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DVD review: The English Beat 'The Complete Beat'

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But “Special Beat Service” finds them regaining their footing with sleeker, more pop-oriented, MTV-friendly tunes such as “I Confess” and “Save It for Later.”

After that, the members of the Beat felt they had exhausted the limited possibilities of their hybrid style, and vocalist-guitarist Dave Wakeling and vocalist Ranking Roger moved on to form General Public while guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele turned into Fine Young Cannibals.

Although various reformations of the band have been led by Ranking Roger in Britain and Wakeling in the U.S. in the last 30 years, a new English Beat album has yet to materialize. Until then, this box should help make do. There's also a less expensive single-disc compilation, “Keep the Beat: The Very Best of the English Beat,” which has a new introduction written by Rhoda Dakar of The Bodysnatchers.

— Gene Triplett

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