The Payola$ - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection - The Best of the Payolas (2002)

Review by Heather Phares
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Payola$ collects 11 of the Canadian new wave group's definitive singles and album tracks, including "Eyes of a Stranger," "China Boys," "Never Said I Love You," and "Dirty Water (Rock and Hyde)." This compilation focuses more on the smoother, poppier side of their sound rather than the earlier, punkier work that can be found on Between A Rock & A Hyde Place: The Best Of The Payola$, emphasizing ballads like "You're the Only Love" and "It Must Be Love" and slickly produced pop singles such as "Stuck in the Rain." Since it's slightly longer and includes "In a Place Like This" and "Romance," Between A Rock & A Hyde Place might be the slightly more complete Payola$ collection, but 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Payola$ also features a solid track listing, making it a good overview of this somewhat overlooked band's career.