Reviews by Mr P. |
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Trash Course Remix - arranged by CZ TunesReview by Mr P., 17/04/2011 -By and large, it's quite a solid remix, but lacking some creative touchesto really stick out. Oh yeah, I love the tune. But my liking stems basically from the original SID and not this remake. While being good enough to bring back some nostalgic feelings, it does little to enhance the original. The instruments could have been chosen better, especially the leads which sound fairly dull and feeble to me (I would even prefer those of the original). The drums are decent, however, and the beat pattern is slightly more varied, which is a good thing. The intro part is a great additon, too, and the outro rounds it all off nicely. You can also notice some added effects that give the tune a bit more depth. These are all on the positive side. The structure of the remix follows a traditional pattern without any surprise, but that's okay with me. Mixing is up to CZ standards, too. Quite strangely, the connective parts (bridges) somehow just sound better and more pronounced in the original. An even bigger problem is that the remix totally lacks any kind of climax! From 2:40, for example, you would expect things to rev up a little, but all you get is the repeat of the 1:20-1:50 passage… It's also disappointing to realize that the higher-pitched variation of the melody line (from 3:05 to 3:20 in the original SID) is totally left out, for who know why. Another possible solution to this flatness could have been the inclusion of lines from subtune 5 of the SID (0:47 to 1:30). That would have made a pretty nice and dynamic finish for sure. So, to sum up, it's a good remix but nothing special or brilliant. There is so much unfulfilled potential in this tune that I would love to see either CZ tunes or anyone else give it another try. For I believe this SID could be turned into a powerful hit by adding new instruments, tempo changes, melodic variations or other such ideas. But without them, unfortunately, it just goes along smoothly for that 3 and a half minutes, and although sounding quite fine, it never really kicks in. I can't help but feel that I've been left a bit unsatisfied, mainly because the remix doesn't show many signs of extra inspiration or vigour compared to the original. And that's exactly what Makke called too by the numbersin his shout. Anyway, I must thank CZ tunes for digging this one out, as it is the only remix of this great SID tune here. Yet, for the above mentioned reasons I can't give it any better than a Goodoverall rating. |
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AIDS Trouble - arranged by rambonesReview by Mr P., 03/04/2011 -Firstly, let me tell you that I regard it as a quality remix. Since I love the original SID, I was happy to find it here on RKO. The tempo is a 1:1 copy, and the instruments are chosen well to give the tune rich and polished sound, both resembling and enhancing the original. It's a pleasure to listen to right from the beginning. There are no mind-blowing new ideas, but it does the work pretty well, so why complain? The nostalgic feeling is right there with you throughout the tune, although some of the effects after 2:20 just don't suit the atmosphere and sound rather dissonant. Oh, and one thing I really miss from the remix is the powerful tempo change in the original SID (from 1:10 to 1:25) which is not re-created well enough here, although a new drumbeat pattern does come into play, adding some variety to the bassline. The ending is a bit hasty; it would have deserved a smoother fade-out or some kind of other finish. But even with these minor issues, it is an awesome piece of music and one of my personal favourites. Were it not for those out-of-place sound effects and the omission of that great 15-second up-tempo part of the original, I would surely have given this remix an 'outstanding' overall rating. It came close, nonetheless, and it's a real gem of the genre for sure. Well done! |
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