Normally I’m indifferent to “remixes” of songs. Too often they are long, unwieldy, and add nothing to the quality of the original song.
However, I understand the motivation behind many remixes: they convert songs into dance music. When I first saw Detroit: The Motor City Remix Project, Volume 2 I was tempted to pass on it. But the subtitle–Remixed, Remodeled, Redefined for the 90s–tickled my Funny Bone so I parted with 50 cents at our local Salvation Army Thrift Store.
After listening to Detroit: The Motor City Remix Project, Volume 2 my initial assessment proved to be correct. Producer Paul Klein takes well known songs and extends them with repetitive choruses, repetitive lyrics, and “solos” backed by heavy bass and out of control synthesizers. This would qualify as “dance music” if you downed four or five mixed drinks and wanted to be hypnotized and surrender to the power of the beat. GRADE: D (for dull!)
| 1 | The Elgins– | Heaven Must Have Sent You Remix – Mike Mucci | 6:08 |
| 2 | The Marvelettes– | Too Many Fish In The Sea Remix – Ian Appell | 7:10 |
| 3 | Edwin Starr– | 25 Miles Remix – Ian Appell Remix – Ian Appell | 6:55 |
| 4 | The Velvelettes– | Come See About Me Remix – Ian Appell | 6:25 |
| 5 | Rose Banks– | You Keep Me Hanging On Remix – Charles Afton | 7:41 |
| 6 | Jean*, Scherrie* & Lynda*– | Love Child Remix – Charles Afton | 7:15 |
| 7 | Rose Banks– | You Keep Me Hanging On Remix – Lawrence Fordyce | 4:40 |
| 8 | The Monitors– | The Tears Of A Clown Remix – Charles Afton | 6:39 |
| 9 | Jean*, Scherrie* & Lynda*– | Love Child Remix – Lawrence Fordyce | 5:08 |
| 10 | Jean*, Scherrie* & Lynda*– | Stop In The Name Of Love Remix – Charles Afton | 6:25 |
| 11 | Kim Weston– | Dancing In The Streets Remix – Lawrence Fordyce | 6:20 |
Looks terrible. I’m from Detroit and half these people I never heard of. 5, 6 ,7, 8, 9. I know the songs but not these performers.
Steve, I was hoping for a wonderful Detroit music CD. Instead, I had to listen to something punctuated by “thump, thump, thump.”
On the other hand, EDM producers are making some great music from remixes. Right now, there’s a version of the old Police song “Roxanne,” retitled “Redlight,” by Swedish House Mafia that’s totally my jam. Remixes are the basic bread-and-butter of the EDM world.
Deb, I’ll check out “Red-light” by Swedish House Mafia. But these remixes are a whole Different Story.
Deb, I have always hated “Roxanne” so anything could be an improvement.
I’d rather listen to dogs bark.
Michael, we have a family of foxes living under our neighbor’s shed and each night the dogs in our neighbor howl and bark at the foxes. Makes for tough sleeping with all that racket going on. At least with DETROIT: THE MOTOR CITY REMIX PROJECT VOLUME 2 I could just turn it off.
I am not even sure I have ever heard a remix. I did watch Billy Elliott last night. Some great music in that. With closed captions, I could finally understand the lyrics.
Patti, I watch everything with Closed Captions on. A remix is a variant of an original song made by rearranging or adding to the original. I’m a fan of Kygo’s remixes of various songs.
Funny, because Jackie insisted on closed captions for TRACES. The Scottish accents were doing her in.
Jeff, I especially appreciate the Closed Captions on any of the British/Scottish programs on PBS.
I’m with Michael. I think you overpayed.
😉
Jeff, I frequently willing to “roll the dice” on marginal music CDs. Sometimes I win…this time I lost.
I would definitely let this one go by.
Considering that most dancing now is simply jumping up and down to the music, it might have an audience. I’m not part of it.
Beth, I hope you’re feeling better. Yes, “dancing” today has more to do with Peloton than the Tango.
What did you expect?! Most ’90s music sucked in the first place!
Bob, the 1990s music industry and artists struggled with MTV and the infant Internet.