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| Artist: | "VARIOUS" |
| Title: | "ULTIMATE DANCE PARTY 1998" |
| Label: | Arista |
| Reviewed By: | Colette Engel |
| Rating: |  |
Compilation CDs are the best thing when it comes to dance music.
How many times have you gone out to a club or out dancing somewhere and
heard alot of great music that you’d love to hear again after the night
is over? You don’t want to go out and buy all those CDs---you
just want the song that you danced to that night. That’s what
I love about “Ultimate Dance Party 1998.” This CD is perfect
for playing at a party or just for those days when you feel like moving
and dancing around your house or apartment. Included on the 1998 Dance Party
you’ll find “Crystal Waters” “100% Pure Love”,
“Chemical Brothers” “Block Rockin’ Beats”, “Haddaway”
“What is Love”, “Gina G.” “Ooh Aah...Just
a Little Bit”, “Crush” “Jellyhead”, “La Bouche”
“Sweet Dreams”, and “Ultimate Dance Party 1998” is the follow-up to the 1997
version which became a top 20 bestseller this year, an unprecedented achievement
for a multi-artist collection. You’ve probably seen this compilation
advertised on television, but it’s also available in the stores.
The format is what led to the success: a solid lineup of top-charted,
instantly recognizable hits. Most of them are being offered exclusively,
and for the first time, on a Arista has released “Ultimate Dance Party 1998” as the third
this season in their “Ultimate Party” series. You can also
find “Ultimate Hip-Hop Party 1998,” and “Ultimate New Wave
Party 1998,” which contains songs from the 80’s. The industry
acceptance of “UDP 1997” played a big part in the creation of
the series. It all began with Arista’s realization that the time
was right to develop their own compilation of artists, rather than I wholeheartedly recommend this CD. Put it on the player and dance, dance, dance! |
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| Artist: | "MOBY" |
| Title: | "I LIKE TO SCORE Music From Films Vol. I" |
| Label: | Elektra |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Colette Engel |
| Rating: | |
| "Moby" got his start back in the 80’s when he hung out
in clubs in NYC. He took up the guitar, and later DJ'ing, and by 1991 he
was a big figure in dance music on both sides of the Atlantic. His first
single, “Go,” hit the top 10 in the UK, and he was soon being
described as Techno’s first star -- this title mainly attributable
to his energetic live shows and incredible charisma. His debut album met with high praise from almost every major critic and from that benchmark he was on his way. The music was interesting and in demand. The second album built upon the first and established him as an artist to be reckoned with. On his way up, he spent time touring Europe with "Soundgarden" and "Red Hot Chili Peppers." He became a remixer and producer, very much in demand, and remixed "Aerosmith’s" “Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees),” "Smashing Pumpkin’s" “1979,” "Metallica’s" “Until it Sleeps,” and "Soundgarden’s" “Dusty.” He also produced "Ozzy Osbourne’s" “Walk on Water.” “I Like to Score” is "Moby" diving into the world of movie scores. It’s a compilation of songs that he did for various films, including “Scream,” “Heat,” and “The Saint.” The first single from the album is a remake of the "James Bond Theme" that he created after a request by the director of music at MGM. He liked "Moby’s" music and asked him to do a new version for them. “The nice thing about it is that it’s a piece of music that’s familiar to everyone in the Western world. Usually, the hard part of writing a song is coming up with the hook, and in this case, it’s a hook that everyone knows.” The “James Bond Theme (Moby’s Re-version)” was created for the latest Bond film. It's an old familar tune with a new spin -- now it's a great dance track. This piece of theme music was catchy to begin with -- I think you’d have a hard time finding someone who wouldn’t recognize it. "Moby" simply takes it to a different level, making it fun to dance to. I was skeptical but soon found myself dancing along. “New Dawn Fades” is a cover of a "Joy Division" song and is from the film “Heat.” This is a very atmospheric song. Sweeping instrumentals combine with a haunting voice--- this song just kind of rolls right over you. It’s definitely one of my favorites. “God Moving Over the Face of the Waters” is yet another beautiful piece of music. It includes symphonic melodies and interesting musical effects. The combination creates a powerful, yet soothing, song. “First Cool Hive” is from the movie “Scream” and is another good one. The music had me up on my feet in no time. A great beat, a female voice humming along---a song that reaches out and grabs you. There are layers to the song that make it really interesting to listen to. Moby plays all the instruments on the album, with the exception of some help on horns in the James Bond Theme. It’s really hard not to be impressed by the amount of work put into this album. “Nash” and “I Like to Score” are both from the movie “Double Tap.” “Nash” is a very short song, done on an acoustic guitar. Although it’s not much over a minute long, it’s a beautiful little song. “I Like to Score” has a 70’s feel to it. A “wa-wa” type of sound that always makes me think of the movies and detective show themes from back then. That kind of slow-rolling type, bouncy beat. Some of the songs on this CD can be found on earlier album’s, but many have only been found on the film scores---until now. "Moby" is a musician who is continuously evolving and trying out new things. When asked if there would be more film score work in his future, "Moby' had this to say: “As I get older, I think it will be a nice thing to move into. It is a double-edged sword, though. It’s nice, I can learn a lot. I can do a lot of things I wouldn’t otherwise do, but at the same time it can be frustrating to work with so many other people and with so many restrictions.” If you enjoy dance music, this is a great addition. If you like instrumentals, give it a try. If you’re a fan of "Moby," you’ll definitely want this one in your collection. As for me, the new version of the "Bond Theme" is reason enough to own it. It just stays with you. I’m off to listen one more time. |
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| Artist: | "VARIOUS" |
| Title: | "LIVE ON LETTERMAN" |
| Label: | Reprise |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Jill Williams |
| Rating: | |
"Live On Letterman" is a one of a kind album. On it are
14 songs by various artists that have appeared on The Late Show, most of
which are combinations of singers you wouldn't associate together. This
is what makes it so interesting, I think. Some songs are even better than
the originals and some are not, but one thing is for sure -- you can't say
this compilation of tunes is boring! David Letterman does some introductions First up is the late, great Jerry Garcia singing "Friend of the
Devil" with Then we have Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough" which I've never particularly liked. For some reason, however, on this cd it's not only bearable, but quite good. This one is a little more unplugged than usual -- more casual. Listening to this version I get the feeling she's just sitting around singing and reflecting on her situation. When I hear the original version on the radio it almost sounds forced, or at the very least, too enthusiastic for it's subject matter. "Think" by Aretha Franklin is pretty much identical to any
other version you'd hear, but this in itself makes it different than most
of the rest of the cd. It's a wonderful listen, as always, and you can practically
see her and Evil Costello and Burt Bacharach doing "God Give Me Strength" is touching and beautiful. It nearly brought a tear to my eye. It's both powerful and desperate, soft and strong. I suppose that could be said of any version of the song, but this one is at least as good as any other you'll hear and maybe better. Lyle Lovett and Al Green deliver a funkified "Time Slips Away"
which, If you want to hear something really crazy, check out "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" as done by Van Morrison, Sinéad O'Connor, and the Chieftans. It's a bit disjointed and not exactly good. Either of the two singers would have done a great job on their own but together it's almost a disaster. The only thing saving it is the music and the fact that they trade off lyrics at the beginning. A few other artists making appearances on "Live On Letterman" are Rod Stewart, Lenny Kravitz, Lou Reed, and REM. Though there are good and not-so-good songs, it would be hard not to recommend this really wild and weird CD. Pick it up and see for yourself how unique, if not completely outstanding it is. |
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