Level 42 - Past Lives: The Best Of The RCA Years (2007)

Level 42 signed with RCA in 1990, after which they released two albums for the label: Guaranteed (1991) and Forever Now (1994). Although it seems a bit silly to make a "best-of" from two albums, this anthology is a tidy summary. It wisely contains all four of the singles -- "Guaranteed," "Forever Now," "All Over You," and "Love in a Peaceful World" -- that reached the Top 40 of the U.K. pop chart. Additional A-sides "Overtime" and "My Father's Shoes" are included, along with a smart selection of album cuts. Serious fans will want both albums individually, but those who lost track of the band after the '80s will get a convenient overview that disregards the weaker material.