Customer Reviews

Hed Kandi: Winter Chill 06.02

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have to disagree with the other reviews!!! I thought this to be a great selection of mellow music!!! It is great for a romantic evening!!! What is wrong with a lot of chic vocals? I found that to be refreshing!!!I am a huge fan for both Polaroid and Bonnie Bailey!!! Which are both featured on this CD. The John lee Hooker track was brillant!!! This CD takes you on a journey!!! It has a great lounge vibe, making it perfect for parties!!!! Paul Oakenfold also has a fantastic song on CD 2!!! I feel the other reviews are a bit harsh for such a great compilation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After amassing a couple of hundred chill compilations and associated genre type cd's from all over the globe, I've listed to almost every version of chill out songs out there, but this one keeps coming to front of my juke-box. I have to admit I do skip a song or two depending on my mood, but that's not often. Of all the preceding Winter Chill compilations, 6.2 is hands down the best. I highly recommend anyone trying out this Hed Kandi series to buy this one first. I like to crank the volume as loud as possible especially on disc two, but you decide for yourself. Just passing on the good word. This ranks second only to Paris Lounge Volume 1 as an all time favorite for me and my friends. Chill!

What is it?
The next installment rolling off the Hed Kandi compilation factory floor, 30 unmixed tracks featuring the "darker side of chill." Meaning, lots (and lots) of forlorn gals with the blues warbling over acoustic guitar for two hours, skewing creepier on disc two. Fun!

Who gets it right?
Standing above the general sameness of the CDs, Slovo's tender "Whisper" and Bliss "Kissing" will melt all hearts within earshot, while Abraham's sullen-pop "Magpie" with swooping strings and Rachael Cuming's lilting delivery hits the thematic bullseye. Thievery Corporation pay a hefty royalty fee to sound like Air on "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes," and Dzihan & Kamien mix sub-bass pulses to Bjork-through-headphones vocals for husky nu-jazz refreshingly different than their surrounding counterparts.

But who doesn't?
Eric Kupper's "Missing" follows by rote the cliché handbook, "Almadrava" then borrows it for "I'm Sorry," - truly regrettable songcraft. But as an added bonus, you can be an owner of The Worst Cover In Dance History as Julee Cruise does her girly breathing of REM's "It's The End Of The World As We Know It."

Well then?
It's a tad better than Winter Chill 3, though you'll still have to stereo skip around to enjoy it. Still, if you're planning on staying inside most of the cold season this will serve the cause.

I originally bought this for a friend for Christmas. I couldn't get the pricetag off so I removed the shrinkwrap. I couldn't help but listen to it afterwards. What happened afterwards caused me to buy a copy for another friend. Not to mention one for myself.

I don't think I've ever listened to a better selection of 30 songs in my entire life. The first CD is the better of the two, I think, with the kind of chillout music I like the most (acoustic guitars and female vocals). Standout tracks on the first CD are Slovo's 'Whisper' and KimBlee's 'Naturally'.

The second CD was also very good, although not as good as the first. The addition of new Thievery Corporation was a good idea, as their new CD is also very classy. The only track I had a beef with was Julee Cruise's cover of 'Its The End Of The World As We Know It'. The song is produced wonderfully, but the lyrics don't seem very fitting at all, especially with the lyrics that were on previous tracks. Standouts on the second CD were Bliss' 'Kissing', and Frost's 'Half-Whole'.

In all, an excellent compilation. Good in conjunction with low lights, some wine, and someone you love. :)

I really love this cd and I think the negative reviews are because it is very heavy on the ethereal, female vocals and maybe the reviewers aren't nuts about that. But if you like that kind of music, then this cd is great. I only gave it 4 stars because I don't necessarily think it's "the darker side of chill" as the liner notes suggest -- its still chill or lounge music, but very downtempo and more airy and light then "dark".

Some faves: "Whisper", "Magpie", "Missing", "Beautiful Crazy" and "Sunday (the day before my birthday). The cd is worth it just for these amazing songs.

With song titles like "It's the end of the world as we know it." You can pretty much guess what type of feel this album delivers? I have all the Winterchill collections and I would have to honestly say #2 was the best. I would have to say this as a whole is more complete than 3 but the others had tracks that stood out more and more diversity. This as a collective would have to be listened to as a whole because seperating anything would tarnish the value of the project. All of the tracks are accoustic with Orchestral string arrangments with bare drums for support. This compilation does have a full sound it comes off more soft rock in some places. Layered in some places with an Islander type vibe with a little blues. I am more of a fan of the electronic (Trip Hop) which was illustrated on the past 3 efforts somewhat. This one is pretty decent but lacks soul, and the hip hop/electronica support of the past 3 efforts. This is a great cd to just throw on at a cafe or a romantic evening at the house. There aren't any amazing beats on here so forget about it. (If you liked the vibe Sade's lover's Rock delivered musically that is the closest comparison to this I can give.) This is a relaxing album to listen to if you love to chill. Definitley there is a consistency here that will put you to sleep. Slovo's - Whisper is the most beat driven one on here. Moby's -Sunday is a beautiful song as well but sounds like everything else he's done. Disc 2 delivers a slight more musical vibe with a tinch of electronica not much. (This ultimatley is a very dark compilation.) So if your feeling blue and on the verge of Suicide you may want to pick something a bit lighter. If your looking for the more Portishead/Bjork sound try Winterchill 2. Also pick up Served and Chilled (Hed Kandi series) Parts 1 and 2 after 2 they headed in a different direction so don't worry about them. Take nothing from this ...it is a consistant collection of songs. I just thought I would give you a warning : it is depressing lyrically, in some parts musically.

Arish

I have to agree with the reviewer Arish Rankins in his assessment of this compilation. I have Winter Chill 2 and think that is a superior compilation. The Winter Chill CDs are touted as having music that is "slightly darker" chill. This was certainly true on WC2. This installment is bluesier, less dangerous and is a bit too heavy on the female vocals. Like the other reviewer, I prefer the more electronic, darker, trip-hop songs on the other compilations.

With that said, I still enjoyed this CD. I give HED KANDI a lot of credit for choosing acts that aren't featured on the other 9000 chillout compilations released each week. There are a few established acts, such as Underworld, whose song "Sola Sistim" is a highlight. Other highlights are "Beautiful Crazy" by Space Raiders and "Naturally" by KimBlee.

Perhaps it was HED KANDI's desire to use new and exclusive tracks that led to the shift in tone of this WC installment. I admire the effort made to distinguish this WinterChill from the previous three. It is worth owning, but if you don't already own it, buy Winter Chill 2 first.

It's a strange irony that this entry of the Hed Kandi "Winter Chill" series is billed as a trip through "the darker side of chill." A number of the artists that appear on this unmixed 2-disc compilation actually make up mainstream downtempo fare: Moby, Thievery Corporation, Underworld, etc. Despite that, this disc is a pleasing, if unchallenging, mix of warm grooves that doesn't break any new ground but overall serves as a nice companion for those frosty nights indoors. Solid tracks include the mellow "Another Try" by Nova June, the pretty "Missing" by Eric Kupper with Roy Camembert, and the bluesy "Beautiful Crazy" by Space Raiders. Other interesting cuts include Underworld's "Sola Sistim" as well as a not-half-bad cover of R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know it" by Julee Cruise. But I have to echo the sentiments of previous reviewers and say that "Winter Chill" slightly suffers due to a lack of variety. Too many female vocals and not much diversity in terms of tempo and flavor. It's a hair inferior to previous "Winter Chill" compilations, but it's still worth a casual listen.

Hed Kandi Winter Chill Mix 0602 is amazing. I can listen to this mix over and over while taking an Amtrak bus/train from Colorado to Oregon and not get sick of it. Absolutely soothing. "Music Soothes the Soul and Exhilarates the Body"-Chase While visiting Sayulita, Mexico I heard this mix in the gringo bar and was hypnotized. Weekend Players "Jericho", Bliss' "Kissing", Underworld's " Sola System" and especially Shifter's "Flipside are so mellow that I feel like the music is making love to me.

Truly magical music. Smooth music and Hed Kandi is the best in music today. Buy this one now and enjoy.