What Is Beat?

What Is Beat? – The Best of The Beat
Greatest hits album by The Beat
Released 1983
Genre Ska, 2 Tone, rock, dance-rock[1]
Length 44:54
Label Go-Feet Records
Arista
Producer Bob Sargeant
The Beat chronology

Special Beat Service
(1982)		 What Is Beat?
(1983)		 The Beat Goes On
(1991)
CD cover
US CD cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link
Robert Christgau B+[2]

What Is Beat? – The Best of The Beat is a greatest hits album by the ska band The Beat released in 1983. The original vinyl release included an additional "free album" of extended remixes entitled Frebe.[3] Several songs had previously only been released as singles and B-sides. These include "Too Nice to Talk to", "March of the Swivelheads" and "Psychedelic Rockers". In the U.K. these also include the A-side "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop". "March of the Swivelheads" later appeared in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The song accompanies the film's climax. The question of the album's title was answered on the back of the original sleeve, "This is Beat!!"

Track listing

Side 1

  1. "Tears of a Clown" 2:38
  2. "Hands Off She's Mine" 2:58
  3. "Mirror in the Bathroom" 3:07
  4. "Stand Down Margaret" 3:31
  5. "Doors of Your Heart" 2:59
  6. "Twist and Crawl" 2:33
  7. "Save It For Later" 3:35

Side 2

  1. "Too Nice to Talk To" 3:05
  2. "I Confess" 3:33
  3. "Best Friend" 3:04
  4. "Drowning" 3:33
  5. "Ackee 1 - 2 - 3" 3:07
  6. "Can't Get Used to Losing You" 3:23
  7. "Ranking Full Stop" 2:46

Frebe Side 1

  1. "Twist and Crawl" 4:58
  2. "Too Nice to Talk To" 4:56
  3. "Psychedelic Rockers" 5:30
  4. "March of the Swivelheads" 5:12

Frebe Side 2

  1. "Save It for Later" 4:54
  2. "Doors of Your Heart" 5:52
  3. "Drowning" 5:14
  4. "I Confess" 5:50

U.S. CD

  1. "Mirror In the Bathroom" 3:07
  2. "Twist & Crawl" 2:33
  3. "Tears of a Clown" 2:39
  4. "Can't Get Used To Losing You" 3:23 (remix)
  5. "Doors of Your Heart" 2:59
  6. "What's Your Best Thing" 3:47 (UK single)
  7. "Hit It" 3:00 (UK single)
  8. "Save It For Later" 4:54 (12" version)
  9. "Best Friend" 3:02
  10. "I Confess" 5:45 (12" remix)
  11. "Too Nice To Talk To" 3:05 (UK single)
  12. "Get a Job/Stand Down Margaret" 6:40 (recorded live in Boston, November 19, 1982)

References

  1. ↑ "What Is Beat?" on AMG. Retrieved on August 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "The Beat". Robert Christgau.
  3. ↑ liner notes