Business As Usual

Album Review

It took Sony Music 22 years to upgrade Men at Work's Business as Usual, but at least they got it right — one of the biggest-selling LPs of the 1980s, it was never better than an average sounding CD until this 2003 reissue, which not only offered significantly upgraded sound but four bonus tracks as well, extending its running time to over 50 minutes. From the in-your-face drums opening "Who Can It Be Now?," this CD is worth the purchase for the upgrade — you can almost hear the action on Colin Hay's crunchy rhythm guitar and Ron Strykert's chiming lead, and Greg Ham's sax is blowing right out of the bell, and when the chorus comes up at the end....it feels like a live performance. The same goes for everything else here — the guitar interaction and the cymbal crashes on the break and finale from "Down Under," the romping sax and bass that open "Underground," and the shimmer-into-slash opening on "Be Good Johnny." The bonus cuts include one non-LP B-side, "Crazy," and a non-U.S. single track, "F-19," that are both worthwhile as showcases of the original band's range, while sandwiched between them are a pair of live tracks, "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Underground," from the latter-day band's 1996 live album from Brazil — they're extended versions of each and most enjoyable, and speak volumes about the credibility of that recent edition of Men at Work. The annotation is also very thorough, and the entire release is essential listening.