Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders

Clocking in at just 25 minutes, 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection: The Best of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders nevertheless manages to capture the main highlights of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, as well as those of the Mindbenders' and Fontana's separate careers. Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders' chart-topping "The Game of Love," the Mindbenders' "A Groovy Kind of Love" and Wayne Fontana's pretty "Pamela, Pamela," are all featured here, along with a few of the less well-known tracks from the Mindbenders, both with and without Fontana. The Lennon and McCartney-esque "She Needs Love" doesn't have the impact of "The Game of Love," but it does display some of the range that Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders had; "It's Getting Harder All of the Time," is another archetypal piece of brisk British Invasion pop; and the literate, mildly psychedelic "Schoolgirl" suggests the direction the Mindbenders could have gone in with better luck and songwriting. Big fans of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders will probably want a more in-depth collection, like Fontana's 1994 anthology The Best of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; however, despite its brevity, 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection: The Best of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders gives more casual listeners a good grounding in the band's history. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide