Vol. 5:
Who Is It?/Bonus Mix [Mantronix]—-One of the premier Rap/Dance groups of the 80’s, Mantronix combined laid back vocals over old school hyper beats that defined the up and coming generation of Electro Artists…this is where it all started. The vocals are plain and understated, allowing the music to almost speak for itself. This is fantastic!
Who Is It?/Instrumental Remix [Mantronix]—-Even better than the original mix, this remix is all about the beats and the breaks. The electro feel of the song is incredible…the beats are hyper real …..this is good stuff!!
Feels Like I’m In Love [Kelly Marie]—-One of the best and most underrated post-disco songs of the early 80’s, this brought the dance floors in Gay clubs alive every time you heard the opening sequence of the song. the vocal is classic diva and the attitude reeks of new york nite life. Kelly Marie went no where, but she had her moment and it was delicious!!
Touched By The Hand Of God/Remix [New Order]—-Recorded as new song for the Substance compilation, this song did very well for the band. Featured as the B-side to the re-released remixes of Blue Monday, the song has all the classic elements the bands has become known for. From the opening strains of the synth line, to the quirky instrumental disco, the song has the bands signature all over it. once Sumner begins to sing you are already in love and the song gives that feeling back every single time you listen to it.
Touched By The Hand Of God/12″ Dub [New Order]—-With a much deeper and danceable bass line, this is a more convoluted version of the original but pleasant none the less…perhaps lasting a bit to long, the song displays some nice breaks and bumps perfecting for co mingling with the original. Nice remix job!!!
Blue Monday/1988 12″ Mix [New Order]—-Remixed and re-released to go along with the Substance compilation, this best-selling 12″ of all time looses none of the original fury and joy of the original. It is amazing to listen back to this classic dance single and think about the origins of the band and how they got here from there. None the less, the band has a knack for catchy bass lines, great breaks and unforgettable synth lines…this is a piece of history.
Blue Monday/Dub Remix [New Order]—-More or less, more of the same….really meant for club DJ’s seeking some alternative sounds to a song that has been played millions of times, this remix has some nice alternative speeds and sound effects that play nicely. A nice job, but a little mundane at times.
Together In Electric Dreams [Phillip Oakey And Giorgio Moroder]—-The Godfather of Disco teams with one of the founding fathers of Synth New Wave to create a song for a movie that no one ever saw. This single sold much better than the movies and later resulted in a full length release by the two. This is classic mid 80’s New Wave with a great dance twist. Phil delivers a vocal that is magical….it warms you like a cup of tea and the synth lines of Moroder produce an almost ecstatic feel in your soul. This is wonderful!!
Poison Arrow/Man Mix [ABC]—-Yet another Sheffield band that hit huge in the 80’s all over the globe, ABC were a suave bunch of gentleman that played great synth sounds layered with orchestration and cool laid back vocals delivered in a nice package called the music video. Although the string of hits continued until the late part of the decade, the band never received as much acclaim for anything else lie they did for this debut release.
Never Gonna Give You Up/New York 12″ Mix [Rick Astley]—-When this diminutive red head opened up his mouth to sing, the world stood still for a moment to appreciate it. I could never imagine this bi voice coming from this soft-spoken little guy…none the less, it did and the result was a magnificent run of hits, this one being the first of those. This remix, aptly named for the huge dance beats that create it, is even better than the original. Guaranteed to keep everyone jumping, the remix takes all the great originality and pumps it up beyond belief…this is awesome!!!
Steady Mobbin’ [Ice Cube]—-This is great…full of hyped beats and the unique style of Cube, the story of urban life is real and gritty. This was the way that rap was supposed to be…without all of the beefs, feuds and auto-tune. This has a great catchy chorus interlude and a laid back but real vocal by cube…Great!!!
Break Em’ Off Some [Ice Cube]—-Another true to life gritty tale of Urban life….the times were tough when this track was released…crack was king and murder was queen. The beats are magically pleasant, the lyrics are real life and not to be taken lightly. This was as real as you get back in the day.
**** out of 5
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