One record at a time: 358. Pet Shop Boys - Disco 2

*Sigh* Where do I start with "Disco 2"? You would think a remix album based upon the hugely popular album "Very" would be a winner wouldn't you? But no; "Disco 2" doesn't succeed on any level.

I knew this album was going to be a mess as soon as I bought it. Firstly, as a Pet Shop Boys fan and collector, I realised I already owned all of the music on the record (well it was a CD back then). The second issue I found was that one of the remixes was of a song not originally credited to Pet Shop Boys ("Absolutely Fabulous") and two tracks were associated with the album "Behaviour". Many songs are included more than once with "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" being represented no less than three times. 

The perfect mess is completed by a terrible continuous mix by Danny Rampling that has vinyl surface noise and some songs played at completely the wrong speed. I fully understand that Rampling needed to use traditional beat matching techniques (it was 1994 after all) but the end result sounds almost comical in places.

The remixes of this era are definitely not the highlight of the Pet Shop Boys back catalogue and the decision to include such terrors as the E Smoove mix of "Liberation", Junior Vasquez's take on "Yesterday When I Was Mad" or "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing (DJ Pierre Wild Pitch Mix)" are as alarming as they are puzzling. 1/5

One record at a time: 351. Pet Shop Boys - Disco

"Disco" was the first album I owned on compact disc. I saved hard for my first CD player back in 1988 and once I had bought it, I didn't have much money left over to buy a disc. Happily, this album was sold at a 'special price' meaning my shiny new Sony CDP-M35 had something to play when I got it home. 

In addition to that old CD, I now own three copies of the album on vinyl. There are a two of the standard UK release in my collection, along with the German version with a sticker on the sleeve. All copies carry the same music and artwork and all are in very good condition. 

I have always loved this album as not only is the source material brilliant, but the mixes themselves are sublime. The opening track "In The Night" will be familiar to many as it was used as the theme tune for a TV programme here in the UK. The song itself was the b-side to the first release of "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" and this remix was created by Arthur Baker. As none of the mix titles are included on the sleeve their actual name can be hard to discern, but consensus seems to be that that this is the "Extended Mix". Most of the source material is retained and there are embellishments and creative edits that carry an early eighties New York electro vibe.

The epic nine minute version of "Suburbia" titled "The Full Horror" comes next. As amazing as this track is, I have to admit, the Emulator sourced dog barks are over used and do begin to grate just a little bit. There are fantastic versions of "Opportunities" (a unique edit of the Version Latina mix) and "Paninaro" (an extended mix by the boys themselves) that are enough to cast almost all contemporary remix albums into the shade, but the outstanding pieces here are the Shep Pettibone remixes of "Love Comes Quickly" and "West End Girls".

The "Love Comes Quickly" mix is subtle and adds enough unique touches to lift this song to the next level. This mix builds atmosphere perfectly and the additional synth refrain on the intro is worth the entrance fee alone. To my mind, this is the best version of "Love Comes Quickly" created. Similarly, Shep's take on "West End Girls" is truly a thing of genius. The additional electric piano and percussion on the intro sets up a unique take on the song that has never been bettered. The version on "Disco" differs from the remix 12" of the original single as it fuses the intro of the "West End Dub" onto the "Mastermix" to create a unique edit. The best remix album there is. 5/5

One record at a time: 302. Gary Numan - Hybrid

With the release of "Sacrifice" in 1994, Gary Numan's music took on an aggressive and darker tone. The irony here is that the sound Numan adopted was originally pioneered by Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and other artists he had inspired himself. Essentially Numan began eating his own young. 

Whilst "Sacrifice" sold as poorly as his other efforts in the late eighties and early nineties, its favourable notices acted as a lightbulb moment for Numan and he never attempted to pander to the radio again. The days of ill advised Prince covers, endless saxophone solos and domineering female backing vocals were at an end.

By the time this remix album was released in 2002 to mark his 25th year in the business, Numan was beginning to realise that his work was revered by lots of contemporary artists and people like Andy Gray, Flood and Steve Orborne were keen to be involved in this project. The liner notes hint at Numan's surprise at his new found credibility when he says of the record, "I had no idea it would turn out to be this cool. Thanks everyone."

I bought a box set of this album that included two CDs and a DVD housed in a numbered sleeve soon after it was released. To be honest I have no idea why I bought this album as I hadn't moved beyond a "best of" compilation I had bought ten years previously at the time. But buy it I did, and when I heard "Crazier" I knew I was about to buy even more of Numan's back catalogue. This coloured vinyl version was a re-issue from 2020.

Thankfully most of the tracks on this album are "re-interpenetrations" of Numan's material and not simply dance remixes that bear no relationship to the source material. The various artists and producers involved include Flood, Andy Gray, Curve and Alan Moulder. Not all of the versions presented succeed, but tracks like Numan's own mix of "M.E." and Mark Gemini Thwaite's version of "This Wreckage" add a new perspective on the classic originals. A worthy purchase for those already familiar with the source material. 3/5

One record at at time: 264. Róisín Murphy - Crooked Machine

"Crooked Machine" is a remix album that was released seven months after parent album "Róisín Machine". Initially these mixes were only available as digital files but were eventually released on vinyl for Record Store Day. Record Store Day 2021 was held in the days of COVID 'lockdown' so it was a much more civilised affair conducted over the internet.

When I first heard these remixes (all made by producer Crooked Man - hence the title) I was in complete awe and I became increasingly desperate to hear them from vinyl. These mixes are probably best described as deep house dub mixes but there is some variety that means this record offers a good listening experience and isn't just a tool for DJs.

"Kingdom of the Machines" is a take on "Kingdom of Ends" that features a bassline so good it bends my mind. The vocals blend seamlessly with the building beats and atmospheric synths as producer Crooked Man whips us up into a frenzy. It's a stunning piece work. Second track "Echo Returns" takes the album track "Narcissus" and turns it into a dreamy meditation that can either be transcendental or irritating depending on your frame of mind. 

In remixing "Incapable" Crooked Man creates the stupendous "Capable Rhythm" which has a bassline that is simply mind blowing. Róisín's vocal remains intact on this one and ensures this track remains six minutes of pure pleasure. "Assimilation" is a slightly slower, brooding mix that exposes a dark underbelly of "Simulation". We soon emerge from the shadows with "Crooked Madame" which throws glitter on original album version of "Shellfish Mademoiselle" and comes up with a brilliant dance floor groove. 

On the second disc, "Something More" is transformed into "Less Is More" which stomps along quite happily and reminds me a little of the sound of Moloko. The first disappointing mix is "Name Changer" which neither has the irresistible basslines or innovation of other mixes here. I like "We Are The Law" as it removes the vocal manipulation applied the original "Murphy's Law" and gives the song a new lease of life. To finish, the disco panache of "Jealousy" is twisted into a sort of breakbeat mayhem that brings back happy hardcore memories. All in all this is one of the best remix albums you are ever likely to hear and you don't necessarily have to be a fan of the original album to appreciate its majesty. 4/5

One record at a time: 217. Howard Jones - The 12" Album

For whatever reason, I have never got round to buying Howard Jones's debut album on vinyl so "The 12'' Album" is the first HoJo record on my shelf. This record was a surprise find at a car boot sale in 2019 and it's in pretty good condition to say it only cost £1.

Things kick off with "Always Asking Questions" which sounds so good my memory says it must have been a single; but the internet tells me it was not. This is not the first time my memory has lied to me.

The "New Version" of "New Song" is a little more sparse than the hit single version but it is really interesting to hear Howard's vocal and his electric piano in a different context. The organ licks are especially spectacular.

Side one rounds out with another top ten single in the form of "What Is Love? [Extended Mix]". As far as I can tell this is the same mix found on the original 12" and it offers a classic eighties approach to remixing. For the first three minutes things sound much like the single but then the DX7 "BASS 1" preset is heard in isolation before the song gradually re-builds back to its grandeur.

Side two opens with the non-album single "Like To Get To Know You Well" which is presented as the "International Mix" from the original 12" single. I'm not a massive fan of this track as it doesn't really flow well and the production sounds a little flat. Things pick up with the excellent "Extended Mix" of "Pearl In The Shell" and an new version of album track "Conditioning" titled "Total Conditioning".  

I love old school 12" mixes and miss albums like this being released. Yes, remix albums were a marketing tool, but this one still offers great entertainment 38 years after it was released. 4/5

One record at a time: 206. Jean Michel Jarre - Odyssey Through O2

I'm not sure if we can consider this an album proper as this sampler only has four tracks compared to the seventeen featured on the CD. However, there's little point having a protracted discourse on the subject as I think the review will be quite short.

The first Jean Michel Jarre remix album was 1995's "Jarremix" which was only released on CD and was so bad I don't think it was even formally released outside of France. Despite the failure of "Jarremix" someone thought it would be a good idea to release a remix album based upon "Oxygene 7-13" three years later. 

My memory of this record is one of extreme disappointment. The mixes were pretty boring and the only thing of interest on the CD was the JArKaos visualiser software that could make pretty patterns on the screen when placed in the optical drive of a PC.

The Trancegenics mix of "Oxygene 10" isolates the melody and pizzicato strings and lays them over some tabla percussion and a tanpura drone. Whilst the mix is as dull as can be, it does at least retain something of the original. DJ Cam offers us a downtempo/trip hop remix of "Oxygene 7" replete with scratches and syncopated breakbeat. I'm sure some will find this interpretation interesting but it is just too repetitive for me. 

On the flip side there is a "Trans" mix of "Oxygene 8". Personally I have never heard of an artist called Boodjie & Veronica and their only other credit on Discogs seems to be for an album with Bugs Bunny on the cover. It remains a mystery why they were chosen for the project. Things finish off with the Claude Monnet remix of "Oxygene 12" which also appears on the "Complete Oxygene" double CD set as "Oxygene in Moscow". This last mix is probably the best of the bunch but it let's face it, the competition is weak. 1/5

One record at a time: 204. Jean Michel Jarre - Chronologie Pt6 Slam and Gat Dacor Remixes

This is a potentially controversial entry as the debate over how to classify this release rages amongst some Jarre fans. People on both sides of the argument are convinced they are correct, but ultimately it just comes down to personal preference.

If you wish to consider this a single (or God forbid a 'Maxi') then please do so and just think of it as having been reviewed out of turn. Personally I don't care, but as I bought the CD from the album section of the shop and it charted in the UK album chart, I'm treating it as if it were an album. I have owned the CD since it was released in 1994 but I only acquired the vinyl in 2020. I had no burning desire to hear this music from wax but I was trying assemble a more complete collection at the time I bought it. 

Whatever format we consider this record to be, it has little to recommend it. I absolutely love the original version of "Chronologie Part 6" but these mixes are not only boring but completely divorced from the source material. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some progressive house and techno, but these tracks are devoid of ideas and go nowhere. 

The first Slam mix starts promisingly but after eleven minutes of hearing the same two bar loop going round and round it becomes a real test of endurance. The second mix abandons the techno bassline and leans more heavily on TB-303 acid squeals, but ultimately it goes down the same cul-de-sac as the first. The "Main Mix" by Gat Dacor utilises a breakbeat and the occasional vocal sample, but the closest it comes to incorporating material from the original is a few chords after about five minutes. The "Alternative Mix" is just more of the same dross. In truth, the only thing of merit on this disc is the original version.

In creating this record I think Jarre and Polydor were attempting to gain credibility in the nascent dance scene by paying newer artists for remixes. The trouble with this approach is that some people will always be content to take the cash and churn out a song of their own creation rather than rework the source material. The same issue would occur a few years later when The Orb were commissioned to remix "Oxygene Part 8", but there were slightly more spectacular consequences that time. This 'album' is definitely for completists only and even the most ardent Jarre fan can afford to ignore it. 1/5 (it would be zero if the original were not present).

One record at a time: 178. The Human League - Love and Dancing

Whilst this record is credited to The League Unlimited Orchestra, I consider it to be The Human League's fourth album. Here I am playing an original copy of the album from 1982 which is in very good condition.

As I've mentioned in these posts before, there were lots of remix albums in the eighties, but along with "Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing", this album is a progenitor. Remix albums were such a new phenomenon in 1982 that they even felt they had to add the following text to the sleeve, "This Album contains instrumental versions of previously released songs by The Human League specially remixed and produced by Martin Rushent". 

The album starts with the "Instrumental Remix" of b-side "Hard Times" which was previously included on the 12" single of "Love Action (I Believe In Love)". This mix has a great bassline which drops off just before it becomes annoying and there are various synth squiggles and vocal lines flying in and out to keep things interesting. 

The running order of the "Love Action" single is reversed and the instrumental remix of the title track comes next with its dubby drum delays and edits. "Don't You Want Me" is a bit too long but has some great effects that might be considered standard now, but were difficult to execute in the early eighties.

One of the more extreme remixes on the album is "Things That Dreams Are Made Of" which is stripped back to its Linn LM-1 rhythm and each element of the backing track given a moment in the spotlight. These 'dub mixes' are a bit like peeling back the layers of an onion - they reveal elements of the original song that you may not have heard or fully appreciated before. The version of "Do Or Die" sounds much faster than the album version and is a little bit messy. The tempo does relent a little bit for the remix of "Seconds" but the delay unit is still getting a severe workout. The last three songs are all under three minutes in length so songs like "Open Your Heart" and "Sound of the Crowd" don't quite get the same room to breathe as earlier tracks. Whilst some of the aural gymnastics and edits may not sound as impressive today as they did in 1982, this album is both entertaining and culturally significant. 4/5

One record at a time: 138. Eurythmics - Touch Dance

I mentioned in another post that remix albums were all the rage in the mid eighties as extended versions became increasingly popular on the dance floor and with the record buying public. Eurythmics record company decided to wring some additional profit from the highly successful "Touch" album by releasing "Touch Dance" in 1984. As this was a commercial exercise, Dave and Annie were not too enamoured with it and this remains the only Eurythmics remix album issued. 

As a result of the band's displeasure, "Touch Dance" was hard to find on CD when I started buying Eurythmics releases in the late eighties. In fact, I had to settle for a cassette of "Touch Dance" for many years until I finally purchased a copy from eBay eight years ago.

Much like contemporary remix albums, this record features mixes that aren't a drastic departure from the album versions. In the early eighties the "extended" mix was favoured by DJs and more radical mixes that transformed the aesthetic were not as common as today.

"The First Cut" is remixed by François Kevorkian and adds a good two minutes to the playing time by grafting on a new introduction and a series of breaks. There is another New York style extended mix of "Cool Blue" by John "Jellybean" Benitez which, given the source material isn't my favourite, is mediocre. Benitez also tinkers with the fabulous "Paint a Rumour" by creating various edits, adding occasional effects and playing with the faders. However, as the original of this song is over seven minutes long, this mix couldn't really be described as an 'extended version'. For "Regrets" we revert to Kevorkian who manages to bring out more of the sinister side of the track and make it sound less one dimensional than the album version. 

In terms of source material, that's our lot. The remaining three tracks are instrumental mixes of "First Cut", "Cool Blue" and "Paint a Rumour". When I first saw the tracklisting on my cassette circa 1988 I assumed these last three mixes were merely those on the first side with the lead vocal muted. However, I was wrong. These instrumental versions are completely different and almost as good as the featured vocal mixes. As I have mentioned, I'm not too keen on "Cool Blue" but the other two songs stand up to this treatment and reveal new layers that you might not have heard in the original. 3/5

One record at a time: 133. Erasure - The Neon REMIXED

This is a remix album on double coloured vinyl. The mixes are the usual club oriented material that can make for a worthy listening experience but are more often best left to the dance floor (not that many clubs will be playing Erasure in any form). Also included is one new song called "Secrets" which I can only assume is there to drive sales.

The pick of the mixes here are "Shot a Satellite (GRN Extended Remix)" and the atmospheric "Tower of Love (BSB's Stella Polaris Remix)" which both improve on the originals immensely.  Also worthy of mention is the Matt Pop remix of "New Horizons" which retains the feeling of the original but adds a new glossy layer over the top. 

None of these mixes are terrible but the version of "No Point in Tripping" by JC Carr and Bill Coleman is a little tedious with its cheesy Korg M1 piano riffs and sampled break beats. Whilst Andy Bell and Gareth Jones's "Sapphire and Steel" mix of "Nerves of Steel" breaks the club tedium, it lacks a little punch compared to the pumping dance tracks that surround it.

There were 3 CD singles of remixes released alongside the original album and none of the 29 tracks featured there seem to be repeated on this album. There is also a download code included in the package which provides access to all the mixes plus another 7 included on the digital version. The fourteen minute "Octa Octo Psychedelic Visions Disco Dub" of the new track "Secrets" is not for the faint hearted.

Whilst Erasure can't be criticised for not offering value for money, I do miss the days of a remix album that only had 6 or so high quality mixes across a variety of styles. Having listened to this album I can still hear TR-909  style bass drums pounding in my head. 3/5

One record at a time: 114. Erasure - The Two Ring Circus

In the mid eighties any electronic pop album that sold moderately well would almost certainly generate a remix counterpart. Remix albums were the perfect cash cow that could generate large sales at minimal expense, whilst simultaneously extending the longevity of the parent album. I love a good remix album.

Here we have two copies of "The Two Ring Circus" where one is literally a pale imitation of the other. I own an original pressing which is in very good condition, and thanks to the fact that this album is presented as two 45rpm 12" discs, it sounds fantastic. The other copy is a "Queuing for records day" Record Store Day cash-in from 2018. The artwork for the newer version was clearly reproduced from scans as it is rather pale, blurred and not colour matched to the original. This newer version is pressed on yellow vinyl, but as my original copy is in such good condition, I haven't had need to open it.

The remixes on this album aren't radical reinterpretations or even funkier dance versions. No, these mixes belong to the 'tinker with it' school of remixing that was predominant in the eighties. Around 80% of the original backing track always seem to be retained and only the occasional new element added. 

The "Erasure and Flood Remix" of "Sometimes" starts of promisingly but reverts to the same structure as the album version with only the occasional new drum sound thrown in. The most radical mix is probably Louie Vega's version of "Hideaway" which features an extend break and some nice TR-808 hit hats. Daniel Miller's mix of "Don't Dance" is suitably Kraftwerk inspired and is probably the highlight. 

The last three tracks on the album are orchestral interpretations of "If I Could", "Spiralling" and a song from their debut album called "My Heart So Blue". As a fan of electronic music I'm not too interested in these versions and the arrangements sound a little ostentatious for my taste. The live tracks found on the CD (and cassette as I remember) aren't on the vinyl so here we end. 3/5

One record at a time: 21. The Beloved - Blissed Out

This is a remix compilation that followed hot on the heels of "Happiness" which was released earlier in the year. My memory of the chronology has faded over time, but I am sure the single "It's Alright Now" was released around the same time and I seem to recall receiving the cassette of this album as a Christmas present in 1990. I asked for the cassette as I had read a review of the album in "Smash Hits" which said the cassette had quite a few extra tracks - value for money was a big concern when you're only source of income was delivering newspapers. I was accustomed to CDs offering extra tracks to lure me to the new format, but cassettes were a dying breed even in 1990, so this decision didn't make sense then or now.

Anyway, the LP of this album starts with the "Happy Sexy Remix" of album track "Up, Up and Away". This is a club orientated mix with a prominent sub bassline and TR909 snares. Whilst the difference to the album version may not be startling at first, Danny Rampling delivers a much sparser mix that retains interest right to the end. The second track is one of my favourite remixes ever: "Hello (Honk Tonk)". The key to the success of this remix is that is it a completely different take on the track. Jon and Helena didn't just tinker with the original but replaced the backing track with a sample laden dance workout that compliments the vocal perfectly. There are many nice flourishes and changes of direction that mean the six minutes fly by. I have always liked "Wake Up Soon (Something To Believe In)" as it features a sample of the Eurythmics song "Greetings From A Dead Man" that I recognised instantly. Aside from giving myself marks for sample spotting, I like this mix as it moves the album version from a very eighties sounding track into something a bit more contemporary without losing its character.  

"Time After Time (Muffin Mix)" shows the pure genius Jon and Helena were capable of when remixing their own material. This version turns the original into the type of ragga dance track that was de rigueur in the early nineties. However, unlike many contemporary ragga mixes, this one hasn't aged at all. Leslie Lyrics proves to be the perfect MC with his tongue in cheek delivery and clever rhymes. Instrumental B-side "Pablo" was always a bit of disappointment to me and the club orientated dub that comes next isn't significantly different from the original. We return to more familiar ground with "The Sun Rising (Norty's Spago Mix)" which is a classic house mix by Tony Humphries. The main change here is to the drums which take on the relentless sound favoured by the early house pioneers such as Tony and Larry Heard. 

"It's Alright Now" was released as a single to promote the album and it featured several fantastic remixes that I play regularly to this day. The pick of the bunch is "Back to Basics" which builds from a sparse, acid tinged dreamscape into a hypnotic colossus. Amazing. However, things go a little awry at the end with "Your Love Takes Me Higher (Calxy of Isis)" which is a 10 minute long instrumental which centres on saucy ad libs and (presumably) fake orgasm noises contributed by a backing singer. Personally I find the mix boring and the vocals very annoying. Thus the vinyl finishes with a bit of a damp squib, but the disappointing ending shouldn't be allowed to detract too much from what has gone before. As remix albums go, you'd be very hard pressed to find a better one. 4/5

One record at a time: 15. The Art of Noise - The FON Mixes

Retrospective remix albums like "The FON Mixes" by The Art of Noise were all the rage in the early 90's and this album set a trend that was followed by other artists such as Yello with "Hand on Yello", Yellow Magic Orchestra with "Hi Tech/No Crime" and The Sugarcubes with "It's It".

However, it's inaccurate of me to suggest the artists themselves were behind these releases. Remix albums such as this were clearly commissioned by record companies to rinse the back catalogue of an artist who had either stopped recording or were on a hiatus. Some successful remixes could drive both sales of a parent album and the back catalogue generally. With "Instruments of Darkness" China records must have thought they'd won the lottery. This track hit a sweet spot when The Prodigy weren't too big to turn down a remix but they had the talent and balls to produce amazing music (see also "Take Me (Prodigy Mix)" by Dream Frequency). Even though this mix bears little resemblance to the original track, it stands on its own merits. In fact this track drove me to buy the CD of this album back in 1991. Whilst I have owned the CD for thirty years, I only acquired the vinyl from eBay in the last 6 months. Why I bought the vinyl I can't really tell you. It is in excellent condition and the two 12" singles are well presented but the music isn't improved much by the carrier. 

Once we are over the zenith of the opening Prodigy remix things meander along with uninspiring mixes by Carl Cox (Paraniomia), Mark Gamble (Roller 1) and the first "Interlude" in the form of "Yebo". Other early 90's notables The Sweet Exorcist, Mark Brydon, LFO and Graham Massey make brave attempts at revitalising old tracks but they all sound unconvincing and like their heart wasn't in it. The Youth track "The Art of Slow Love" is just "The Art of Love" single from the year before played at 33rpm and not 45rpm. One of my favourite AoN songs, "Catwalk" is remixed by The Ground whose biography in the sleeve leaves me no clearer to their identity. Discogs only credits them with this remix and there are absolutely no biographical details listed; they are a mystery. 

Unfortunately many albums of the era seemed to think it was compulsory to commission a mix by The Orb and include it no matter what load of old tosh turned up. Fortunately this album avoids this further ignominy, but this is one of few redeeming features. Whilst this album is disappointing, it's not because of any inherent fault with the source material. The afore mentioned Prodigy remix and subsequent singles such as the Ollie J and Arkana remixes of "Yebo!" from 1995 prove that it is possible to make good dance tracks from The Art of Noise back catalogue. Just don't mention the car crash that is "The Drum and Bass Collection". 1/5