I picked up the new Warp cute pack 7", 10", 12" for Sabres of Paradise. Overall
I was so disappointed. I loved all these tracks on the LP and I was really
anticipating these remixes.
The highlight is certainly the Depth Charge remix of "Tow Truck". The track
has been totally taken apart and rebuilt anew yet it still has that gritty
noir/evil surf tune feeling of the original. The Chemical (Dust) Bros. remix
of the same track was boring. I have most of the DBs releases and many of
their other remixes and its all starting to sound the same. Its as if the DBs
had a good idea and just keep using it over and over. Perhaps if you haven't
had much exposure to them, the remix may work. It would probably get a crowd
moving as its about 30-40 pm faster than the original.
The LFO remix of "Duke of Earlsfield" is the next best track in the pack. It
didn't really knock me out but it does get a groove going. It just sounded
like putting a few extra layers over the original track. Rather hurried and
unimaginative. I still think the original LP version was much better.
The Nightmares on Wax mix of "Bubble and Slide" is absolute crap. It sound
like a radio segue between three tracks that happen to be the same speed. It
starts out very similar to the LP cut than just segs into some unrelated funky
sounding track which I did like. The back into the original and off into
something else. It just didn't sound like a *remix* of "B+S", it sounded like
an uninspired club mix. I have made more interesting mixes with my turntables
and the LP cut.
Lastly the 7". Pressed only on one side. A performance of "Haunted Dancehall"
by _______ (name goes here). I forget who did it something like on the line.
Anyway, this track is very sedate. A moody, sad and lonely orchestral
sounding piece. I liked it as a freebie. Much smoother than the lp cut, not
as quircky, which I missed. I certainly wouldn't have bought this on as a
stand alone single as it wasn't even among my favorite lp cuts.
Overall I was disappointed but hey, what can you expect people to do improve
on the absolute brilliance of the LP? The only people(person) up to the task
IMO was Depth Charge. LFO gave it a good shot. Chem Bros remix makes me doubt
their forthcoming album will be any good at all. NOW had other things on their
mind while doing this one, but I still want (the fabled) "Smokers Delight".
--
Mark Bowen
mb@gettins.bche.uic.edu
"The universe," said [the devil], "is a Ph.D thesis
that God was unable to successfully defend."
-James Morrow