| Contraband: The Best of Men at Work | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1984 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 1:03:52 | |||
| Label | Columbia, Legacy | |||
| Producer | Peter McIan, Colin Hay, Greg Ham | |||
| Men at Work chronology | ||||
| ||||
Contraband: The Best of Men at Work is the third compilation album by Australian pop rock band Men at Work. It was released in 1996. The album includes 16 tracks from the band's three studio albums. The album reached number 36 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic said the album does a terrific job of consolidating all of their highlights onto one disc. He suggests that "for most [Men at Work] fans, it will be the only disc they ever need." [1]
All tracks are written by Colin Hay, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Who Can It Be Now?" | Business as Usual , 1981 | 3:19 | |
| 2. | "Down Under" | Hay, Ron Strykert | Business as Usual | 3:40 |
| 3. | "It's a Mistake" | Cargo , 1983 | 4:31 | |
| 4. | "Hard Luck Story" | Two Hearts , 1985 | 3:41 | |
| 5. | "Still Life" | Greg Ham | Two Hearts | 3:49 |
| 6. | "Underground" | Business as Usual | 3:02 | |
| 7. | "Upstairs in My House" | Hay, Strykert | Cargo | 4:00 |
| 8. | "I Like To" (live) | Strykert | "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" single, 1983 | 4:25 |
| 9. | "High Wire" | Cargo | 3:00 | |
| 10. | "Maria" | Two Hearts | 4:34 | |
| 11. | "Be Good Johnny" | Hay, Ham | Business as Usual | 3:33 |
| 12. | "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" | Cargo | 4:36 | |
| 13. | "Overkill" | Cargo | 3:43 | |
| 14. | "Man with Two Hearts" | Two Hearts | 3:55 | |
| 15. | "Snakes and Ladders" | Ham | Two Hearts | 3:16 |
| 16. | "Down by the Sea" | Hay, Ham, Strykert, Jerry Speiser | Business as Usual | 6:48 |
| Total length: | 1:03:52 | |||
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [2] | 36 |
Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", "Be Good Johnny", "Overkill", and "It's a Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is Colin Hay, who performs on lead vocals and guitar. After playing as an acoustic duo with Ron Strykert during 1978–1979, Hay formed the group with Strykert playing bass guitar and Jerry Speiser on drums. They were soon joined by Greg Ham on flute, saxophone, and keyboards and John Rees on bass guitar, with Strykert switching back to lead guitar. The group was managed by Russell Depeller, a friend of Hay, whom he met at La Trobe University. This line-up achieved national and international success during the early to mid-1980s.
Business as Usual is the debut studio album by Australian new wave band Men at Work, which was released in November 1981 in Australia, and April 1982 in the United States. It spent nine weeks at the top of the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart from December 1981 through to March 1982. The Australian version had a black and white cover design; overseas releases had a similar design, but in a black and yellow colour scheme. Business as Usual was one of the most successful albums internationally by an Australian group. It spent an unprecedented 15 weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 from late 1982 to early 1983; and five weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom Albums Chart in early 1983. Business as Usual was also one of the highest selling Australian albums in the early 1980s, with 6 million copies shipped in the US.
Cargo is the second studio album by the Australian pop rock band Men at Work, which was released in April 1983. It peaked at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart, No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 3 on the United States Billboard 200, and No. 8 on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. Four singles were released from the album, with "Overkill" being an international top 10 hit in Canada, Ireland, Norway, and US Billboard Hot 100. This was the final Men at Work album to feature the original lineup.
Two Hearts is the third and final studio album by Australian rock group Men at Work, released on 23 April 1985. Drummer Jerry Speiser and bassist John Rees had left the band prior to the album's production, while guitarist Ron Strykert left the band during recording sessions. Touring behind the album saw sole remaining members Colin Hay and Greg Ham joined by guest musicians. It peaked at No. 16 in Australia, and No. 50 on the US chart.
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"Who Can It Be Now?" is a song by Australian band Men at Work. It was released in Australia in 1981, prior to the recording of their 1981 debut album Business as Usual, on which the track was later included.
"Be Good Johnny" is a song recorded by the Australian band Men at Work, released in April 1982 as the third and final single from their debut album, Business as Usual.
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