It's a great tracklist, including one or two of my favourites (Steve Bicknell, Rob Hood, Grain) and this is what got my juices flowing when I picked the CD up. But the mixing really does let the whole thing down.
I've never been fortunate enough to see John Thomas live, but if he was to spin records in the same manner he does on this official release, then I would be less than happy and he would find himself in my 'mediocre' DJ list.
The whole mix lacks flow of any kind so that the listener often finds themself listening to a jumble of records hastily played in what appears to be an attempt to (ahem)show off skills on 3 decks.
Maybe I'm being overly critical in that the element of mixing is secondary to the music, but when the mixing affects the listening experience, then the DJ is certainly doing a dis-service to the primary element.

Ok, so the Space DJ'z are good and Umek is God, but no one can build a set like John Thomas. This mix truly reflects what a mixed compilation should be like, a gradual release of wicked beats, not some linear barrage of sound. In this mix, John Thomas uses some worn out tracks (Love Story), but also uses hidden gems from Claude Young, Robert Hood, Diskordia, and Steve Bicknell, delivering one nasty mix which you won't just listen to once. Nonetheless, my fave is still Claude Young DJ Kicks, see comment below.