(Okay, I’Ll Admit It. … )

Spice Girls: Greatest Hits (EMI Music)

OKAY, I’ll admit it. I was one of those teenage girls who had a Spice Girls poster on my bedroom wall. And yes, I can reel of their names (and nicknames, too!) at the drop of a hat. And yes, I did follow the whole Posh-Becks courtship ritual with almost religious fervour.

To say that the girls were a phenomenon during their heyday in the mid-90s would be something of an understatement. Not only did they sweep the world with their infectious brand of pop music, but they were also single-handedly responsible for introducing to their legions of screaming teenage fans to platform shoes.

If any proof that they had the world at their well-manicured feet was needed, it came in the form of the 1997 film, Spice World.

Getting people like Roger Moore, Elton John, Jennifer Saunders and Hugh Laurie to act in it is testament enough to their popularity. Getting rock star Meat Loaf to play their bus driver really shows you just what a big deal the girls were back then.

Despite their stratospheric success (they were arguably the England’s biggest musical export since the Beatles and Queen), their music has been often dismissed by most people as bubblegum pop.

But listen to this Greatest Hits package with an open mind. The Spice Girls, instead of producing straight-forward pop tunes actually came up with a lot of varied (and very infectious) sounds throughout their career.

For example, their breakout hit, Wannabe, melded pop inclinations to some pretty decent rapping skills.

Say You’ll Be There, while for the most part a signature rhythmic Spice Girl melody, has a liberal dash of harmonica-inspired funk, while Move Over features elements of pop-electronica.

Their vocal harmony, which is timed and tuned to perfection, comes to the fore in songs like 2 Become 1, Too Much and Viva Forever – syrupy ballads that they seemed to churn out with effortless ease. Viva Forever is a particular favourite of mine – the tinkling guitar interplay is just beautiful.

(c) 2007 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.