Party Mix - Reverse Review

1. Pleasuredome - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

It's terrible but the only song I remember from this band is Relax. I don't think this song made it to the US. I enjoyed this. Like how it starts slow then gets going.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood only had a handful of hits and one album, but what an album it was. Trevor Horn did a masterful job on production with the big numbers contrasting with some delicious cover versions - 'Do you know the way to San Jose' is simply wonderful. The big standout of the album is the title track which I've picked here, mainly because of the way the soundscape changes from the ambient jungle sounds to the big dance beats and back again.

2. Drop - Drop

I really dig this. It's so different from anything I would normally listen to

A really simple, catchy dance track with added water noises. This works equally well as something to dance to and low level background music, for when the canapés are being handed out

3. Pacific Flight - 808 State

I think I might need to be on E to like this. . .

This is a bit of self indulgence, with one of my favourite rave tracks that actually got a decent showing in the charts as well. Oddly enough, I heard a documentary on Radio 4 last week about rave culture that featured a brief snippet of this track at one point.

4. Art of Love (Youth and Orb Mix) - The Art of Noise

Great beat.

It's the sign of a good remix to be able to take the original elements of a track and rework them to produce something new whilst still retaining enough to be recognizable. This is a long, long way from the original 'Moments in Love', but I think it really works in this context. Yum.

5. '75 AKA Stay With You - Lemon Jelly

Another Great Beat

A fairly middle of the road 70s number given a real spit and polish by Lemon Jelly. The teasing build up and repetition of the introductory riff really pays off when the chorus is finally allowed to breath for the first time.

6. Low Rider - War

I know it's silly- but I have always flippen loved this song. . .

This song was one of my personal highlights of the San Andreas soundtrack, particularly when driving one of the eponymous low riders of the title.

7. Tokoloshe Man- John Kongos

Fun and funky

This is the sound of 70s wedding discos (at least, the good ones, that is). Really good foot stomping beat.

8. Don't Move - Life on Mars OST

Funny 4 second intro to the next song

The next song is also from the Life on Mars soundtrack, so I just included this for fun ... J

9. Blockbuster - The Sweet

First bar I knew I was going to love this song.

I love the wailing sirens on this track, coupled with a superb bassline. A glam rock classic.

10. Babylon's Burning - The Ruts

Really like this- I don't know enough punk

Continuing with the police siren motif (although this has bells as well, which were probably long gone by the mid 70s), this is a fantastically angry punk classic. At this point the party guests should be just about ready to riot and start chucking half bricks through the window of the local supermarket.

11 Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks

Another good song I didn't know!

Punk does a love song! A perfect, sing along number that everyone can sympathise with, I'm sure.

12. Beware of the Flowers - John Otway
"Beware of the flowers, cause I'm sure they are going to get you yeah." LOL hysterical lyric

Utterly mad, but sung with such infectious enthusiasm that it carries you along with it. Wild Willy Barrett plays a mean bit of guitar on this as well.

13. Oi! - Orbital

It grows on you

Another sort of remix, this takes a sample from Ian Dury and uses it to good effect. The video for this is rather strange too - giant robot children stomping through Paris for no adequately explored reason.

14. Rez- Underworld

Like how it builds up

I really do love this sort of music. Deceptively simple at first, the rhythms are layered with increasing complexity as the piece progresses, almost without you realising it. It shares a lot with the sensibilities of Steve Reich and Phillip Glass, but the major difference is that you can dance to this one ...

15. Sirocco - Hernan Cattaneo/John Tonks

Good beat

If people aren't dancing by now, then the party has gone dreadfully wrong somewhere along the line ...

16. Voodoo Child - Rogue Traders

Love this

I didn't realise quite how many remix projects I'd included on this cd until I came to write this, but this is a real stand out. It takes the chorus from Pump it Up by Elvis Costello and produces one of the best dance tracks of recent years. You might recognise it from the last series of Doctor Who, when the Master finally succumbed to the drums in his head and heralded the end of the world.


I like this mix CD- although I have to admit that trance isn't really my thing. I can listen to it once in a while. My favourite part is the punk classics- that I sadly didn't know and Low Rider. . . It's the American West Coast Girl in me. . . J

The theme I had in mind for this cd was 'The Ultimate Party Mix' and looking back, I'm not entirely sure it was successful. I've had to cram in a lot of changes of mood for each phase of the party - introductory background music, melodic dance, 70s retro, punk, 80s dance and more contemporary stuff. It's a good taster though, and I still have it as a playlist on my mp3 player.

Good call on my secret identity Nancy - the Otway track is a bit of a give away though ... :-)