Bananarama
have had a hard road to travel since their classic years in the
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
camp when they were sure-thing hitmakers. Trends in
pop
music evolved and popular tastes shifted in other directions and
the 'Rama
, along with other artists, were left in the dust, needing to regroup. Fast-forward through the
alt rock
'90s and
decided to make a comeback with
Drama
, eleven songs with a
Europop
edge designed for dancefloors and die-hard fans waiting for a potent comeback from their favorite trio (by then a duo). In some places this formula works; in other instances it falls woefully flat. But the most painful moments come at the end, where the ladies thought it would be a good idea to re-record two of their most well-known hits,
"Venus"
and
"Really Saying Something,"
and have them remixed by
Soft Cell
's
Marc Almond
Solasso
, respectively. These dance mixes do not work well at all and should be avoided at all costs. So while
has moments of promise, ultimately it falls flat and
remain a shadow of their formerly infectious selves. Definitely for die-hard loyalists only. ~ Rob Theakston