by Alex Henderson
One of the great things about the 1980s was the way the decade broke so many of the late 1970s' rules. In the late '70s, many punk rockers hated heavy metal as much as they hated disco, but as much animosity as the punk and arena rock factions felt for one another, they were united in their support of the silly death-to-disco movement. Then, in the 1980s, all of that changed. Just as punks, metalheads, and arena rockers were forming alliances and exchanging musical ideas in the 1980s, the decade found a variety of rockers and new wavers embracing funk, disco, and dance music -- clearly, the rules of the late 1970s were being broken in a major way. In the 1980s, no one merged pop/rock with dance-pop, Hi-NRG, and Euro-disco more perfectly than Dead or Alive, whose Rip It Up provides a nonstop dance mix of many of the group's essential hits. Produced by the Stock, Aitken, and Waterman team, gems like "You Spin Me Round," "Brand New Lover," "Something in My House," and "My Heart Goes Bang" have as much pop-rock aggression as they do dance-floor appeal. Rockers loved Dead or Alive, and the strong Beatles influence on "I'll Save You All My Kisses" is hard to miss. But Rip It Up is just as essential from a dance-pop/Hi-NRG standpoint. For those making their first Dead or Alive purchase, this album would be an excellent starting point.