Reyn Ouwehand - Green Beret (live at The Church)
Actually, it was Slaygon that dragged me into doing this remix in the first place. He visited The Church when he did his European roundtrip. While he was in the Netherlands we thought it would be nice if we did a late night Sunday Service impromptu….
He asked me to do a rendition of Green Beret, but I said I wasn't too sure since I didn't knew the song that well. But after some pushing and hessitation I took the challange and the basis of this remix and improvisation was born.
For fun I later recorded another 10-minute live-version with some camera's which you can still see at YouTube if you want:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8UBY8Yj9c0
After quiet some request for an 'audio'-version I made some cuts here and there and tried to mix this 6-minute version as good as I could get it. And here is the result.
I hope you'll enjoy it!
Cheers,
Reyn.
_________________
http://www.reyn.net/
http://www.sundayservice.reyn.net/
1 Most Innovative Remix (c64 or Amiga)
1 Best c64 Remix
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Reyn has used a very appropriate set of instruments for this remix, but I'm afraid to say that his decision to perform it in a 'live' setting has led to degradation of what I can hear the guitar do - I often have to apply dynamic audio enchancement to fully immerse myself. A nice ending is achieved by the slow and subtle fading down of every instrument to that final few notes done by one unit.
Does it capture the environment the SID does? No - Galway has this music sounding like a dawn chorus; Reyn has made it over the top and turned it to a different meaning. However, has Reyn applied his own style and succeeded as a result of it? Definitely!
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It is quite difficult to review it, because there is not a lot of examples to compare. It is unique. Don't ask me exactly why, but it is to start to hear it, and anybody realizes that it is out of the common.
The best, and only a miracle could make it better.
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The instruments are great, the song could be a ballade from Metallica, the technical quality is awesome and the tune is unforgettable.
The sound gives a feeling about the tension before the battle of
green beret, more as the original tune could ever do.
One of my everlasting favourite C64 remix
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As I'm writing these words in 2016, I can't believe this remix is already 9 years old. Since its release I haven't stopped listening to it - it has a visceral staying power, it etches itself into your brain and it doesn't let go.
This tune is a perfect example of Reyn's astonishing talent for the layer-by-layer improvisational style that he brilliantly demonstrated during every single Sunday Service
broadcast on Slay Radio. It's melancholic, powerful, hopeful all at the same time.
I consider myself very lucky to have experienced the creative force of Reyn, the creative force of Martin Galway on the C64, and this remix of his tune in particular as interpreted by Reyn.
And don't forget to check out cosmiq's remix of this remix which transforms it into yet another amazing interpretation.