Like many conceptual bands,
Big Audio Dynamite
were primarily an album-based group, turning out records that had a consistent sound and theme. The problem was,
Mick Jones
had too many ideas. Each
B.A.D.
record was teeming with intriguing sounds that only made sense on a handful of tracks -- in other words, they were an album band most listenable in small doses. That made them easier to anthologize than the average album-rock band, as the enjoyable hits collection
Planet BAD
proved.
Super Hits
, a budget-line comp that concentrates on their
Columbia
recordings, is nearly as entertaining as the full-fledged hits package, since it contains nearly all of their biggest hits, including
"The Bottom Line,"
"C'Mon Every Beatbox,"
"Rush,"
"E equals MC2,"
"Contact,"
"Medicine Show"
and
"The Globe"
-- everything except
"Free,"
really. Hardcore fans will naturally prefer the full-fledged albums, and some will like the more extensive hits package, but this
will satisfy the needs of most casual listeners, especially those on a budget. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine