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Various - Hip Hop Forever III (Limited Edition) - 09-Nov-08 04:36 AM
Loads of strong, jazzy tracks here, mostly from hip-hop's golden age - Gang Starr, Black Sheep, Main Source, Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest. Some of the tracks aren't so strong, which is why this mix doesn't get top marks, but Jazzy intersperses them well with stronger tracks so the mix never gets too dull. Also, it's much stronger than JJ's previous mix (Hip-Hop Forever 2), both in terms of having stronger, catchier tracks and better, more innovative turntablism.

This is an essential mix for anyone into hip-hop or turntablism. Jazzy Jeff specialises in cutting back and forth between 2 copies of the same record, usually so as to extend and, in some cases completely transform the introduction of the track, and this always involves some truly fantastic scratching. Both the scratching and cutting breath new life into these tracks and sometimes it's so original that it seems Jazzy Jeff is doing a live remix of the track.

A few occasions this turntablism doesn't add so much musically and it feels like posturing for the sake of showing off, rather than for the sake of improving the music (eg on Award Tour by ATBQ), but usually the turntablism is amazing musically as well as technically. This is best exemplified on the penultimate track, 'Looking at The Front Door' by Main Source. Jazzy Jeff has taken arguably the best hip-hop track ever made and improved it by extending the intro with with unbelievable beat-juggling that transforms the intro beats into something fresh, then extending the opening chords with some fantastic scratching and repeating. This track has some of the best turntablism, musical intelligence and innovation I have ever heard, and for this reason alone is worth owning the album.

PS. The compilation also features a CD of unmixed tracks, some of which are quite hard to find now in CD format (eg the aforementioned Main Source track).

DJ LBR - French Connection Vol. 4 - 04-Mar-08 09:41 AM
Ignore the tracklisting, there are essentially 2 different tracks on this record and none are clean!

A1 and A2 are identical, both slick mash-ups of Missy Elliot's 'Get Your Freak On', 'One Minute Man', and Mary J Blige's - 'Family Affair'. Fatman Scoop can be heard throughout getting very excited about the prospect of 'real live bitches' throwing their hands up.

B1, B2, B3 & B4 are identical acapellas of a music history sermon given by Stik E of Stik E & The Hoods 'Shake What Ya Mama Gave Ya' fame, with the exception that B2 and B4 are accompanied by a gale force wind sound effect for added drama.

Nirvana - With The Lights Out - 05-Feb-08 09:19 AM
The solo acoustic track 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' is far better than the version you can find on the 'Unplugged in New York' cd / dvd - its really good. 'Verse Chorus Verse', 'D-7' and 'Sappy' are quality, 'original' tracks, ie not on other official releases and difficult to find elsewhere.

However, the remaining 57 cd tracks are either unheard skits or demo / live versions of stuff you can find in far better musical form on other official releases. So basically, 4 out of the 61 audio tracks here are 'original' or worth having in their own right!!

The DVD is much like the cds, early rare stuff of variable and often poor sound quality. For a much better live Nirvana video / DVD, get 'Live Tonight, Sold Out'; 'From the Muddy Banks of the Wiskaw' is a much better quality live cd aswell.

The booklet is an in-depth, good read and the packaging is pretty.

In summary, I would say this is for Nirvana obsessives only, who will listen to it a few times and then archive it away happy in the knowledge that they have heard everything the band ever did. However, try to get this for under a tenner, as there is way too much filler here to justify paying any more.

Sound 5 - Heavy Transit Epilogue - 11-Jan-08 08:40 AM
Whilst the A side can be easily found on CD and is a pretty ordinary, chilled-out dub version of the single (complete with Run DMC 'Peter-Piper'-style drums and bells), the B side can only be found on this vinyl release and is essential listening for all cut 'n' paste fans out there (it's up there with B Boys Revenge by Zeb.Roc.Ski & Steiber Twins).

This B side was cained by DJs like Andy Smith, Touche (Wiseguys) & Cut La Roc during the golden age of big beat, and, as it's actually untitled, erroneously appears on tracklistings as 'Heavy Tranist', even though it sounds nothing like the single of the same name (eg on the 'Showtime part 3' mix by Dynamo Productions, the 'B-Boy 2000' mix by Touche & the 1st Breezeblock mix by Cut La Roc). Not sure where ultrarare gets the title Spray + Tag from, but its pretty appropriate as there are lots of graffiti-related sound-effects and sound-bites. This record is as rare as hen's teeth and if you find it, it's a keeper.

Saint Etienne - The Trip Created By Saint Etienne - 09-Jul-07 02:11 PM
The strength of this compilation is the song selection, obscure, long-forgotten but mostly solid folk & soul gems from the 60s & 70s that are quite varied in style (from mid-paced to chill-out) but gel together really well. This is helped by the flawless ordering of the tracks, the hallmark of a great mixtape even though there is no DJ trickery or innovative mixing here aside from the odd quirky sample, with each song flowing into the next to maintain the dreamlike atmosphere. The mix works so well that you don't mind the odd 'boring' track coming in - this is a real journey.

Most of the stronger songs also feature on the unmixed triple vinyl. Stand out tracks for me - which I would never have heard otherwise - are the folk beauties "Auntie Aviator" by John and Beverley Martyn, and Julie Covington's "My Silks & Fine Arrays". Recommended to anyone interested in beautiful, non-commercial DJing from yesteryear.