(Track list and times follow.) "WOW!" is a polarizing album for Bananarama fans; some think it is one of the group's best collections, containing many of their best-known 80's hits, other fans find it shallow and overtly commercial. As a longtime fan who used to play many of these tracks in various nightclubs, I can see both good and bad in the original release. Fortunately, the deluxe three disc reissue from Edsel Records puts "WOW!" in better perspective, as both a Pop music artifact and dancefloor motivator. Expanding on the album's original ten tracks, this collection includes many dance remixes and contemporary non-album cuts, not to mention an excellent dvd sampler. Whether you love or hate the music, there's no denying that "WOW!" has finally gotten it's due as one of Bananarama's best-selling titles.The production team of Stock/Aitken/Waterman (aka SAW and PWL) were hired for the hugely successful cover of "Venus" on the group's previous album, which made their participation on "WOW!" a no-brainer. By 1987 SAW had already produced hit dance records for British Hi-NRG and R&B acts, most notably Dead Or Alive and Princess. That was also the year that SAW produced debut albums from hitmakers Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue. So the SAW "sound" was somewhat familiar to club goers, even though their "production line" style was fairly new. As an act who co-wrote much of their own material, Bananarama already had duelling inspirations; some of their songs came off as lightweight and fun-loving, and others delved into serious topics like drug addiction and youth prostitution. So it's easy to see why the switch to SAW (and the resulting Pop froth) would alienate some listeners, and encourage others.With one exception, the original tracks from "WOW!" are all love or relationship songs, and as lyrical sentiments go there's nothing more serious here than wanting a former lover to come back. That in itself is not totally off-putting, but paired with SAW's unfailingly bouncy/cheery music, it can be tiring after repeat listens. As an example of 80's BritPop or dancefloor material, though, it seems inevitably apt. Songs like "I Heard A Rumour," "Love In The First Degree" and "I Want You Back" succeed largely as musical confections, with memorable melodies married to universal lyrical sentiments. The non-single songs are not markedly different from the five hits included, so picking the best tracks is a wholly subjective exercise.What pushes this collection into five star territory is the inclusion of previously hard to find dance remixes, and the (region-free) dvd which collects a whopping fourteen music videos. Not all the remixes are stellar: the "house" versions of "Love In The First Degree" and "I Heard A Rumour" are awkward imitations of Chicago House music. The influence of 80's Miami dance music is also evident on tracks like "I Can't Help It," "Bad For Me" and "Some Girls." There are four non-album cuts that gained exposure as the b-sides of various dance single releases. Of these, "Ecstasy" and "Amnesia" are mostly-instrumental club tracks that bear up nicely after repeat listens. "Clean Cut Boy" (with lyrics lifted from "Nathan Jones") and "Mr. Sleaze" (an offshoot of SAW's dance hit, "Roadblock") are fairly forgettable exercises in what was called "rare groove."Of the previously unreleased tracks included, my favorites would be the original 12" mix of "I Heard A Rumour," and the 12" master of "Reason For Living," which was the prototype for "I Want You Back," with slightly different lyrics. I also appreciate having CD versions of several tracks that I had previously only found on vinyl. The dvd for "WOW!" is likely the best of the six different Bananarama reissues, featuring all the promotional video singles from "WOW!" plus two from the subsequent Greatest Hits Collection. There's also the terrific Comic Relief video for "Help!" featuring comedy icons Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.It's a shame there wasn't enough room between the two CDs to include at least one long version of "Love, Truth & Honesty" or the "Nathan Jones" remix from 1989. That's about all that's lacking from this entertaining look back at Bananarama, circa 1987-1988. Get your copy before the set becomes a pricey collectible.Disc 1: I Can't Help It 3:30, I Heard A Rumour 3:24, Some Girls 4:19, Love In The First Degree 3:31, Once In A Lifetime 4:05, Strike It Rich 3:28, Bad For Me 3:37, Come Back 3:39, Nathan Jones 5:34, I Want You Back 3:51, Clean Cut Boy (Party Size) 4:43, Mr. Sleaze 4:49, Ecstasy 4:11, Amnesia (12" extended version) 6:27, I Heard A Rumour (Horoscope Mix) 5:57, Love In The First Degree (Jailers Mix) 6:20, I Can't Help It (extended club mix) 8:03Disc 2: Love In The First Degree (Love In The House Mix) 8:33, I Heard A Rumour (House Mix) 7:22, I Can't Help It (Hammond Version Excursion) 6:33, Reason For Living (12" master mix) 6:08, Some Girls (12" version) 5:46, Strike It Rich (12" version) 5:59, I Heard A Rumour (original 12" mix) 7:06, Nathan Jones (original 12" mix) 5:45, I Want You Back (original 12" mix) 7:18, Ecstasy (Chicago House Style) 5:57, I Heard A Rumour (dub version) 5:18, Mr. Sleaze (Rare Groove 12" remix) 6:02Disc 3 (dvd): I Heard A Rumour, Love In The First Degree, Mr. Sleaze, I Can't Help It, I Want You Back, Love Truth & Honesty, Nathan Jones, Help!, I Can't Help It (12" version), I Want You Back (alternative version), I Heard A Rumour (on "Top Of The Pops"), I Want You Back (on "Going Live"), Love Truth & Honesty (on "Top Of The Pops"), Nathan Jones (on "Wogan")