of their last studio album ’room service’ in 2001 , things have been a little quiet on the roxette front . the sole reason for this being marie collapsing on sept. 11th 2002 , and on 30th sept 2002 undergoing major surgery to remove a large brain tumour. thankfully she is recovering , albeit slowly .

with the illness caused from ongoing medication , the recording of new material has been sparodic , however slowly but surely new material is being made available.

on feb 3rd 2003 , ’the ballad hits’ was released in the uk, a compilation album containing the best of roxette’s ballads , along with two new ballads . annoyingly , this album was released in mainland europe during november 2002 , but at last its available here .

^ the tracks ^

1)a thing about you

the first of the new tracks , featuring per on lead vocals with marie contributing in a subtle yet unmistakable way during the typical catchy chorus , that complients the simple yet beautiful melody to a tee . 9/10 . released as a single on 10/02/03.

’ the tv is on but the colours all gone and lately you’ve been painti’ my world blue , i’ve got a thing about you and i don’t really care what to do’.

2)it must have been love

a huge favourite amongst roxette fans the world over , which while not a huge hit upon release , was soon mass bought when featured ( in a slightly altered format ) in the hit film pretty woman.a classic ballad. 10/10

’ lay a whisper on my pillow , leave the winter on the ground , i wake up lonely , there’s an air of silence in the bedroom and all around , touch me now , i close my eyes and dream away , it must have been love’ .

3)listen to your heart

one relationship breaking down , while another begins , both inertwined , so this is what this song is all about . moody , dramatic , featuring a powerful vocal by Marie . 8/10

’ I know there’s something in the wake of your smile , I get a notioin from the look in your eyes yea , you’ve built a love but love falls apart , your little piece of heaven turns too dark , listen to your heart’.

4)Fading Like A Flower

Made for the American market and labled a big power ballad , and akin to the sound of Heart etc , this is a real jem , with superb sing / tap to chorus. 10/10

’ Everytime you leave the room I feel like a fading flower , fading like a rose , fading like a rose , beaten by the storm , talkin’ to myself , getting’ washed by the rain , it’s such a cold cold town’.

5)Spending My Time
Alone and so very lonely , this song is for the lonely hearted . This is the original version , but also listen for the solo version sung by Marie at the piano ? equally emotional . 9/10

’ I try to call but don’t know what to tell you , I leave a kiss on your answer machine , oh help me please , is there someone who can make wake up from this dream , spending my time on my own’.

6)Queen Of Rain

Due for release on the JoyRide album , this song eventully found a place on the Tourism album , and becoming one of my favourite Roxette tracks of all time, being moody yet dramatic . 10/10

’ All I knew , your eyes so velvet blue , I’ve been in love before , how about you ? , there’s a time for good in life , a time to kill the pain , dream about the un you queen of rain’.

7)Almost Unreal

The only good thing to come from the smash flop Super Mario Bros. . My all time number 1 from Roxette . It’s happy , it’s fun , it’s colourful . 11/10

’ I love when you do the hocus pocus to me , the way that you touch you got the power to heal , you give me that look , it’s almost unreal’.

8)Crash! Boom! Bang!

Back to the slow . melodic and meaningful stuff love is made of , and the title track from the album of the same name. 8/10

’ I still feel the heat and the taste of the kissing , shattered by rain and the pain stays the same , and evertime I seem to fall in love , Crash! Boom! Bang!’.

9)Vulnerable

Per takes lead vocals , on a song that was written several years prevously , but finially released on Crash! Boom! Bang!. A song for the quiet out there , who have love , yet still feel threatened and unsure . 11/10

’ She’s so vunerable like china in my arms , she’s so vunerable and I dont understand , could never hurt the one I love , she’s all I got but she’s so vunerable oh so vunerable’.

10)You Don’t Understand Me

Co-written by Per and one Desmond Child ( anybody remember him ? I do ) - he also wrote ’Who Let The Dog’s Out ?’ , a song of pent up frustration , of misunderstood / mis-read emotions . Dramatically and superbly performed by Marie . 9/10

’ I’ve been up all night , you’ve been putting up a fight , seems like nothing I say gets through , how did this old bed fit a world between me and you ?’.

11)Wish I Could Fly

Part orchestral , part pop , wholely a ballad . A song about a relationship full of secrets and mistrust . Oooh . 9/10

’ I wish I could fly out in the blue over this town following you , I’d fly over rooftops , the great boulevard to try to find who you really are , who you really are , I wish I could fly’.

12)Anyone

A relationship ends , but the love from one party still remains , and it hurts . A powerful emotional song , with a video to match ( sadly banned on the likes of MTV due to the content ). 10/10

’ Anyone who felt like I do , anyone who wasn’t ready to fall , anyone who loved like I do knows it never rwally happens at all , it’s over when it’s over’.

13)Salvation

When you find true love , it lets you know , and this song represents this feeling beautifully and perfectly . High emotion , true love . 11/10

’ I can barely remember my past , everything seems to disappear so fast , but I recall being jealous and alone , gazing at the dreams going by , I started my life when you knocked on the door’.

14)Milk And Toast and Honey

The highlight from the Room Service album . Catchy , funky and true to life . A song of finding that magical one , and what better a way than to relate to breakfast ! 10/10

’ Milk and toast and honey ake it sunny on a rainy day he-he-hey , milk and toast some coffee take the stuffiness out of days you hate , slow morning news pass me by , I try not to analyse but didn’t he blow my mind’

15)Breathe

The second new song , Marie this time proving the vocals , on a song about contention in life . Jubilent and joyous . Great ! Roxette are back ! The more I hear it , the more I love it , and maybe gradually its become my altime favourite Roxette track , worth buying this album just for this track alone . 11/10

’ My heart was open like a window to a summer breeze , I breathed your love I filled my lungs and veins’.

^ The Cover Booklet ^

Full song lyrics , and some background information to each of the tracks . Each song accompanied by three stills from videos of the respective songs ( Breathe excepted ? no video yet ). The booklet is typical of Roxette , 12 glossy pages of exceptional quality . There’s even a little spot on the history of Roxette . Other artists should look and learn from this . 10/10

^ Wait A While ^

Interested in purchasing ? well it might pay you to wait a while , as in common with several other artist releases of late , a special edition album is already listed that will include a second CD with some extra bonus tracks added . No date available yet though for its release.

^ Conclusion ^

Some may say that this is the record company cashing in on the success of Roxette and milking them for all they’re worth , especially considering many of these tracks can be found on the greatest hits compilation album ’ Don’t Bore Us Get To The Chorus’ . However the inclusion of two new tracks and the compilation of some superb songs that span the entire Roxette history , do make this compelling listening , and well worth the money .

^ What Next ^

Well due for release in late March ? ’Roxette ? The Pop Hits’ ( no doubt much later in the UK ), which will feature one new song ( already released and successful as a single in Europe ( not UK ) ’ Oportunity Nox’ , and also five previously unrelased tracks , as well as classic Roxette hits .
With Marie still recovering , nothing else is expected for the remainder of the year , but who knows . It’s obvious from the ne material included on these two albums , that Roxette still have a lot to offer .

Advantages:
- 2 new ballads
- classic ballads

Disadvantages:

- heard most on greatest hits album

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/music/music_records/ballad_hits_roxette/_review/...