Customer Reviews

Community Service

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was the first mix CD I ever bought, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. For those out there who might be confused as to what a mix album actually is, it's something like a simulation of a club set. On Community Service (to take a convenient example), The Crystal Method don't give us any "new" songs per se, but rather, they have assembled 16 tracks into a single continuous mix which is perfect for playing at parties.

Of course, there are several remixes that are of interest to TCM fans on this album, most of them on the second half of the album. There are three songs that have been remixed by TCM ("Boom" by P.O.D., "Paranoid" by Garbage, and "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against The Machine), and another three that are remixes of tracks from TCM's previous album, Tweekend. By sheer coincidence, my favorite tracks are all among these six songs ("Boom," "Paranoid," and Static Revenger's mix of TCM's "Wild, Sweet & Cool"). The the first half of the mix is essentially a buildup to the second half, which is a lot more energetic.

If you haven't tried mix albums yet, and want to "test the water," as it were, Community Service is one of the best places to start.

Before Electronica acts such as Dirty Vegas and the Wiseguys invaded U.S. airwaves, there was the Crystal Method. And just like these groups, the Crystal Method reached massive audiences after having been featured on a whole variety of TV commercials, from GAP to Skechers to 'The Matrix'. Where is it that you don't hear these guys at a trendy shoe store or in the background of a high-budget movie nowadays?

Since their 1997 debut, 'Vegas', Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, also known as the Crystal Method, have reached an enormous amount of success. 'Vegas' became a top-selling Electronica album, and the guys have remixed everyone from DJ Keoki to rock acts P.O.D. and Rage against the Machine. On top of that, Crystal Method recently won the 2002 Dancestar USA award for 'Best Live Act'. The second album by TCM, 'Tweekend', was another heavy-hitter with such hits as 'Name of the Game' and 'Roll it Up', and featured collaborations with famous rock stars Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Tom Morello of Rage against the Machine. After the duo's second CD it became evident that they needed to be paid more attention to.

On Ken and Scott's third effort, a DJ-mix album called 'Community Service', they triumph yet again. Featuring 16 tracks, this CD is packed with infectious Breakbeat rhythms and TCM's patented chalkboard-scraping noises. What makes 'Community Service' so intrigueing is that the inside sleeve features an entire page listing websites and organizations such as FreeDonations.com, American Institute for Public Service, and the Hunger Site, with the words 'Supporting the community that supports you' at the top. So it seems that Ken and Scott want you to get involved, or that they themselves are supporting such things as freedom of speech and ethnic diversity.

Standout tracks on 'Community Service' include 'No Soul (PMT Remix)' by ILS, a hypnotic intro coupled with the sound of a gospel hymns over it, Stir Fry's energetic 'Breakin On The Streets (False Prophet Remix)', Elite Force's hard-hitting 'Curveball', Dastrix's Crystal-Method-influenced 'Dude In The Moon (Luna Mix)', the Hybrid remix of TCM's own 'Name Of The Game', and the ending track 'The Red Pill' by Scratch-D vs. H-Bomb, sure to make any fan of 'The Matrix' smile. The only complaint I have on this CD is track 15, the Koma & Bones remix of Crystal Method's 'You Know It's Hard'. The middle of the song is really ugly.

>>> 5 stars for excellent track selection and for being completely original. What dance DJs do you know include P.O.D. in their mixes? And one other thing that struck me as funny was the CD cover, which features Ken and Scott in orange suits picking up vinyl records littered on the roadside.

- the enlightened one

Apparently others who review this cd have no concept of a "mix " cd !! Cause if they did they'd know its not a cd of new material.So, that being said do yourself a favor and grab this cd.Its non-stop beats and awesome music.Not only do these guys create some of today's hottest electronic music, they also klnow how to mix with the best of them.A well done record !!!

This disc from the 'Method was the perfect predecessor to the incredible "Tweekend" cd, at the same time bringing fresh tracks (remixed or not; that is irrelevant) to the over-rated & overplayed "Vegas" release of 1997.
Scott & Ken demonstrate the essence of any electronica dj's reason to exist: remixing skills that twist otherwise snoozer tracks into their signature big beat/hard hop groove.
Being much more accessible than the ego-heavy Prodigy & having diversity of style over remix-only outfits (Rabbit in the Moon plus hundreds of other wannabe's) keeps this 'Island of Groove' (a.k.a. The Crystal Method) the standard of the genre.

Crystal Method's "Vegas" was the first techno cd I ever bought, over four years ago. I've loved it ever since, loved Tweekend when I bought it last year (except for the last three tracks, which all...). So I bought "Community Service" the day after it came out and have been pretty pleased since.
Some douschebag wrote that he thought the cd was worthless because there were only six or so Meth-related tracks. He did not get the concept of the mix cd.
I own plenty, most from the likes of trance gods Paul van Dyk or Paul Oakenfold. So I know what Meth was going for: it's not really trance, or house, or breakbeats, just through-and-through techno.
The disk starts off slow, with tracks 1-4 being basically exactly the same mood builders. It kickstarts on Orbital's track 5, sloows down again, then revives on track 8 with Hybrid's awesome remix of "Name of the Game" and never lets up from there. Truly, the tracks associated with Meth are all stellar (Renegades of Funk is the weakest of the bunch, but still good). Especially great are the "Name of the Game" remix, "You Know It's Hard" remix (AWESOME!), and Meth's remix of Garbage's "Paranoid" (great beat). The album ends with the cool "Matrix"-sampling "The Red Pill" by Scratch D vs. H-Bomb.
"Community Service" lags in it's first half, but tracks 8 through 16 shine for the most part. Overall, it's satisfying, but should've had a more head-nodding, badass flavor to it that they gained on the last album.

You need this. Yes, you out there. Put away your chill out and your ambient, shelve your Digweed for a moment, file your Beth Orton. You need a big thumping power whomp of a big beat electronic CD turned up full blast in your car, right now. It won't irritate you, it will thrill you.

This is an A-1 mix of some meaty, beaty, pumping, stuff, with enough variety to keep it interesting. Crystal Method are the grandfathers of techno/big beat their 1997 record "Vegas" is still the classic of the genre, and its songs beloved of a thousand sound tracks and commercials. These are not their songs, but bear their inimitable stamp. And if you can, catch them on tour, it will bust your sturnum.

So when you head out to clubland, or when you head towards a dreaded family reunion, or whenever you need a shot of attitude and moxy, put this on and turn it up. Its the sort of music everyone can agree is cool, young and old.

You are bad and you are strong after all, oh yes. Buy. You won't regret it.

The guy who said this album isn't great is nuts. The Crystal Method are known for bridging electronic music with rock and now they've taken that one step further and added even deeper dance tracks to the mix, making this one of their best albums to date. If the guys from The Crystal Method are reading this - Keep it coming!!!

I have found this to be my favorite Crystal Method album of all. While I really like both Tweekend and Vegas, I sometimes find the songs to be too similar and repetitive. But as a mix disc, Community Service gets the balance just right for me: the solid Crystal Method groove throughout, but with a greater range of styles. There are a couple tracks from their earlier albums but they really do the job with their mixes of other artists like Orbital, Dastrix, and my favorite track P.O.D.'s "Boom" -- a slamming break-remix of an originally plodding alternative song. An excellent disc throughout; I hope they will mix some more.

The phat techno world has just been improved by the addition of The Crystal Method's newest album Customer Service. Once again TCM has graced its listeners with some new tunage. This CD is fun, innovative, and is the way techno should be. This CD makes techno what it is today. With various remixes from today and yesterday, you'll be anything but dissappointed.

Cool disc if you like TCM. Better than TWEAKEND though not as wicked as VEGAS, COMMUNITY SERVICE is a continuous mix of great electronic music with very little vocal disruptions. These guys create the best remixes and are top of the heap in techno. Cool, cool stuff.