(ABC/Liberation)

The Countdown franchise gets another big boost

Who’d have thought, twenty years after the final show went to air, people would still be celebrating the cultural impact of Countdown. If you want more evidence of the pulling power of that show, there’s this latest release. Unlike the first extravaganza, they’ve internationalised the cast this time around. But also this time around, they’ve had to cut a few more corners. So instead of The Knack singing My Sharona, it’s just vocalist Doug Fieger, not The Motels but Martha Davis, not The Reels but Dave Mason. Not that it actually makes much difference, because the musical backing is so professional the effect is the same. But, despite the presence of Richard Clapton, Kate Ceberano, John Paul Young and others, the inclusion of Samantha Fox, Richard Gower of Racey, Les McKeown of the Bay City Rollers and the like gives this wave of nostalgia a second-rung feel. Which may explain why they’ve beefed up the two live discs here with a third carrying 20 original tracks from the Countdown era. The DVD of the show does the same thing with a bonus disc of videos. What really saves both packages is the balanced mix of fun and precision, making this night of memories something else for fans to remember. 

***

BILL HOLDSWORTH

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*