2 comments about The Tenth Anniversary Collection, Pt. 1: 1990-1995.

1. All due respects & thumbs way up to all the other spectacular artists & their fantastic tracks featured on this CD. But, it should come as no surprise, La India steals the show. Her highlights include Love & Happiness (of course), When You Touch Me & the show-stopper Para Los Rumberos (featuring a stunning performance by the late Tito Puente). I highly recommend.



2. MATERS AT WORK: The Tenth Anniversary Collection
   PART ONE: 1990-1995 (4 cd's) `silver box'
   PART TWO: 1996-2000 (4 cd's) `gold box'
   The Definitive Remixes and Original Productions.

   If you love the "Sweet-House" you must have this collection. It's a "PRECIOUS" work. This box is a treasure that I keep in my heart and my ears too. Solid gold. Sober gold and silver finishes for a collection of gems with the stamp of two heavyweights of New York's house scene: Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez and 'Little' Louie Vega, i.e. Masters At Work. Two lusciously presented box sets, which each contain jewels for the enjoyment of modern music lovers. In this exhaustive tenth anniversary recompilation a large part of their work is brought together, both their own compositions and their remixes 'to order'. The first box features their work under the alias Nuyorican Soul, one of the outstanding examples of the fusion of jazz, Latin sounds and House, with classics such as 'The Nervous Track'. With regard to their work as remixers, the list of artists favoured with the MAW touch has no end. Highlights include their reworks for Daft Punk, Chic, Roni Size Reprazent, Karen Ramirez, Ultra Nate, Jerald Daemyon, Tony Touch, Mel B. and many more... Real House, Latin Style, Jazz and other delights. The amazing track "Dancing in Outer space - Atmosfear" it's a great remix and the beautiful "Runaway - Nuyorican Soul feat. India" and "MAW Expensive - Masters At Work" is incredible the most excellent track. This collection (Part One & Part Two) contains the essential house music that makes you relax and dance. Masters At Work are "SOLID GOLD".

   The Masters also deserve to be compared with Larry Levan, the most influential dance music practitioner of the eighties. Vega's four-and-a-half year residency at the Sound Factory Bar provided the dance music underground with a crucial lifeline given that the Shelter was about to close and Body & Soul had yet to open. And in terms of remixing and production, MAW's efforts in the nineties have surpassed those of Levan in the eighties. Like Levan, they have survived the cutthroat climate of the studio for a long ten years. Like Levan, they have moved from the world of remixing to the universe of production. And like Levan, they have revolutionized the way people listen to music, introducing a series of sounds that have become so entrenched in the dance psyche that it's hard to remember that night-world didn't always sound like this.

   Most importantly, 'Little Louie 'Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez have maintained an elaborate and unswerving eclecticism at the heart of their work. As with Levan, this hybridity has nothing in common with the superficial skimming of multicultural tourists, whose level of engagement begins and ends with the casual flick of a download button. No, MAW's diversity is grounded in a set of serious musical roots, and it has evolved in conjunction with the kaleidoscopic populations of New York's night network. The Loft, The Gallery, The Paradise Garage, The Shelter, The Sound Factory Bar, Body & Soul and Dance Ritual lie at the heart of this practice, and, more than any other remixing and production team, Masters at Work have provided this creative cultural community with a relentlessly varied soundtrack. Kenny and Louie have demonstrated that we can still dance together, even if today's increasingly factional market demands otherwise, and the wonderful music on this compilation embodies that vision. The first ten years have been `extra`MAW'dinary', and we look forward to the next ten with huge anticipation.

5 comments about Freestyle Explosion, Vol. 1-5.

1. This is the best collection of 80's Freestyle CD's! I like almost ALL the songs on these CDs and I'm pretty picky..



2. THIS IS AWESOME SET, I REMEMBER IN THE 80'S WHEN I USED TO GO TO THE BEST CLUB IN SOUTH BEACH IN MIAMI , ( CLUB 1235 ) OR IN BROWARD ( CLUB METRO ). I USED TO TAPE THOSE SONGS (EVEN SOME OF THEM DIDN'T KNOW THE SINGER . BUT NOW I DO. ALSO I WENT TO SEE THE FREESTYLE EXPLOSION CONCERT WHERE " EXPOSE, LISA LISA, COMPANY B, INFORMATION SOCIETY, AFRIKA BAMBAATA , CONNIE , DEBBIE DEBB , FREESTYLE , LIME (GREAT GROUP) , AND MANY OTHERS, AT AA ARENA, THAT WAS AWWWWEEEESSOOOMMEEEE. I HOPE I CAN SEE THEM AGAIN. THIS IS A GREAT HIT . THANK YOU FREESTYLE.



3. I confess. I am totally nostalgic. So even though I was a metalhead at the peak of Freestyle's hayday, I got into listening to it a few years after it was popular. Seeing that a LOT of the clubs and radio stations here in NY are playing it a lot I guess I have nothing to be ashamed of.
   I bought this set FREESTYLE EXPLOSION (Volumes 1-5) for my husband's birthday. And who do you think plays it? Me!
   This is a good "starter kit" featuring such freestyle artists like STEVIE B., CYNTHIA, THE COVER GIRLS, GEORGE LAMOND, NOEL, EXPOSE and CORO. There are a few things that stopped me from giving this set the perfect score of "5", instead of a "4".
   1. Where is TKA? They were my favorite fresstyle act. Here, they are represented by ONE track: One Way Love! Where are Tears May Fall, Scars Of Love, Louder Than Love etc.?
   2. They repeat tracks! I am a stickler for detail and work very hard on my personal mixes and repeating songs is a big no-no for me. Well, they play the song Let the Music Play by SHANNON and the song Facsinated by COMPANY B twice! It makes me mad cuz that is space they could have used for TKA tracks!
   3. There are some acts on here that I'm not sure I would consider freestyle. NU SHOOZ was an 80s synthesizer group that had the hits I Can't Wait and Point Of No Return. I like NU SHOOZ but do I think they belong in the ranks with freestyle acts like NOCERA and NAYOBE? No. they would be more at home on a TOTALLY 80s compilation. Same can be said of PRETTY POSION and TAYLOR DANE.
   But I am nit-picking. All in all the FREESTYLE EXPLOSION box set is a good party starter. There are also a FREESTYLE EXPLOSION Volume 6 and FREESTYLE EXPLOSION 7 for sale seperatley. May I also suggest the Tommy Boy collection FREESTYLE GREATEST BEATS Volumes 1 - 10 and TKA's GREATEST HITS. Now all ya need is a keg of beer and your party is complete!



4. They forgot Erotic Exotic ... nuff said!



5. I was just in Jr. High when I listened to these awesome hits! Awww..i remember going cruzin with my eighteen year old cousin and her dates. I was all into aqua net and eye liner and shinny shoes!! I can't belive I found these songs.Perfect. I thought i was supposed to look under "Old school". They are perfectly put together. I can't imagine a better compilation. It does bring back memories. Love this album. I highly reccomend.

5 comments about High School Musical Hits Collection.

1. Se lo compre a mi hija y se la pasa escuchándolo, le encanta, además tiene la ventaja de traer todos los discos de una vez, como regalo a mi me funciono muy bien!!!



2. My niece is a Highschool Musical fan and was thrilled to get this for Christmas. I was happy that it got to me quickly and that the price was right.



3. the kids are so crazy about this, and it has the music they can't get enough of with karaoke



4. I purchased this for my 10 year old daughter for her birthday and she loves it.



5. THE KIDS LOVE IT, I LOVE IT. THIS IS A GREAT SET AND DEFINATLEY WORTH THE PRICE.

5 comments about Stronghold - The Collector's Hit Box.

1. There isn't much more to say that hasn't already been said. This is a great box set of hard to find tracks by one great singer!



2. This is a great compilation album. Jennifer has a wide repertoire and this album contains the highlights. I found it difficult to find her albums here in the U.S., but this one was a good find. Excellent singing, and well worth the money.



3. What A Deal!!!!!!!!! All This Great Music By A Fantastic Singer!!! There Are So Many Rare & Extended Songs Here It Is A Treasure Trove!! Buy It & ENJOY IT!!!!!!!



4. I am always amazed how people love Jennifer when I introduce them to her music. I fell in love with THAT VOICE when she released "The Power of Love" which, unfortunately, has become a signature song for Celine Dion. This set gives fans many songs that were unavailable till now. Extended versions are great. And the previously unreleased material is really a treat. This is a great introduction to Jennifer for new fans, and a must have for collectors.



5. I'll try to write my review in the best English I can: I totally agree with the previous reviewers, in my opinion it is one of the best compilations I have ever bought, a true GIFT if you like good pop music. It includes a lot of alternative versions, most of them extended, very well made with very good production, which is a reflection of her ability to work with incredible songwriters and producers and of course her great talent and lovely voice.
   Also I think that the price of this 3 cd set is very reasonable.
   If you like Stronghold, I think that a good complement for it is Jennifer's album called simply 'Jennifer Rush'Jennifer Rush, it includes some interesting lovely songs.
   A good review uses to have positive and negative points, I'm sorry because this is probably going to be a bad review, in spite of that I hope it's been useful to you all.

2 comments about Trojan Box Set: Ganja Reggae.

1. This is a great compilation. Disc 1 is early reggae (1970-1974), mostly instrumentals, pretty rare tracks too. Stand out tracks are 'Kaya' by Bob Marley (produced by Lee Perry) and 'Half Ounce' by Big Youth, which is a dub of the rockfort rock rhythm.
   Disc 2 is 1975-1978, the roots era, Horace Andy's take on Cornell Campbell's 'Gorgon' plus the dub, 'The Reggae Crusaders' doing a version of Flabba Holt's African Train riddim (very cool) plus the dub, 'Bushweed Corn Trash' plus dub, three versions of the Rupie Edwards 'Irie Feelings' rhythm, 4 versions of Linval Thompson's 'I Like To Smoke Marihuana' and more solid roots efforts by Johnny Clarke, Joe White, Tappa Zukie & Cornell Campbell. 'Ashanti Ganja Dub' is an extended dub work out of that old soul song 'Stand By Me'.
   Disc 3: 1977-1985, beginning to sound more like dancehall, with mostly The Revolutionaries and the Roots Radics playing as backing band. A lot of cool dub tunes here, Horace Andy's 'Collie Weed' is on the 'I Need A Roof' rhythm, 'Herb' by the Revolutionaries is the 'Scorcher' rhythm, 'Collie Weed' by Barrington Levy = 'My Conversation'; 'Scientist Ganja Dub'= African Beat, 'Cannabis Dub' = heavenless (very hypnotic), 'Sensi For Sale' by the Tufftones is a somewhat dated but still enjoyable take on the 'Sleng Teng' and the only digital tune on this great compilation.



2. this cd is good for background music. the beats are simple and soothing. some of the songs have some singing over it. everyone song is about smoking. it's just a good laid back cd, a good cd to listen when your hanging out. i actually enjoy it.

5 comments about Balance 012.

1. Junk,crap,garbage,so disappointing.Disc one is slow and very boring.Disc 2 picks it up a bit but there are no stand out tracks that anyone will be listening to.Disc 3 sounds like the most annoying music in the World EP.Not even narcotics make this set enjoyable.I love house,Lee is great,but if you want to give poeple migraines buy this set for them.Save your money for Balance 013,which makes up for the crappiest mix of all time,by Lee Burridge.



2. I'm not a huge Lee Burridge fan. This is the first CD of his that I purchased based on the good reviews both here and in BPM magazine.
   
   Frankly, I don't get it.
   
   I should start off by saying that while the minimalist sound is not my absolute favorite, it's definitely high on my list. That said, I have amateur friends who spin minimalist sets that are more interesting than this set is. This set is flat and repetitive, the track selection isn't that great, and the "buildups" are either nonexistent (maybe I'm missing something) or uninspiring. This collection of CD's does not move me. This collection lacks soul.
   
   I think the main problem is the track selection. Most of the tracks are literally the same sounds repeating over and over. Where more emotive tracks will have a variance in the vocal tones as the song progresses and builds (even in the minimalist genre), the tracks here are flat and repetitive and go nowhere. It comes off as just a bunch of noise. There are a few tracks that initially sound like they may be going somewhere, then flatten out with the same predictable, unsurprising repetition.
   
   When played in the background, a good set will carry or inspire conversation rather than overriding, interrupting, or subverting it. Likewise, a good set played while driving will seamlessly integrate into the hypnotic rythms that accompany car travel rather than contributing to agitation and discomfort. This set passes neither of these tests.
   
   So why the 2 star rating (rather than one star)? I gave this set two stars because there were 3 CD's included, which I think is a *great* idea. It is difficult to get a point across by rushing through a set on one 70 minute CD, and 70 minute sets usually leave the listener with feelings of a premature peak and abrupt closure. I'd like to see this extended to other brands, such as the Transitions series.
   
   About me: At the time of this writing I'm 33. I've been clubbing & listening to electronic music since I was 18.



3. I bought this together with Steve Lawlers Viva London. I've listen to both 2 or 3 times before this review. For minimalistic music that needs to be played to a strobe light - this is it! This is 3 discs of absolutely cool tunes. Lawler pales in comparison. Both are deep and dark but this has by far the better song collection. I'm not too fussed with the mixing - I'd rather have the good song selection. I would have though that Global Underground would have gone this route. (Long live GU Athens, London, Moscow, Toronto, Hong Kong).



4. Unlike Balance 010, where Jimmy Van M used a build up of BPM's across his three discs, and unlike Balance 007, where Chris Fortier tried a little something different for each of his three, Lee Burridge unleashes three scorching, high energy techno mixes in the 3rd ever three disc release in the Balance mix series. He really can't go wrong when he chooses so many of the best artists in tech house and minimal, such as Gabriel Ananda, Tomas Andersson, Ben Klock, Martin Buttrich, and Onur Ozer. While none really stray from the melodic techno that's so strongly gripping the electronic dance scene, they each offer track after track of exciting and upbeat sounds. If you're into minimal and tech house, you've come to the right place, as this is one of the biggest values I've ever seen in terms of dollar for dollar and how many beats and tracks you end up getting.
   
   Stellar mixing and track selection by Burridge and a 3 disc mix where every disc is worth repetitive plays. That's hard enough to do with a 2 disc mix, never mind 3, so this is easily one of my best releases of the year.



5. disc 1 - awesome.
   disc 2 - Lee stated in an interview somewhere that he had trouble fitting this disc together but its probably my favourite cause it is so damn eclectic and the shapes just keep shifting... classic Burridge.
   disc 3 - with the exception of Trommelstunde, a track which I find long and tedious, its a damn fine disc.
   
   rocking.

5 comments about Greatest Hits of the 80's.

1. There are some very obscure and unfamiliar songs included on these 8 cds. Not sure where they were "hits" because I never heard them before. Maybe they were top 40 in places like the middle east or europe in the 80s - I don't know. I didn't like most of them. I think after reviewing all the disks I liked perhaps 15 songs in the entire collection. There is nothing wrong with the disks or the music. The Quality is good. Just be sure that you review the song list before purchasing.



2. I only reconized 12 of the songs on these cd's. most of them were wimpy dippy songs I hated. Where are the real hits? there were numerous hits by The Police, Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, Duran Duran and others which would hve been far better that the junk on this set. What a disappointment!



3. Being a BIG fan of 1980s era music, finding this 8 CD box set was really a treasure. Sure, I have a lot of the songs available on the discs in my huge 80s MP3 song collection (16 discs worth so far and still growing), but there are so many others included that I would never have known about or heard since they only aired in the UK. Of course, there are a few other excellent European music artists that do not show up in the set. People like Shakin' Stevens, Don McLean, English Beat and Madness; but they can be mostly found in other collected sets (with the exception of Shakin' Stevens, which is a shame, because his rock n' roll music is excellent). My only complaint about this box collection is the lack of information in concerns to the album each song was taken from and the confusion I have about the two numbers after each title (for example: Adrian Gurvitz: Classic 3,39). Does this mean track 3, Billboard rating 39? I don't know. Other than this minor issue, I highly recommend this CD set for any fan of the 80s music era. You won't be disappointed at the selection and quality.



4. This box set has something for everyone, especially if you want an idea of what was popular in Europe during the Eighties, i.e. names like Sandra, Kajagoogoo, Mel & Kim, Duran Duran, Ultravox... Many, many big hits and a bunch of unknown gems for those who want to explore.



5. In a few words, I can explain why I think this collection fails as a "greatest hits of the 80's" album. There is an absence of: Eurythmics, George Michael, Corey Hart, Wham, and just take a look at the track list, because mine goes on. I guess for the bargain price, expectations can't be set that high. You get what you pay for.

1 comments about Buddha Beats.

1. Not as strong as the rest
   has on some great songs
   but more lazy but u need to get it
   to have the songs missed on the other cds
   
   Stll u will be satisfied
   and the price is great

5 comments about Moulin Rouge Collector's Edition.

1. Amazing, great music in this collection, but save yourself money and just buy the two Moulin Rouce soundtracks separately - it will be way less money than this, and you'll get all of the songs except one - "Lady Marmalade (Thunderpuss Radio Mix)." Trust me, that song is not the best one on this CD.
   
   If you're wondering what the actual music sounds like - check out my reviews for Moulin Rouge Soundtrack and Moulin Rouge 2 Soundtrack...I explain it all they're.
   
   If you want my opinion on the music in two words (or in one word, repeated once)...here ya go: Spectacular, spectacular!



2. Moulin Rouge already is a very very very good film, and so do the music in it! Moulin Rouge Collector's Edition include all songs in the movie! Including the killer track, Lady Marmalade and Come What May. This album is totally fabulous!



3. I'm very open to new types of music and films. When I first saw Moulin Rouge, it had wonderful music. It wasn't what I expected and I was blown away. Buuuuut this cd that I purchased didn't contain all the music that I had hoped for. The first cd had a majority of the good songs but the second one had the minority. Total waste of money. Still, I liked some of the music but I felt cheated when they didn't include some of the others. I wouldn't say that I'm not fully disappointed but I am. Guess I should of stuck with Andrew Lloyd Webber. U_U



4. This is one of the best musicals ever it has all of the elements you need and then some. The movie is wonderful and if you buy the soundtrack you don't even need the movie the music tells the entire story that is how strong the music is once you begin listening to it you just get entwined in the story and you may not even be watching charactors just listening to wonderful singing, along with wonderful lyrics, added to a wonderful harmony. That is the combination that makes a truly great musical that is worth awards such as Best Score. I recommend this to anyone who loves the idea of romance in the late 1800's in France. It is that good. I hope this review was helpful to you!!!



5. If you are hoping that the whole score and all the musical numbers are found in the collector's edition, you will be disappointed. First, the tracks are not ordered in the manner as they occurred in the film. Song bits from the "Sound of Music" and from the Green Fairy are missing. You don't get the film version (which sounds way better!) of "Your Song" or "Children of the Revolution" on either disc. "El Tango de Roxanne" would've been better if the intro dialogue was included. I personally would've liked the soundtrack collection to include some of the notable lines/quotes from the movie as supplemental tracks. The collection is good, but you aren't getting everything that you hope to. My solution to this problem, buy the dvd, capture the songs to your computer, and create your own soundtrack! I created my own "soundtrack" (for my own use) and it's better than the collector's edition could ever be!

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