Customer Reviews

Lively Mind

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Oakenfold is a fantastic DJ, and fans of his usual material usually scoff at his artist colaberation albums, but I say bring on more! Oakie does a fantastic job mixing electro, trance and pop into a new and fantastic genre. Hell, the title track Faster Kill Pussycat featuring Brittany Murphy is worth the retail price alone.
The tracks come at you in a frantic pace that should keep you dancing all night, or bobbing your head in the car until your neck cramps.

A Lively Mind is Oakenfold's most recent effort and has been criticized by many who don't realize where the true quality of his mixes are to be found. It is not in the idvidual tracks, but the overall product. As a party DJ, Paul Oakenfold has prefected the transition process from song to song, thus this is an album best listened to in its entirety instead of one that has 1 or 2 stand-out tracks. The facts are out there, Oakenfold is good at what he does: in an annual Top 100 DJ poll, Paul slipped into 9th place last year.

Just saw Paul Oakenfold in Seattle supporting his new album and I must say that he knows how to get a crowd going!..he also took the time to come over to me and sign my copy of A Lively Mind as well as the first single! After a quick handshake from this artist I stand by my review not only as a great album (I own almost all of his catalog!) but also him as a performer. I think this album should not be overlooked and deserves a listen many times over. You must also not overlook the fact that he has incredible connections in the music industry that come to him for remixes on their albums...Madonna, U2, Lopez...the list goes on! Keep em' coming Paul and THANK YOU for the experience and opportunity to meet you as well. Your #1 fan in Seattle!

I hate it when famous people try to do things they really have no business doing. Michael Jordan tried baseball. Keanu Reeves tried to be in a band. Paul Oakenfold drops "Paul" from his name, and tries to become a producer/songwriter.

"A Lively Mind", which features a collaboration on nearly every song, is proof that Paul should stick to what he's one of the best in the world at: DJ'ing. I loved the double disc trance on "Creamfields", but this album is almost unlistenable at times.

I tried listening to it in the car, and didn't like it. Then I gave it the headphone test. I still didn't like it. It's just very Blah. The songs are quite boring and never really go anywhere. Very formulaic - cheesey and predictable.

One of my main problems is there is no atmosphere, feeling, or general mood throughout the album. It's just a cluster of average songs. Needless to say, I was very disappointed and will be trading this in soon.

So while I would recommend picking up Paul's next DJ/Trance album, I would definitely not recommend picking up "A Lively Mind".

Paul Oakenfold's new release of orginal material featuring guest vocalists is a terrific collection of high energy songs.Some of the beats are very similar to the car commercial fave Ready Steady Go but that's OK because Oakenfold is great at blending trance and rock flavored beats in his songs so they don't get monotonous or go on too long like some trance music.Like on his last release there are plenty of guest vocalists from actress Brittany Murphy to Grandmaster Flash but the vocalists and lyrics don't make this cd work,it's the music itself that transports you to dance floor bliss.A cool party cd.

Oakie definitely got this one right - a great sounding balance of blazing electro-rock riffs mixed with epic synth pulsations and melodic textures. Starting off with none other than Brittany Murphy on the vocals with a sinful delivery on the steaming Faster Kill Pussycat - she can sing! You know Sex 'n' Money is going to be peak-time material in the clubs - this track is just white-hot and the women are going to be dancing their you-know-what off. Set It Off is a wicked breaks tune with a touch of retro sound with legendary Grandmaster Flash adding to the vibe. Praise the Lord is a fantastic track with a Latin sound that should go off as a big floorfiller - if this doesn't make you want to gyrate go see a physician, something's wrong. Amsterdam is a classic trippy trance work that caters to Oakie's long-time fans as does Save the Last Trance for Me which is more epic with lush, euphoric builds that climax so beautifully only as Oakie can imagine!!! Not Over is a tune you'll love to hear over-and-over to remind you of old friends and good times and it's lyrically quite sentimental with smooth vocals from Ryan Tedder. Vulnerable is along the same vein but it has a much more dreamy soundscape and rock-evocative feel to it - it's actually a brilliant fusion of electronic and rock elements.

If you want a unique, awesome sounding set of music and tracks to party this summer go buy this album now - only Oakie could deliver this genius production that achieves massive cross-over appeal and fusion between the electronic and alternative (rock) genres. It's gonna get a lot of airplay on my music devices that's for sure. Certainly you'll be seeing and hearing about remixes of these tracks so it should be interesting to see the different interpretations from the album versions. Stay tuned.

I've always been a staunch oakenfold fan, and this album is no exception. There are definitely some tracks on here that I'd wish he'd have omitted (namely T3 Sex 'n Money and T7 The Way I Feel), but overall, I'm pleased with the whole package.

Other songs like T1 Faster Kill Pussycat, T4 Switch On, and T8 Praise the Lord are off the hook. Personally, I think Paul is straying too far from his roots with all the pop influence, but what can you do if you want to make a popular dance song? Keep to the drivin' low-end and get away from the gratuitous base line that makes so many trance songs bland.

Oakenfold admittedly sounds like he is recycling some of his beats, something not entirely unforgivable. He is, however, doing it at an increasing rate. That said, his beats are definitely good.

This cd is totally different for Oakenfold and his family of DJ's. Every song kept me moving, also try to get the remixes of Faster Kill Pussycat cd single. This cd is more EBM (Electronic Body Music) than Trance, but it totally delivers.

Paul Oakenfold's latest artist album, "A Lively Mind," proves that this man is one of the most dynamic and intriguing artists of our generation. I know that I'll always have a special place in my heart for Oakey since he is the man that showed me the light for various forms of electronic music, but this album exceeds my expectations on various levels.

For starters, I want to point out that this, among many other Oakey albums, isn't for everyone. Some people are interested in only trance music (which isn't a bad thing) while others like to expand and mix it into other genres. The latter is what makes Oakey the master of his domain. He adds guitars and various other rock elements into his usual electronic blend to produce a pure masterpiece.

The album starts off with the radio friendly "Faster Kill Pussycat" with guest vocals from newcomer/actress Brittany Murphy. At first, I was hesitant about her singing abilities, but after a long listen it is obvious of her talents. Fans of this song will also admire "Sex 'N Money" for its catchy tune and a synth that reminds me of something Benny Bennassi would produce.

The album is filled with big beats, beautiful synths, heavy guitars, and catchy vocals. The song that strikes me as the most playable is surprisingly "Praise the Lord." Not only is it an incredibly danceable tune, but it's remarkable how something that could have been so silly end up being so special.

Of course there's also some trance songs that are sure to please for all dance enthusiasts with "Save the Last Trance for Me" and primarily "Not Over." I have a particular interest for "Not Over" because the lyrics are meaningful and well-done.

Other songs such as "No Compromise," "Switch On," and "Set it Off" deliver the usual electronic bliss with rock rhythms in their own original forms.

My only gripe is the one similar with a previous poster. It seems like some of these artists were featured on the album primarily for recognition in the track titles. Grandmaster Flash and Pharell Williams have an extremely limited amount of vocals that is unnecessary. They could have used no-names and the music would have possessed the same effect, but I guess it's just to aid record sales.

The album ends with the extravagant, but short, "Feed Your Mind." It's an incredible song, but I recommend you getting a hold of the club rock mix that was featured in Oakey's promotional record. Not only is it faster and more floor-heavy, but the vocals seem to flow better.

All in all, I give it 5 stars. I'm continuously impressed with Oakenfold. Sure, he's a hit and miss with some albums (The Club to name one..some songs were either unnecessary or not connecting at all). But I'll always favor him over many other DJs and producers because he delivers his own unique style on the dance scene and is always taking it to the next level, which a lot of artists don't like to do because of the risks.

As a side-note, for the people who are less interested in the use of big beats and guitars, I advise you to purchase one of his previous mixes, primarily "Creamfields." It's a double-disc set that is sure to please any trance lover.

Here's to looking forward to his two new film scores he's working on!

Having followed Oakie's work for over 8-9 years now, and heard a lot of his works, remixes and attempts to revamps and reinvent himself, this new album definitely takes things to another level.

However, this may not be to your liking. Am still muzzled about how to rate this LP, hence the 3 stars. One thing is for sure: it's not your typical Oakie works other than he likes to surprise people and churn up associations and musical crossings that arent expected.

I have no idea who Ryan Tedder is but he has amazing vocals, and I will definitely check out OneRepublic. It is an interesting discovery in itself.

My most favourite track in true Oakie style is "Not Over". I hope it gets released as a single, and undergoes remixing by talented DJs.
Seems to me "Faster Kill Pussycat" has some sampling from one of the songs in Flashdance.. but I might be wrong. Great track there too, though I felt Brittany Murphy's vocals were not put to its best use.
"Save The Last Trance" is a high energy trance instrumental track, and if released should also see some interesting remixes.
The surprise also comes in "Vulnerable" ft Bad Apple. Again, another name that is a big unknown but to be checked out.

I only heard a few songs before buying this album and was a bit surprised to find some rap-funk-electro mix, which isnt my style and this style seems to be quite special, so it might appeal to you or not.

I definitely dont regret having this LP, it might just turn out to be THE crossover album from Oakie, and definitely showcases his ability to be influenced and attracted to different styles of music.
In the end, I think his curiosity into domains that are not necessarily attractive for a DJ make him unique and one of the Top 5 DJs in the world, and his talent is definitely there.

In conclusion, I would say, give it a try, and you might be surprised into liking a style and a genre that you would not associate with Oakie, and maybe it will grow on you.

I've had the LP for little under 1 week, and am still discovering some tracks that I end up liking, "No Compromise" for instance.