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
Bananarama 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 and
Solasso, respectively. These dance mixes do not work well at all and should be avoided at all costs. So while
Drama has moments of promise, ultimately it falls flat and
Bananarama remain a shadow of their formerly infectious selves. Definitely for die-hard loyalists only. ~ Rob Theakston
