Customer Reviews

Back to Mine

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

From reading some of these reviews, it appears some people are confused about this release.. perhaps if the contibuting artists' names were placed alongside the tracks (like other compilations) there would not be this confusion...

This is the 6th release in a series called Back To Mine, in which artists and djs are approached and asked to compile a collection of after-hours/back from the clubs tracks... how this differs from other "chill-out" collections is that the artists selected dig deep into their record and cd collections, pulling out rare gems and fave tracks, as opposed to what's hot at the moment.

That said, this newest release of Back To Mine is one of the strongest... I thoroughly enjoyed the track selection and sequencing. Highlights include Deadly Avenger's "The Bayou", Dubtribe's deep house "Do It Now" and Donny Hathaway's beautiful closer "Someday We'll All Be Free". I would give this release 5 stars, but I find the Mary Margaret O'Hara track thoroughly annoying, and wonder why it was included.

The Back To Mine series is well worth checking out. Other standouts in the series being Global Underground DJs Dave Seaman & Nick Warren, as well as Groove Armada. Morcheeba has been picked do compile the next one, due later this summer.

Oh - for more upbeat vibes, check out EBTG's Ben Watt spinning deep house grooves on the amazing Lazy Dog compilation.

Similar to the other North American Back To Mine releases by Danny Tenaglia, Groove Armada and Faithless, EBTG's take on downtempo is a broad umbrella covering soulful house, funk, trip-hop, disco and R&B. It makes for an enjoyable home listen, and that's the point. What sets this mix apart from the others is the inclusion of a couple tracks by Detroit techno innovators Model 500 (Juan Atkins) and Carl Craig. In my opinion, the mix strays a bit near the end with The Roots - "Silent Treatment," a somewhat more raucous rap selection that doesn't quite feel right straddling the already-established mood. Also, I don't really care for the 70's style crooning of Donny Hathaway at the end of the CD, but I'm sure someone else's review will praise this, so as always, it all comes down to personal taste. Considering my own personal taste, this is a solid 4-star effort; this will definitely get plenty of listens alongside my other Back To Mines.

for all of you who are confused about why something would be called an ebtg cd but isn't - the back to mine series is all about songs that well known bands would pick if you went over to their place. the interest behind it is discovering and listening to a band's influences, what catches their ear, etc. none of the back to mine cds are songs by that actual band.

now i know that i haven't broken down the track listing and talked about what i like/don't like, but i felt that i had to explain the purpose of these cds. ebtg are just the latest band in the whole series. check out other great ones by bands like faithless and groove armada.

One of life's greatest pleasures is the giving and receiving of mix tapes. Toward this end, the genius concept of the Back to Mine series was born; enlist a group of stellar dj's and ambient groups to compile their version of the perfect post-club chillout mix tape, then release the results on the unsuspecting populace. The fourth installment of this project is entrusted to the always brilliant Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl, and they do not disappoint. From the fan-to-fan accessibility of the liner notes, discussing their difficulty in narrowing their selections to fit a single cd, and dismay over being unable to obtain the rights to other favorites, to the careful sequencing and mixing of the tracks, this is a labor of love that excels at every level. Back to Mine flows seamlessly from jazzy trip-hop to soul and hip-hop to house with such ease that Watt manages to segue from Slick Rick to the gorgeous Beth Orton track "Stars all seem to weep" within moments. The perfect accompaniment for afterhours introspection, Back to Mine perfectly recreates the atmosphere of the languid last hours before the dawning of a new day. This is the mix tape you wished you could give, or receive from your best friend.

Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt of Everything But the Girl take their turn in the "Back To Mine" series and give us a collection of music that feels extremely personal and revealing. There is a wonderful, seamless shifting in mood as the collection progresses through the excellently mixed tracks by Ben Watt. From DJ Cam's wonderful marriage of jazz and hip-hop in 'Friends & Enemies' to start things off all the way through to the incomparable Donny Hathaway's inspiring, uplifting 'Someday We'll All Be Free' at the finish, it's easy to sense, as the liner notes confirm, just how much this music has meant to Tracy and Ben in the course of their lives. And that's what makes this "Back To Mine" installment such a great success. They don't just talk about it, they convey it, not simply with a great mix of sublime and exceptional tunes, but with open hearts, giving the listener a significant piece of themselves in the process. There's a wonderful, stilling effect the grooves assembled here have on me. Things in my life come into sharp focus then just as quickly fall away and blur as I listen. I feel reflective, moving years into the future or step into my past bathed in the music's ambience. Every track is a stunner, the highlights, aside from the aforementioned, being Slick Rick's 'All Alone', The Ananda Project's 'Cascades of Colour', Dubtribe Sound System's 'Do It Now', Carl Craig's 'A Wonderful Life' and The Roots 'Silent Treatment'. Kudos to Tracy and Ben and to the folks at Ultra Records for the "Back To Mine" series. Long may you run.

I own all of them, and I must say, this is still the very BEST in the series. Recent efforts by Orbital and New Order have been disappointing and just don't even compare. EBTG, Faithless, Nick Warren, and Talvin Singh stick to the original "chill" premise.

"Turn the lights down, pour yourself a drink, and kick back.." Wasn't that what the Back to Mine series was suppose to be all about?

I have listened to this hundreds of times and will still play it again. This compilation made me a faithful buyer of Back to Mine series (although some of the series collection is poor!) Ben Watt creates best vibes for a pre or after party.

Best CD I heard in 2002. Laid back but not overly so. I'm not quite sure how anyone can actually sleep to this CD as the insomniac reviewer stated unlees their use to listening to music at a 180 beats per minute. O'Hara's song brilliantly brings down the pace for a few moments until accelerating back to the CD's mostly mid-tempo vibe w/ Roots's Silent Treatment. Perfect for ecletic fans of jazz, hip hop, and house.

I have heard many of the Back to Mine mixes and this is one of the better ones. Some are just too mellow, and some aren't mellow enough. This one achieves the perfect balance.

Faithless to me still has the best Back to Mine mix I've heard. To me that is the standard of the series.

The Back to Mine series is designed to allows artists to create a mix that mirrors what they would play at home after a night out. Artists like Danny Tenaglia, Pet Shop Boys, and Groove Armada have all contributed mixes which vary widely in style, source music, and vibe. Everything But The Girl were tapped to bring their unique personal style to this series.

Everything But The Girl's BTM mix is laid back, creatively structured album that churns along at midtempo with a solid beat throughout. It makes for solid background music, but does little to stand out on its own. It literally is an "in the mood" kind of album, hence the 3 star rating. Some of the more interesting tracks inlude Deadly Avenger's The Bayou, Beth Orton's Stars Seem to Weep, and the back to back funk of Ananda Project's Cascades of Colour and Dubtribe Sound Systems' Do It Now.

This is a solid addition to fans of BTM, or for fans of EBTG that want to gain some insight into the type of music they enjoy. If you have never listened to BTM, you may want to borrow someone's first before buying. To me though, this album is a nice addition to my personal BTM fave, Groove Armada.