Corey Hart - First Offense (1983) + Boy In The Box (1985) 2CD Set, 2007

This two-in-one set features a pair of LPs by Corey Hart, First Offense and Boy in the Box, originally issued in 1984 and 1985. These 19 tracks include the original versions of Hart's biggest hits, "Sunglasses at Night" and "Never Surrender".

Review by Al Campbell, Allmusic.com

Corey Hart's debut album encompasses much of the '80s pop sound, namely with "Sunglasses at Night," an instant classic with its distinctive melody and catchy chorus. Often considered a one-hit wonder, Hart was a staple act in regular rotation on radio and MTV throughout the '80s with nine Top 40 Billboard hits and over ten million records sold. Many say 1984 was the pinnacle for '80s music, and for Hart this release came to define his sound. With a distinctive Canadian accent he stood out even with what was sometimes indistinguishable music. All the cliched '80s sounds are here in full force, from the brooding saxophone, the bratty guitar solo, the snotty background vocalists, and the catchy keyboard riffs. Hart, though, is obviously impassioned about the part that he plays. Constantly striving to raise many of his lyrics above the meter, he can come across as clumsy when he tries too hard. Where Hart succeeds is when he allows the hooks to catch. The tragic lovelorn stadium ballad appears with "It Ain't Enough," another early Hart hit that easily served its use for long distance dedication on soft rock radio during the '80s, an avenue he again repeats on "Jenny Fey" but falls flat. Time and time again Hart's voice is what saves him from mediocrity as in the cool way he says "no, no, no, no, no, no" on "Does She Love You." The dated "She Got the Radio" still retains its charm and humor and wouldn't be out of place on some quirky mixtape. The rest of the songs may fit into the typecast Corey Hart sound, but this release serves as a classic reminder of the fresh-faced voice from Canada that dominated the airwaves. For you '80s aficionados, this is one to own. Weird fact: Eric Clapton plays Dobro on the album.

Simon Cantlon, Allmusic.com

Corey Hart quickly followed the success of his 1984 debut album, First Offense, and its blockbuster single, "Sunglasses at Night," with Boy in the Box in 1985. If First Offense used new wave synths as flair for Hart's rock-oriented mainstream pop, Boy in the Box is a thoroughly modern album, at least according to the standards of 1985. Most of the rhythms are synthesized, all the arrangements are built on keyboards, the guitars are processed so they're clean, brittle, and echoey, all adding up to an album that pretty much defines the sound of mainstream contemporary pop in 1985. Although none of the songs here have the sleek ominous undertow of "Sunglasses at Night," as an album Boy in the Box is more distinctive than First Offense, building on the vibe of "Sunglasses at Night" often to strong results. Hart spends a lot of time brooding on this album, cultivating the sullen loner vibe that "Sunglasses" captured so well; even the lively title track has a touch of emotional claustrophobia running beneath it. But it's isn't just introspection here – Hart tackles Communism on "Komrade Kiev," and the album's hit, "Never Surrender," is a soaring power ballad of empowerment, giving this album a greater musical and emotional range than his debut. If Boy in the Box still sounds tied to its time, so be it – most albums can't help but reflect the times that made them. But among mainstream new wave-influenced pop/rock albums from 1985, this is one of the more intriguing ones.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com