Various - Viva Haçienda - Fifteen Years Of Haçienda Nights

BRILLIANT RELEASE, the second mix (87-91) is fantastic, reminds you of how funky acid house can be. shame about the club closing not long after the compilations release

The UK's most important and influential club - make no doubt about that. It was alawys a leader of fashions and never a follower. The Hacienda was playing House music long before London clubs had picked up on it (yet this never get's documented in the London centric media whenever there is a history or documentary of Dance music in the UK). So many artists, DJs & promotors were influenced by this legendary club, from the Chemical Brothers and Sasha to Laurent Garnier and the founders of Cream in Liverpool. When this club rocked there was nowhere else like it in the world.

This stunning compilation brings together a very important period in UK Dance music history. The first disc (82-86) brings together early Hip Hop, electro, proto House and early Chicago House - all certified classics played at the Hac! The second disc (87-90) is from the Hacienda's heyday when it became a world famous iconic discoteque and covers the legendary Acid House period. It must have been so difficult for Jon Da Silva to compile this disc as there are just so many classics that he could not fit on. For instance there is no 808 State or A Guy Called Gerald - both legendary and pioneering electronic artists broken at the Hac. Nevertheless he compiles an incredible mix that just takes in some of the finest House music known to mankind, absolutely stunning. The third disc (91-97) covers the period right up until the club finally and sadly closed it's doors. Again the emphasis is on quality House music of the very highest order with many fanatstic artists/producers/remixers covered such as Morales (in his Red Zone guise), DJ Pierre, Murk & Carl Craig. My only gripe about this disc is that not enough attention has been paid to the early/mid nineties when the club hosted many fantastic nights and produced numerous anthems. But this is only a minor gripe as it's still a fanatstic mix.

Overall this compilation gives a brilliant snapshot into one of the world's greatest clubs and one that has gone down in clubbing folk law. Included is a superb and very informative booklet giving a brilliant account of the club's wild history. All I can say is LONG LIVE the memory of the Hacienda - people will still talk about this club misty eyed long into the future. RESPECT & R.I.P.