This album is more of a dance compilation with low-calorie Euro trance with an exception of couple of tracks .The tracks featured here at present r stale ’n outdated , ’n can be heard only as a warmup tracks in a trance session.
Don’t Give Up : by Chicane, with synthesised vocals from Bryan Adams, is a cheesy melancholic light track ’n has a sort of hazy ambient trance, ’n a perfect song to start the album .
Better off alone: by alice deejay’s , a dutch group , is a saccharine-coated Euro dance track with ambient electronic pounding beats , ’n has that ’xtended influence of Aqua, etc etc
YOu see the trouble with me:was a massive smash underground anthem of year 2K, with deep gravely voice by Spoonface , kickback infectious drum beats ’n funky basslines , has completely overshadowed the original from Barry white.(For those who dont know abt White , the ’’Rock DJ ’’ by Robbie WIlliams was ripped off from one of his songs, ’n even other songs by artists like Kylie Minogue, etc ..).This track has that tribal feel to it , ’n going by the cover of this cassette I was expecting more tracks like these.
Charlie’s Angels 2000 :a soundtrack which has a dizzy mix of heavy bass, racecar tempos with crunchy guitars ’n has that feel of punk rock, ’n well just doesnt fit into this album.This along with the next one ’’48 hours’’, by vengaboys just finds its place here just to attract some of the huge vengaboys fans .
Get get down:A huge house track that makes everybody to thump their hands down involuntarily with its zingy peppy tune , btw ’ve u watched the lovely comic video, with wierd dance steps?This techno twisted houser is by a DJ called Paul Johnson , who unfortunately is disabled due to some gun shots, but that didnt deter him from continuing his job.
Protect ur mind : by DJ Sakin isnt really that wicked as the name seems to be.The original house version of this song without vocals is good , but this remixed version with Braveheart really sux bigtime, ’n is a totally outdated tune
Communication(Somebody answer the phone) : by Mario Pio , has that ringing tone that makes everybody instinctively stop dancing ’n search for their cell phone .I saw a video of this in B4U, Sound of Music recently, gr8, MTV ’n V looks paler in comparison nowdays in terms of innovation.
Sandstorm :is a massive euphoric mindblowing hard progressive house by ’’the rude’’ (Darude) boy from Finland ’n racy track with lots of breakbeats.No doubt this track has been ripped ’n remixed left right ’n centre by everyone.
Godspeed:is a pure instrumental trancey record by BT(Brian T.....) whose other cuts r heard in soundtracks like ’’Go’’ ’n one of the few US artists who is in this kind offa music, where hip-hop rules.
Mauro Picotto who is a cult figure in Euro esp Italian club scene along with the names like Paul van dyke, sasha .., and is nicknamed as ’’Lizard Man’’.He charecterises in hard-hard trance with a hip funkier underground techno beats, but unfortunately this compilation(the next 3 songs down here ) has picked some of his worst mixes except for Iguana
Arabian Pleasure :These kind of tracks , r fit to be played in a desert cheftains tent than by a DJ, ’n a major dampener.This may be one of the worst experimentations by Mauro, ’n even a worse selection to feature in this album
Iguana: Hold ur breath ’n pump up the vol !! This Ibiza anthemn gives a real flavour of rave hard-core trance( 8 out of 10 if u r into trance) , ’n is a trademark of Maurico’s kind of a liquid mixes .The variations in this song definitely raises the tempo of the groove on the dance floor to a different level.Wish they had more of these tracks like say Komodo....
Pulsar: If not for those stupid rapping vocals it could ’ve been a good one , but again not one of my fav Mauro’s mixes, eventho’ its quite a hit.This has a sort of rift that builds up into synth brassy storm.
Power of love: A remixed club version of the late 80’s cut by Frankie goes to Hollywood, ’n was a big hit on UK charts than the original one.This purely fringes on the verge of pop-electronic blends of music.This was a freak hit in the sense that it was remixed just for the heck of it for some event in Skydome, London which lateron went onto top the charts!!
Is it love :Aw http://www...This track feels as though its a remixed version of some 80’s or Beegees song .But that initial retracking scathes is a delite to hear .The same follows with the next cut ’’ I feel love’’ which is so reminiscent of that 90’s ’’Haddaway’’ or ’’2 Unlimited ’’/Snap sort of electronic music.
Merry christmas():A santa jingle mixed up with some syntesisers ’n operish vocals ’n a total crap.I wonder is there any dearth of good house mixes that they pick stupid ones like these?
9pm (Till I Come) :another smasher from ATB(or 80B) .This has a chord of synthesised electronic guitar hooks ’n synth piano sounds that makes u rewind ’n hear it again ’n again , overall a lovely lingering addictive melodic trance number to end the cassette .
Overall verdict is , its a sin on the part of promoters to market this as ’’18 greatest trance’’ tracks as seen on TV promos ’n fool the public, as this album is fit enuff to be the next one in the ’’Absolute Dance’’ series.So ’’2.5 *’s’’ if u r buying it thinking as a trance album, but ’’3.5 *’s’’ if its a dance album.
[A bit offtopic, but if u r interested in knowing the ones rocking the trance charts, do download ’n listen to:
1) Love in traffic :Pheww..a brilliant one, I just luv this
one
2) GuitarWorks :where Santana has pitched in his bit with beautiful guitar riffs for ths trancey track
(But I doubt u can download the above two as of now)
3) Chase the Sun -Planet Funk]