Pod (Bonus DVD)

Afro Celt Sound System | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Real World
• ASIN: B0001XAOWK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,961 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Rise Above (remix by Simon Emmerson, James McNally and Mass)

2. Johnny at Sea (mix by Martin Russell and Mass)

3. Persistence of Memory (remix by Rae and Christian)

4. Further in Time (remix by Mass)

5. Full Moon Low Tide (remix by DJ Toshio)

6. Release (remix by Rollo and Sister Bliss)

7. Release It (Masters At Work segue/DJ edit)

8. Whirly 3 (remix by Simon Emmerson, James McNally and Mass)

9. Riding the Skies (remix by Mass and Simon Emmerson)

10. Eireann (remix by Mass)

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Persistence of Memory (DVD music video)

2. When You're Falling (DVD music video)

3. Highlights from WOMAD USA 2001 (DVD)

4. North (5.1 surround sound and stereo mix music video - DVD)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Most remix collections are disappointing, as new snare beats and/or bass lines do not a revelation make. However, one might expect better from the Afro Celt Sound System, as their savagely exuberant, flawlessly produced African/Celtic/Eastern collisions in club-land have re-defined both world and dance music for all time. On Pod, the band has not only assembled a series of eminently collectible remixes but added fresh instrumentals to certain tracks, giving recent band members a workout while linking the band's various incarnations. Highlights include the ethereal "Johnny At Sea," which was previously available only as a byte on the band¹s website, and Toshiro Matsuura's "Fantasisita Re-Formation" remix of "Full Moon Low Tide," on which remote, forlorn-sounding bagpipes are enveloped in organically primal yet frigidly machine-like barrages of beats. The 2-disc package includes a DVD containing a pair of videos, plus strenuously edited highlights from the group's epochal 2001 performance at WOMAD USA. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Little Too Mixed Up, July 23, 2004

By 

B. Niedt (Cherry Hill, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pod (Bonus DVD) (Audio CD)

I am glad the Afro-Celt Sound System decided to revert to their original name after a brief stint (i.e. their last CD) as the Afro-Celts. I have been a big fan of theirs, and own all four previous releases. That is perhaps why I have mixed feelings (pun not intended) about this new CD, with "clubbed-up" versions of their original tunes. They have always been a band that, surprisingly and successfully, has melded Celtic and African song and instrumental traditions, with a techno update. And they know how to keep a groove going. Maybe it's because I appreciate their musicianship more than their dance-ability, but I don't quite understand the reason behind this disc, which sounds like a "greatest hits on Ecstasy". To me, the original tracks had plenty of movement and beat to them, and for the most part I still prefer the originals. This is not to say I dislike the disc; the source material itself makes it still a cut above the average remix compilation. But given the choice, almost without exception, I'd rather listen to the original versions. If you are just introducing yourself to this great band, I suggest that you start with any of their previous releases: Vols. 1 through 3, or "Seed", their fourth CD. (My personal favorite is Vol. 2.) The bonus DVD is interesting, particularly the concert montage video.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than you expect..., July 23, 2005

By 

nicjaytee (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pod (Bonus DVD) (Audio CD)

If you're put off by the idea of an album composed entirely of remixes of tracks that, in their own right, are more than good enough then think again... because this is really quite different. Conceived as an integrated whole, the Afro Celts take some of their best tracks and along with their guest producers come up with something that's closer to a superb live album than a series of "interesting" studio reworkings. Opening with a brilliantly ecstatic and very different version of "Rise Above" its trick is to sequence these harder, more club & afro beat dominated remixes pretty seamlessly into what becomes not only a genuinely exciting & cohesive record, but one that, if you know nothing about the Afro Celts, you'll be absolutely knocked out by.

The problem of course is that most people considering buying "POD" will already have many of its tracks and, as a result, comparisons become inevitable. But even on this pretty unfair basis it delivers some asbsolutely "must have" gems including, in addition to its quite stunning opener, versions of "Further in Time", "When You're Falling", "Persistence of Memory" & "Whirly 3", that are arguably better than the originals, two excellent "club" remixes of "Release", and the previously unavailable and ridiculously good "Johnny at Sea". Plus... you get a DVD which includes two ingenious and unforgettable music videos of "Persistence of Memory" & "When You're Falling", an excellent Dolby 5.1 remix of "North" with cleverly sequenced graphics, and a compilation of the group's WOMAD USA 2001 concert that really does capture how amazing they were when playing these tracks live.

Good enough then, from either perspective, to justify some of your hard-earned cash and much, much better than you may expect because it is, quite simply, this excellent group's best album to date. And that's saying something.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than a "remix" album, May 19, 2004

By 

Don Morgan (Colorado Springs) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pod (Bonus DVD) (Audio CD)

POD is one of the best remix albums you're ever likely to hear, in "world music" or any other category. Most projects of this nature tend to rely heavily on the input of guest DJs, the majority of whom, in an effort to make a name for themselves and put a unique spin on the songs, totally massacre the original tracks. It takes a disciplined and gifted remixer indeed to reinterpret another artist's song in a manner that is "different" and yet respectful.

The Afro Celts have solved this problem by skipping the middleman altogether and doing most of the remixing on POD themselves. This is an excellent decision, because their guitarist, Simon Emmerson, also happens to be an acclaimed DJ in his own right who has a great track record for remixing and reinventing other artist's songs without completely destroying them (check out his Outernationalists project, for example). Afro Celts members Mass (keyboard/drum programming), Martin Russell (keys, engineering) and James McNally (an astonishingly gifted multi-instrumentalist) also had a hand in many of the mixes on POD, giving the project a vibe that is both familiar and new.

Together, the Afro Celts take "Rise Above" (originally from SEED) and transform it into a funky, string-laden dancehall track, while the title track from FURTHER IN TIME becomes a trippy electronic journey into sound. "Lagan," also from FURTHER IN TIME, eliminates most of Iarla O'Lionaird's vocals and brings both drums and strings forward in the mix to create a majestic album closer. POD's crowning achievement, though, is the amazing "Whirly 3," which is not so much a remix as a complete re-recording, incorporating new melodies and new instruments, including a drum kit. Just try to sit still during this one!

While the "guest" mixes on POD are quite good, they can't help but pale in comparison to the band's own work. The Rollo/Sister Bliss mix of "Release" thankfully retains the basic structure of the original song, but the brass and other urban-sounding instrumentation will likely appeal more to fans of Faithless than of the Afro Celts. And the Wren and Morley mix of "When You're Falling" unfortunately masks the rich, layered acoustic guitar of the original track in favor of what sounds like a static-ridden Casio keyboard circa 1984. The best of the guest mixes is DJ Toshio's "Full Moon Low Tide," a radical amalgamation of several tracks from SOUND MAGIC.

POD is a real treat for long-time Afro Celts fans, and if there is any justice in the world, it will draw in a significant number of new fans as well. Rather than settling for a standard remix album or a "greatest hits" compilation, the Afro Celts have taken familiar material and presented it in an inventive and exciting new light. Just listen to the way the Rollo/Sister Bliss mix of "Release," a very electronic, club-oriented song, segues seamlessly and beautifully into "Whirly 3," an acoustic jam that has more in common with a live performance than it does a remix. It all flows together perfectly, reflecting the boundless creativity of a group of true musical geniuses at work. Long live the Afro Celts!