2 comments about Pop and Soul Divas.

1. track listing mostly says it all, but you do indeed get a couple of remixes and 12" versions here. Aside from the Shannon and Jackie Moore 12" versions, the Liza Minnelli Losing My Mind remix is indeed the full 7 minute 12" version, Wishing On a Star by the Cover Girls is the hip-hop style 12" mix of their ballad, and the HQ2 club mix of Jade Anderson's "Sugar High" is also the 7 minute long version. For the price, that's not for amount of trax you get along with these 12" versions.http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reviews/preview-your-review.gif



2. This is an awesome cd set, leave it in you stereo and just let it run. I really enjoyed it.

1 comments about Love 2 Dance.

1. Cheap for three cds! I was a bit leery of picking this one up until I stumbled upon it at a local music store. I thought I'd give it a shot though.. and I was glad I did! this has the energy, the soaring vocals, the delicious melodies. Everything you'd hope for from a compilation of dance tracks. Oh yeah, did I mention it's cheap?

3 comments about G Stone Book.

1. I haven't purchased the book, but the CD has been underrated in my opinion. It is one of my favorite CD's of all time, and while it may not be someone else's, I would recommend it to anybody.
   
   Nearly every song on this CD is by K&D themselves, just under different established aliases (Tosca [Dorfmeister], Peace Orchestra [Kruder], and from what I've read Farda P and Sugar B being both K&D.)
   
   The 2nd Chocolate Elvis mix is actually a mix by Boozoo Bajau (another artist you should check out) and sounds very different than the original mix (track 2). Both of these mixes are instant classics, along with High Noon. If you don't buy this CD (w/ book or otherwise) then make sure you hear some of their original tracks on one of their other CD's.
   
   I'm only not giving it 5 stars because I haven't seen the book and I read that it falls apart. Although if I knew how much I'd enjoy the CD I woulda paid $40 for it at the beginning, so that justifies this review :)



2. The G-Stone book is interesting and amusing to flip through, but there isn't a whole lot of substance to be found. The flimsy binding cannot support the size of the book. One should turn the pages *very* carefully so as not to destroy the binding, thus making it rather annoying to look through. There are, however, many interesting pictures within. The organization is pretty strange. I'm fairly sure that the book is totally bilingual, but all the written segments are presented in a sort of random order, so I can't be absolutely positive and everything written in English is represented in German and vise-versa. There is an interesting bit about the concept for the Peace Orchestra foldout picture and a couple first-hand accounts of K&D DJ sets.
   
   The CD is a decent compilation of G-Stone artists. The standout tracks are, of course, from Kruder and Dorfmeister, Tosca, and Peace Orchestra, but the others are not bad either. With only 14 tracks, it is rather curious to find "Chocolate Elvis" appearing twice (in different mixes). It's also strange that 5 out of the 14 tracks are by Tosca. Again, not necessarily a bad thing - just strange. If you already own the bulk of K&D's respective output, there's not much here of interest. If you're new to G-Stone, the CD will be a nice introduction, but the $40+ price tag makes the purchase a bit of a risk.
   
   This is really more of a scrapbook than anything else. If a Kruder and Dorfmeister scrapbook sounds good to you, then you'll dig this.



3. The music is great, however very expensive for $40. If you are mostly interested in the music, spend the $40 on buying the best albums from which these tracks were selected from. Disappointing that it's only a single CD. I would have expected a book from a label come with at least two.
   
   The 'book' is an interesting collection of pictures (several Photoshop'ed for entertainment value) and some random writings. This is not a coffee-table book. It's the size of a CD and about twice as thick as a standard jewel case. When I first opened it, it literally feel apart into two pieces (which it obviously wasn't supposed to do).
   
   I give the 'book' one star and the CD three, for an average of two. If this cost, say, $15 or maybe $20 it would be worth it. But $40? For a single CD and a CD sized book filled with random content? No, don't bother unless you are a hard-core fan trying to gather collectibles.

5 comments about Erasure 2 / EBX Singles.

1. Rhino/Warner sent all the download sites the wrong files for the Erasure singles box sets. Buy at your own risk.



2. Boxed set 2 once again gives us a host of Erasure singles with mixes that never made it from vinyl to the original individual CD singles for each song. If you're looking to tighten up your Erasure collection, this will just about do it. Here's some notes on what I noticed about this volume:
   
   CD1
   1. Victim of Love-FINALLY, the full 7 minute plus extended version is on CD, as well as other mixes not previously on CD
   2. Soldier's Return-mixes from the original CD single, plus one extra
   3. live track Safety in Numbers is missing from original CD single, but it's on CD2
   
   CD2
   1. The Circus-ALL the mixes, including 2 from the vinyl 12"
   2. live tracks-a load more than on the original CD single
   
   CD3
   ALL around improvement over the 3 track CD single, with 2 extra mixes of Ship of Fools, and short and long versions of River Deep and When I Needed You
   
   CD4
   Again, major improvement over the original 3 track single, with 3 mixes of Chains of Love, plus single edits and remixes of Don't Suppose and The Good the Bad and The Ugly
   
   CD5
   1. A little respect-extended mix and 7", plus an excellent alternate extended version. Big question is, what happened to the Justin Strauss remixes with a major house feel that used to be played in all the clubs? It should have been here to make this complete. They were only on the US 12", which might explain it.
   2. like zsa zsa gabor-3 mixes! Original single only had 1.



3. i have been an erasure fan for some time now. normally i am not a fan of remixes, particularly because with each remix cd one out of the 6 remixes is actually worth listening to. i feel this is the same case with erasure's ebx2, but it is worth it! those few good remixes are AMAZING. take the risk.



4. This package of singles is fantastic!,This collection of music is on a total of 5 CD's 3 of the CD's have 7 songs per CD and one with 15 songs and one with 10 songs on it making this CD collection having over 3hrs of great music,And 46 songs.

   Since 1988 when I heard the cover of The Good, The Bad and the ugly theme I could never find that single, But it is here and it is way COOL!!, And you can dance to it, This collection should be left only to completists,I like Erasure,I have heard the rest of the music on this CD played on the radio, I was only interested in Track The Good and The Bad and the ugly, But the rest I also liked ,So 14 years later I now have it.

   The packaging is good and the track listings are only in the booklet, So do not loose the booklet!,The CD's themselves do not have any of the track listings or Lables, Just on the paper covers that they come in have the disk name and CD #

   So If you want to expqand your collection of Erasure Then get this Cd and only this CD!

   Enjoy!




5. I got this and EBX1 as Chirstmas gifts this year. My husband was afraid I wouldn't like them since I normally don't like remixes but OH MY STARS was I surprised! I have been a devoted Erasure fan since Wonderland but never bought any imports or singles because I prefer the originals. BUT: the "Warm Depths" remix of River Deep, Mountain High nearly sent me careening off the road because of my ecstatic bouncing, rocking and jiggling! And all those new songs not available on the original albums (The Soldier's Return, Don't Suppose, Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor, etc.) were little precious gifts to me! I can't get enough of these two box sets! You MUST have these if you are to be a TRUE connoisseur of Erasure!

2 comments about This Is Rave, Vol. 3.

1. Allow me to give you a little background: I purchased this at Best Buy because I was looking for an impulse purchase after having some leftover money on my gift card. I have personally been to several raves within past year, so I speak with experience.
   
   Unfortunately for me, I didn't inspect this product very much before purchasing it. After bringing it home, I made a few discoveries: the first discovery I made was that this product was made in 2001. Electronic music has changed HEAVILY during this time thus making this product sound extremely inferior. The second discovery I made is that for all 3 CDs, they use the same artists. This truely is the bargain bin for electronic music.
   
   The music on this CD sounds like someone just picked up a copy of Orion Pro for the first time and used all the default sounds to make some extremely repetitive loops. These loops will change predictibly and not very often. I personally couldn't stand to listen to any track past the 2:30 mark. The only reason why I left it go that long was the hope that something good would happen, but alas it failed every time. I wanted to give it a chance to redeem itself, but it never did.
   
   I'm not sure how these artists actually made it to the shelves of Best Buy or a record label for that matter. The tracks are horribly simple and uninspired. I seriously doubt that even back in 2001 that this is what a Rave sounded like. If it did, it's no wonder why Raves dies down right around that time. The people who made this CD obviously didn't go to any Raves and thought that they could pass this off to people who have never been to one either. If you are looking for what good Rave music sounds like, I suggest listening to DI.FM's Hardcore channel.
   
   I'm just glad I didn't actually pay money for this garbage.



2. I never really knew what rave music sonded like until I bought this CD. I was a little dissapointed with what it sounded like, because it was not at all how I had imagined it. However, its not bad music. I must say, for repetative music, its good. When I bought the CD, though, disc 3 was in front and disc 1 was in back. I didn't really understand what that was about. And to make it more confusing, I think they printed the track listing wrong. Its a great compilation, but again, good luck figuring out what the name of your favorite songs are.

5 comments about Black Box Waxtrax! Records: The First 13 Years.

1. This is a timeless compilation of bands. WAX TRAX records really were the God-fathers of realing industrail music.



2. ... after the first printing of this collection, let me say LOUD and CLEAR that WaxTrax! (now TVT) Records NEEDS TO RE-RELEASE THIS COLLECTION OF CLASSICS!!! As it stands, Black Box is a hard to find collector's item, as the prices for used copies can attest (nobody's gonna have a new one available, kids, at least not for a reasonable price). You're lucky if you can find someone who kept immaculate, anal-retentive care of the discs. I was lucky to find a copy of this set at my local record shop, but the condition of the CDs would rate as GOOD, VERY GOOD at best. I'm just glad that after 13 years, they will still play in my CD player.
   
   I'm not going to fire off a huge, elaborate critique of the set. If this kind of music from this time period pushes the dopamine receptors in your brain over the brink (and you know who you are), then this collection is for you. Yeah, it's primarily industrial in nature, but there are hints of techno, hard/goth rock, and dark experimental music. The 3-CD set clocking in at roughly 3 1/2 hours of music represents a nice, thick, bloody slice of a time and a place, and yes, it's just that damn good. Read the other reviews for point by point details. At worst, this one gets 4.5 stars. At best, it easily garners 5.



3. My interest in industrial music and its history lead me down the path to this little almost forgetten jem at this point.
   This is industrial music as its not made anymore, as industrial music since the death of this label has become even more of a minor niche market fading into the obscure. But this box set captures industrial's golden age. An interesting mix of styles and history, it actually prompted to go visit the orginal WaxTrax store in Denver while on vacation(ironicly seeing one of the artists on the boxset.KMFDM). With all the music revials going on, I wish someone would revive this kind of industrial music, before its completely forgotten. The track that is the most well known is probably the cover of "Supernaut" with the Trent Renzor vocals, but that is to over look alot of other amazing material. You can feel the energy, the thoughtfulness, and the pioneering spirit racing though every track. The only shortcoming i'd say would be that Front 242's material couldn't be included.
   Music history buffs will also get a kick out of this, there is a little booklet helping outline the history of the label, and quite a history it is. I find it quite sad that there is no real written books about WaxTrax and the chicago industrial scene of the 80s like there is for punk,hardcore,indie and their counterparts.
   I recommend this comp 100%, and hope that you can feel the same love for this music as I do.



4. I dj'd at college radio stations for 5 years in the late '80s, and was always pleasantly excited when I found a Wax Trax! label in the New bin. (Unfortunately, I usually did my shows in the dark and thought the name was "Wax Traxi" for the longest time!) The label was a mainstay of industrial music, and founders Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher consistently managed to sign and produce the most exciting musicians of the time -- the many incarnations of dear troubled genius Al Jourgensen, The Young Gods, FLA, Coil, Controlled Bleeding, Doubting Thomas, A Split Second, Lead Into Gold, Psychic TV, Foetus -- they are all here on three great discs packed with music that makes you want to move and feel. Disc One, Track One: Trent Reznor covers Black Sabbath's 'Supernaut' with 1000 Homo DJs -- a version previously unreleased, and then you are zipping through Sister Machine Gun and The Young Gods and oh so many more seminal industrial bands. Divine puts the "fun" in funky with "The Name Game", the label's second release. I was also happy to hear a few groups that had somehow slipped past me the first time around, like Wreck. I had a great time listening to this collection and am still listening to it. You can put in any of the three discs and be happy for a long time.

   The packaging is beautiful -- a heavyweight black box covered with hip lettering and disturbing images; three black CD cases containing labeled discs and a listing with artist, cut, time and version information; and a terrific booklet that relates the anecdotal history of Wax Trax! -- it's artistically interesting as well as substantive and entertaining.

   If you enjoy industrial music, you cannot go wrong with this incredible collection of the music and people that started it all. And why not put a few bucks into the pockets of the guys who loved the music more than the profits?




5. This Chicago-based record label compilation is an awesome chunk of the work done by most of the best industrial bands that came out of N. America and Europe in the 80s. Very interesting and innovative music- fans of industrial music or darker techno should like most of this stuff quite a bit.

No comments about DJ Mixmaster Series: House Music.

3 comments about Pure Chillout Moods.

1. It was a major let down... i gave it away to be used in an artclass- Not a good composition of music i do highly recomend Tranquial moods. pure moods 1-3 and celtic moods.



2. This collection isn't good enough as I expect ! But it's fair.



3. This four CD set has many tracks that appeared on a six CD
   boxed set called "This is Chillout". Five trks on CD 1,
   four trks on CD 2, six trks on CD 3, and two trks on CD 4.
   I have not considered what trks were on the "Mix" CD's 5&6
   on the earlier Chillout set. That is 17 out of 42 trks,
   more than a third. Due to some killer new trks, the Macy Grey
   trk for example, this may still appeal to mature Chillout fans.
   It is certainly worth the price as a "Starter Set" for Newbies.

1 comments about This Is House.

1. That's correct this is not Techno House, so don't buy it if that is what you are looking for. It is Dance House all the way. Actually it contains those joints that you hear mixed with others but couldn't find it. It least that is what it seems to be for me. It is Dance consisting of Trance, EuroHouse and a lil Jungle. None of that trendy bullcrap put out by jackson, madonna and them. They couldn't touch this if they were paid to do it. It is too deep for them.

   That is it, this is deep and throbbing. The beats are hard, funky and the joints are long like 6min. long. It is very hypnotic for real, as the label states.

   Looking for a hard experience, I recommend this boxset.

5 comments about The Annual 2003 UK.

1. Firstly, i'm English and from the UK, so if anyone knows what MoS's music like, its me. And believe me, anyone who thinks this annual is good NEEDS to listen to the original, and the best annuals before Millenium, when it all changed.
   Before Millenium, the MoS annuals had been based around the London club itself - it was real popular. The annuals had character, the songs were longer, they were mixed stunningly, and... it wasnt commercial!
   By the time The Annual 2003 was released, MoS was already using commercialism as the driving force behind sales - to get kids to go out and buy the album for their discos. But in a way, I think people are slagging off MoS too much - I'll admit, the album captures "2002's biggest hits" (not there usual route), but people are forgetting this is, The Annual OF 2002. There were good/bad tunes, but the albums good because of its character - ok, theres been no heart or effort from any dj's - its entirely computer mixed! but alot of tunes remind you of 2002, which where good times - commercial or not!
   Mellow's probably the word to describe the feel of the album, and quite wintery (again, personal opinion) alot of tunes I used to hear years back are here, and remind me of good times. One such song is 'Heaven' of course - yep, quite cheesy perhaps, but still helps that overall feel. 'Lets get it right' and 'My vision' are 2 other nice tunes. Its got its feel good tunes to like 'Can you feel' which I love, and Forever. But this is only my personal feeling towards album, so again, it depends if you can remember some (or most!) of the tunes from 2002.
   On the more technical side, this album will never win awards for great mixing. Its a shame that some great tunes have been poorly remixed, and some are quite woeful. This was also the first MOS album to have SCOOTER with one of his pathetic tunes, in which he shouts out mindless, random words and sentences like "Jungle Solider" with a chip munk singing in the background. I think after seeing his name on the tracklist I knew who this album was intended for, and certainly not older teens/adults. And of course, I don't need to mention Las Ketchup...
   Its hard to choose the best cd, but cd2 has the least cheezy material. Point of view is another memorable song, and At night is good too, but your bound to find most of these on countless 2002 albums. Its just such shame that the days when annuals came if faux leather style cases, with descent booklets looking back at the year, but most importantly they where intended for older teens/adults are gone. This album would be perfect for a school disco unfortunately, but i'll still listen and think back to when things like that happend, because it was fun! And yes, I have grown up now.
   Cd3 tries to capture a party theme, with some... unsual choices. The remix of the classic song Take My Breath Away is not bad, but nothing compared to the original. The worst song is Culture Flash, which has a horrible, horrible Euro style synth and I just cant listen to it. But Free is one of my faves - a nice song, and Moonlight Shadow is another one of those looking back songs.
   All in all, this album crosses a fine line, but it clearly depends on so many things. With cd1 probably having the most "input" from a person, in the order of songs, 'some' mixing etc thats probably my fave cd, but there all quite average. However... if your wanting to look back at 2002 with good memories, I'd say buy it, because in that sense, this is a real classic now in '06. In an MoS Annual sense, this is a disaster for them. The album would have been appreciated so much more if another label had made it... Anyone who remembers '02 in a good way should get this album now. But, if you want the TRUE annuals, proudly presented in their leather book cases, I suggest you date back to 1995 and from then on, when the 5 best Annuals were produced - volumes 1,II, III, IV, and Millennium Edition. Those were the days when the annuals were a piece of art.



2. CD-2 IS THE GREATEST THING EVER!!!! JUST GET IT FOR DISC 2, the rest blow but.. WOW!!!



3. This has to be one of the best compilations of dance hits to come out in a long time. The mixing is some of the best I've heard in a while, each song playing right off of the previous with perfect smoothness. It seems dance compilations are a dime a dozen these days, but Ministry of Sound has once again proven themselves to be the authority of dance and club music the world over.



4. Even though this CD has gotten a LOT of bad reviews, I really enjoy it. It's the only MOS compilation I have (but hopefully I will be buying much more someday). There are a lot of good tracks on here but it has its share of bad ones, too...easily. But I am very pleased with it.

   Best- Krystal K's "Let's Get It Right", Warrior's "If You Want Me", Kelly Llorenna's "Tell It To My Heart", Shakedown's "At Night", Dee Dee's "Forever" (obviously), Rezonance Q's "Someday", Divine Inspiration's "The Way", N-Trance's "Forever", Jurgen Vries' "The Theme", etc.

   Worst- Sushi's "The Earthshaker" (corny & just awful); most of the covers on there except for Cyndi Lauper; DJ Alligator's "Lollipop", Interactive's "Forever Young"...

   Out of the 3 cd's, I think CD1 is the best, with the exception of "Earthshaker", the one track that I skip every time. Buy it!




5. These 3 CD does not remind me of the past Annual release from MOS. Instead they remind me of DDR Arcade. Of all those bubblegum songs. and what's going on with all the cheessy chimp-squirre female vocals? It wasn't random either, it was intentional... If you are looking for 3 CDs of junk with only 4-7 good songs, buy it today. If not, then save your dollars for the MOS Chillout Cd set instead. They are much better.