The Best of the Art of Noise is the name of a series of compilation albums with songs by the British synthpop and industrial band The Art of Noise

The Art of Noise

Art of Noise was an avant-garde synthpop group formed in 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan, programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn and music journalist Paul Morley. The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel melodic sound collages based on...

. The first version was released on the China Records

China Records

China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and The Levellers....

 label in 1988.

The Best of the Art of Noise was released with at least ten different track listing variations from 1988 to 1997. The first version was on LP format and contained 7" single mixes, while the corresponding compact disc release that year contained the extended or 12" single remixes of all of the tracks. However, LP releases in territories such as Korea and Argentina featured a combination of both tracks listings. A Japanese CD version from 1991 was identical to the standard CD but contained two more mixes of "Kiss

Kiss (song)

In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country...

" as bonus tracks.

In 1992, China Records

China Records

China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and The Levellers....

 reissued The Best of and added "Yebo," "Instruments of Darkness" and "Robinson Crusoe," while omitting the three tracks that were licensed from ZTT Records

ZTT Records

ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....

 and included on the 1988 release: "Beatbox," "Moments in Love" and "Close (To the Edit)." Once again, a number of different variations were issued. The United Kingdom and Holland issued a double disc limited edition version with both the standard disc of 7" mixes and a second disc of extended and 12" remixes.

The compilation has also been issued with two different color variations on the cover. All editions prior to 1992 were issued with a blue cover, while most editions afterward had a pink cover. The German and Australian editions as well as the UK/Holland limited edition two disc set all retained the blue cover.

1988 LP Version (Blue Cover)

Art Works 7"

1. "Opus 4" 2:00
2. "Beatbox" 3:56 [AKA: "Beatbox (Diversion Ten)"]
3. "Moments in Love" 4:39
4. "Close (To the Edit)
   Close (to the Edit)
   "Close " was a single by Art of Noise, released on various formats in May 1984. It was closely related to their earlier single "Beat Box", though the two tracks were developed as separate pieces from an early stage....
   
   " 3:54
5. "Peter Gunn" (featuring Duane Eddy
   Duane Eddy
   Duane Eddy is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he had a string of hit records, produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including "Rebel Rouser", "Peter Gunn", and "Because They're Young"...
   
   ) 3:55
6. "Paranoimia
   Paranoimia
   "Paranoimia" is a song by English synthpop group Art of Noise released in 1986, from their album In Visible Silence.The song's better-known version was a version released as a single, featuring television character Max Headroom on vocals...
   
   " (featuring Max Headroom
   Max Headroom (character)
   Max Headroom is a fictional British artificial intelligence, known for his wit and stuttering, distorted, electronically sampled voice. The character was created by George Stone, Annabel Jankel, and Rocky Morton in the mid nineteen eighties, and portrayed by Matt Frewer as "The World's first...
   
   ) 3:17
7. "Legacy" 3:26
8. "Dragnet '88" (from the motion picture Dragnet
   Dragnet (1987 film)
   Dragnet is a 1987 film comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, directed by Tom Mankiewicz, based on the television crime drama of the same name starring Jack Webb. The screenplay is written by Aykroyd, Alan Zweibel and Mankiewicz. The original music score is by Ira Newborn...
   
   ) 2:59
9. "Kiss
   Kiss (song)
   In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country...
   
   " (featuring Tom Jones
   Tom Jones (singer)
   Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
   
   ) 3:29
10. "Something Always Happens" 2:29

• The 1989 Korean version substitutes the 12" mixes of "Moments in Love" and "Paranoimia."
• The 1991 Argentinian version substitutes the 12" mixes, except for "Moments in Love," and omits "Opus 4" and "Legacy."

1988 CD Version (Blue Cover)

Art Works 12"

1. "Opus 4" 2:00
2. "Beatbox (Diversion One)" 8:33
3. "Moments in Love" 7:00
4. "Close (To the Edit)" 5:41
5. "Peter Gunn (The Twang Mix)" (featuring Duane Eddy) 7:28
6. "Paranoimia" (featuring Max Headroom) 6:40
7. "Legacy" 8:20
8. "Dragnet '88" (from the motion picture Dragnet) 7:15 [AKA: "Art of Noise '88 12" Mix"]
9. "Kiss (The AON Mix)" (featuring Tom Jones) 8:09
10. "Something Always Happens" 2:28

• The 1991 Japanese version adds:

1. "Kiss (The Battery Mix)" (featuring Tom Jones) 8:17
2. "Kiss" (featuring Tom Jones) 3:30 [7" Mix]

1992 CD Version (Pink Cover)

Art Works

1. "Opus 4" 2:00
2. "Yebo" (featuring Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens) 3:51 [single mix]
3. "Instruments of Darkness (All of us are one people)" 3:38 [remix by Prodigy]
4. "Robinson Crusoe" 3:47 [LP Version]
5. "Peter Gunn" (featuring Duane Eddy) 3:55
6. "Paranoimia" (featuring Max Headroom) 3:17
7. "Legacy" 3:24
8. "Dragnet '88" (from the motion picture Dragnet) 2:59
9. "Kiss" (featuring Tom Jones) 3:30
10. "Something Always Happens" 2:29

• Australian version has blue cover.
• The 1992 Japanese version adds:

1. "Kiss (The Battery Mix)" (featuring Tom Jones) 8:17
2. "Kiss" (featuring Tom Jones) 3:30 [7" Mix]
   • The 1997 Japanese version adds:

1. "Yebo (The Trust Mix)" (featuring Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens) 6:29
2. "Yebo (The Arkarna Dub)" (featuring Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens) 8:44
3. "Kiss (The AON Mix)" (featuring Tom Jones) 8:09
   • German version has blue cover, contains the 12" mixes, substitutes a new remix of "Instruments of Darkness" entitled "Instruments of Lightness (The Sequel) (The S1000 Power-Qqatsi Dub Mix)" (8:59) and a new mix of "Robinson Crusoe" entitled "Robinson Crusoe (White Noise Edit)" (6:04).

1992 Limited Edition 2 CD Version (Blue & Pink Covers)

Disc One: The 7" Versions

1. "Opus 4" 2.00
2. "Yebo" (featuring Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens) 3.51
3. "Instruments of Darkness (All of us are one people)" 3.38 [Prodigy remix]
4. "Robinson Crusoe" 3.47
5. "Peter Gunn" (featuring Duane Eddy) 3.55
6. "Paranoimia" (featuring Max Headroom) 3.17
7. "Legacy" 3.24
8. "Dragnet '88" (from the motion picture Dragnet) 2.59
9. "Kiss" (featuring Tom Jones) 3.30
10. "Something Always Happens" 2.29

Disc Two: The 12" Mixes

1. "Opus for Four" 3.11
2. "Yebo (Mbaqanga Mix)" (featuring Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens) 7.21
3. "Instruments of Lightness (Life Beyond Transformation)" 7.33 [new remix by S1000]
4. "Crusoe" 5.02
5. "Peter Gunn (The Twang Mix)" (featuring Duane Eddy) 7.29
6. "Paranoimia" (featuring Max Headroom) 6.41
7. "Legacy" 8.20
8. "Dragnet '88" (from the motion picture Dragnet) 7.15
9. "Kiss (The AON mix)" (featuring Tom Jones) 8.09
10. "Art of Love" 8.08 [Youth Mix]

• Released only in the United Kingdom and Holland.
• "Yebo (Mbaqanga Mix)" is slightly longer than the standard version.
• "Legacy" is incorrectly titled "Legs" on the back cover.