Natacha Atlas - The Best Of Natacha Atlas

Label:

Mantra Recordings

Catalog#:

MNTCD1036

Format:

CD, Compilation, Album

Country:

Released:

23 May 2005

Genre:

Electronic

Style:

Dub, Downtempo, Tribal

Tracklist

1	Leysh Nat'Arak (New Version)	5:07	X
2	Mon Amie La Rose	4:27	X
	Written-By - Cécile Caulier , Jacques Lacombe
3	Eye Of The Duck	5:58	X
	Acoustic Guitar, Producer, Programmed By, Written-By - Mike Nielsen Keyboards [Gem] - Gamal Awad Vocals - Princess Julianna* , Tuup* Written-By - Godfrey Duncan , Julie Higgins
4	Ezzay	5:14	X
	Arranged By [Strings] - Essam Rashad , Larry Whelan , Tim Whelan
5	Fakrenha	5:06	X
	Effects [Ghosts] - Hamid Mantu* Effects [Spirits] - Mika Sabet Percussion - Khaled Rico Saxophone - Lazarus Whelan* Zither [Qanun] - Itouch
6	Mistaneek (2005 Edit)	3:56	X
	Arranged By [Strings] - Ihab Mahboub Backing Vocals - Ali Slimani* Mizmar - Mohamed Beher Percussion - Ahmed Bedar
7	Leysh Nat'Arak (TJ Rehmi Remix)	3:41	X
	Remix - TJ Rehmi
8	You Only Live Twice	4:08	X
	Arranged By [Strings], Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Producer, Programmed By - David Arnold Conductor - Nicholas Arnold Viola - Bruce White , Don McVay* , Elizabeth Watson , Ivo Van Der Werff , Rachel Bolt Viola [First] - Peter Lale Violin - Antonia Fuchs , Ben Cruft , Julian Leaper , Keith Pascoe , Matthew Scrivener , Mike McMenemy* , Mike De Saulles , Pauline Lowbury , Peter Oxer , Quentin Crida , Rachel Allen , Vaughan Armon* , Wilf Gibson Violin [Leader Of 2nds] - Roger Garland Violin [Leader] - John Bradbury (2) Written-By - John Barry , Leslie Bricusse
9	Yalla Chant (2005 Edit)	3:05	X
10	Fun Does Not Exist (New Mix)	5:53	X
	Producer [Original] - Attia Ahlan , Count Dubulah , Hamid Mantu* , Natacha Atlas
11	I Put A Spell On You	3:42	X
	Backing Vocals - Mohandiseen Male Voice Choir, The Cello - Mohamed Kly Flute [Magruna] - Yehia Abdallah Percussion - Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla Programmed By - Hamid Mantu* Scratches - DJ Awe Written-By - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
12	(It's A Man's Man's) Man's World	3:37	X
	Percussion, Other [All Instruments], Producer, Programmed By - Temple Of Sound Written-By - Betty Newcombe* , James Brown
13	Amulet (2005 Edit)	2:40	X
	Programmed By - Alex Kasiek , Count Dubulah Saxophone [Tenor] - Lazarus Whelan*
14	Kidda	5:00	X
	Accordion - Carol Isaacs Drums, Bass, Keyboards, Producer, Written-By - John Reynolds Goblet Drum [Dharabuka], Tambourine [Riqq], Ney - Tim Garsaayid* Guitar, Written-By - Justin Adams Keyboards - Lazarus Whelan* Violin - Nawazish Khan*
15	Leysh Nat'Arak (2005 Dub Mix)	5:11
16	Le Printemps	4:18	X
	Producer, Programmed By, Strings, Written-By - Paul Castle
Hidden Track	Moustahil (Live)	4:56

Credits

Bass - Count Dubulah (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15)
Cello - Aymen El Hambouli (tracks: 4, 6) , Emad Taha (tracks: 5, 11) , Mohamed Abdel Gawad (tracks: 4, 6) , Taha Taha* (tracks: 5, 11)
Drums - Hamid Mantu* (tracks: 2, 6, 13)
Engineer - Paul Castle (tracks: 1, 10, 15)
Goblet Drum [Dharabuka] - Neil Sparkes (tracks: 1, 7, 15)
Keyboards - Alex Kasiek (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15) , Tim Whelan (tracks: 2, 4, 6)
Mixed By - Natacha Atlas (tracks: 1, 10, 15) , Paul Castle (tracks: 1, 10, 15)
Oud - Essam Rashad (tracks: 1, 7, 15) , Keith Clouston (tracks: 2, 4)
Percussion - Tim Garsaiddi* (tracks: 2, 4) , Hamid Mantu* (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 10, 15)
Piano, Programmed By - Tim Whelan (tracks: 5, 11)
Producer - Attia Ahlan (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 13, 15) , Count Dubulah (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 13, 15) , Hamid Mantu* (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 7, 9, 11, 13, 15) , Natacha Atlas (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 13, 15) , Tim Whelan (tracks: 2, 4 to 6, 11)
Programmed By [Reprogrammed] - Transglobal Underground (tracks: 1, 15)
Saxophone [Midi] - Lazarus Whelan* (tracks: 1, 7, 15)
Strings - Simon Walker (3) (tracks: 1, 7, 15)
Tabla - Ashiqali Hussein (tracks: 1, 7, 15)
Viola - Mahmoud Osman (tracks: 5, 11)
Violin - Ahmed El Assabgi (tracks: 4, 6) , Fouad Rohayem (tracks: 4, 6) , Hani Farahat (tracks: 5, 11) , Mahmoud Osman (tracks: 4, 6) , Medhat Abdel Samie (tracks: 5, 11) , Mohamed Samak (tracks: 4, 6) , Samir Rashad (tracks: 4, 6) , Tamer Ghoneim (tracks: 5, 11) , Yehia El Mougi (tracks: 4, 6)
Vocals - Natacha Atlas , Sawt El Atlas (tracks: 6, 13)
Vocals, Oud - Walid Rouissi (tracks: 9 to 10)
Written-By - Attia Ahlan (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15) , Count Dubulah (tracks: 1, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15) , Hamid Mantu* (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15) , Natacha Atlas (tracks: 1, 3 to 7, 9-10, 13-15) , Tim Whelan (tracks: 4, 6)
Zither [Qanun] - Abdullah Chhadeh (tracks: 6, 16)

Notes

Tracks are taken from:
1 (re-recorded), 10 (re-recorded), 15 (re-recorded) and 9 (edit): "Diaspora" (re-recorded at Phreaq Studios)
2, 4, 6 (edit): "Gedida"
3, 12 (edit), 16: "Something Dangerous"
5, 11: "Ayeshteni"
7: re-recorded at Mood'n'Bass laboratory, mixed at Frantic Studious, previously unreleased mix
8: "One Brief Moment"
13 (edit), 14, 17/Hidden track (recorded live in France): "Halim"

There is wrong credit info for track 11 on the sleeve:
"Emad Taha, Taha Taha: cellos
Mohamed Kly: Nahrazan"
Correct credit is:
"Emad Taha, Taha Taha Nahrazan, Mohamed Kly: cellos"

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Reviews & Discussion

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Rated 4/5

Review by Said_Head Nov 07, 2009

To call this a 'best of' is rather some sort of sacrilege to the ambition of such a compilation. It is in my opinion a great overview of her back catalogue, however, spanning from her earliest album to her latest.

Honestly, most of the tracks presented are either edited, remixed, etc. This seems to be a big turn-off for some fans (especially those thinking this could be a promising introduction to her music), but the truth is, I wouldn't own this CD if the items were merely the same material as presented on the albums.

There is some quality new music, my personal favorite being the new version of her great song Leysh Nat'Arak; while the editing may seem a bit harsh, take in the fact that this album has 16 tracks (making the edits rather necessary), which is pretty good compared to any hits compilation (though some of her actual hits are missing from this collection).

Some complaints I do have would be of course the above mention of some missing songs that deserve a spot in this collection, along with the excessive helping of new Leysh Nat'Arak tracks (one is certainly enough for me). I also feel I Put A Spell On You was thrown on here more to appeal to a broader crowd (it's one of her weakest tracks in my opinion, and very regressive to her sound).

Still, for the accomplished fan looking for some new material, or wanting to read some great and expansive liner notes, this is a great item to pick up.