Customer Reviews

Motown Remixed, Vol. 2

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

 

 

When a record company doesn't know what to do, there is always somebody with the remix album idea. So Motown UK issued volume 1. This remix album isn't different from the others : at first we are curious about the changes mades with the song but that doesn't last because a remixer is a guy that replaces true musical ideas with repetitive gimmicks. Anyway Tom Moulton did a great job for «Stoned love» and «My world is empty without you» is actually good. Now comes volume 2 (a short one with short mixes : 48 min. long for 11 songs). And it's trully dreadful. Who gave the green light for such trash ? All songs have a Latin American sound that doesn't mix well with Motown. At least a sticker on the cd would have warned the buyer ! The worst is «The boss» by Ross remixed «a-la-Colombian-buseta» : they took one of the few Motown disco songs that has stood the test of time and they destroyed it ; they took off all disco elements from it, leaving the vocals naked and they put an irritating vallenato-like background that doesn't match (both keys are differents ; does the remixer Manuel Ruiz have ear ?). Luckily, this volume is available in just one form (the first volume was available in two differents cds with different tracklistings and with I.tunes bonuses). Well, I hope that this cd is the end of the series.

Perhaps a finely tuned club sound system with a fleet-fingered DJ at the helm could send these remixes soaring about the room. But played at home, these dissected, reassembled and electronically augmented versions of classic Motown tracks are more likely to send you searching for the original recordings -- forty year old tracks that will get your blood pumping faster than these cobbled together works. Unlike the multi-disc deconstruction of "Pet Sounds" that let listeners hear the vocals and instrumentals taken apart, the few transcendent moments of isolated vocal lines here are overrun by pedestrian drum machines, loops and studio manipulations that induce boredom rather than trance. This might resonate musically and emotionally with regular club visitors, but to the home listener they sound like a bad night at the Roxbury or a technologically advanced version of Stars on 45. Either way, they've squandered some of the greatest hooks in musical history. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

some of the songs are great! However, most of them were not what I expected. Stick with the originals!

I bought the first Motown Remixed a year or two ago and really enjoyed many of the tracks. There are MANY gems on the first disc. But this disc should be subtitled "The Latin Remixes". Latin rhythms are great-- but EVERY mix here is latin-flavored, and it gets boring fast. I made the mistake of not reviewing the album first online. I was eager to purchase because I really liked the first album, and i figured, 'how bad can it be.' So, listen to a few tracks first before you buy.

First, I'm NOT into remixes BUT when it's done with RESPECT for the original... In this case, IT IS. You exactly recognise the song and that's already a very positive thing. You really hear another way, another style without losing the greatness of the song itself. You can agree or disagree. Never touch a good thing ofcourse but these tracks prove that they could be hits from the future, instead of the past.
GREAT WORK.

Even though I just got the CD and only listen to it once, I think I'll burn my two favorites and shelf it. I liked CD 1, and just picked up 2 assuming it would be better but didn't. The only cut that I really liked and ended up cleaning to was the Marvin Gaye remix. It's housey enough to build up a sweat and get a few chores done. I would love if they did another CD making it a truly club/house with no breaks. Can you image 80+ minutes mixed together with echoes, bass and beats? Man.... Oh yeah, if anyone from Motown is reading this, please don't repeat songs on the next CD that were featured on the two previous. Choose another song by the group/artist or release a EP with 5+ versions if you really feel the need. I'm hopeful, and may even grow to like # 2 more -but still won't buy the next remix on impulse.

Summer is officially here, and there is nothing I want to do more than sit by the pool with a mojito. When I received Motown Remixed, Vol. 2 I expected it to be a tranced-out dance mix, but was pleasantly surprised to find out it was not that at all. Instead, the tracks are remixed with Calypso sounds making old favorites sound like Harry Belafonte Caribbean beats. The songs are still recognizable, which is usually not the case with remixes and get you ready for sunbathing at the beach. I found Jr. Walker & the All Stars' "Shot Gun" and the Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine" to be the most successful mixes on the album, almost making you forget that there was no steel drum in either band.

Not every track is helped by the playful summer sound though, like The Temptation's "Papa was a Rolling Stone." The definitive funkiness of the opening baseline is softened by a sweet, summer playfulness that I found to take away from the original tone of the song. The disc as a whole was definitely successful, making me imagine fruity drinks and island getaways, while still staying true to those old soulful favorites of the '60s and '70s.

Naturally when I first heard about the Motown Remixed project I was expecting yet another in a long line of remix albums featuring housy dance mixes.I was very enthusiastic to find the truth that a lot of respect was given to the Motor City classics on the first remix volume,which I heard but do not own.So needless to say I bought this.Vol.2 is a very different kind of musical affair-it takes songs like "Shotgun","Love Is Like A Heatwave","Don't Look Any Further" and even Diana Ross's disco hit "The Boss" and gives them a strong latin feel,complete with hot horns,salsa beats and in most cases alterations of the tempo.The original vocals,especially in the case of The Tempts "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" were sped up a bit to accomodate the quicker tempo-and this is a song covered by so many different people (and is usually done purely by rote to) over the years.The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" is the only song here that actually keeps some of the orginal music intact,just accentuating the drums and adding more horns.On the other side of the coin "Dancing Machine" is presented drastically reworked into a frantic dance-salsa tempo.Only Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine" has any trace of a typical house oriented remix but it's done in such as different way one won't even notice.On the most interesing note Smokey's "Being With You" is presented in a spanish language version called "Aqui Con Tigo",which I have never heard before,adding to the latin and hispanic theme of these remixes.That flavor gives these remixes the party atmosphere that permeated classic Motown and actually goes with the feeling of these songs very well.For any fan or Motown,especially one also interested in latin rhythms,or anyone interested in great songs done in a great way this collection will definately brighten your day.

As a native Detroiter (not the suburbs baby!) and a teen of the 60s, I feel really protective of Motown and Motown music. When I heard of this Latin remix I groaned, but thought I'd listen first before throwing up my hands in despair and organizing a mass protest. But, to my surprise, I actually like this remix! There is enough of the orginal beat that I can still sing loudly along and out of tune as I do with the rest of my Motown CDs.

If you are a Motown purist like I am, I don't think you will regret buying this latest remix.

Since some of my most beloved Motown tracks are featured on the album, so I snapped this album up immediately. What I like about the Motown Remixed series is that the mixes are (for the most part) very respectful of the originals. The songs are changed up quite a bit, but the original structure and melody is not too far away. Whether or not the Latin sound is your sound, there are still enough bright spots on this album to make it worthy of a listen.

Highlights:

'Shotgun' really benefits from the Latin treatment, which smoothly integrates the sax and organ of the original with a Latin steel drum beat. The addition of the Latin flavor to the Motown sound also works well for 'Dancing Machine'. The new mix really swings with an added brass arrangement. The best parts of the song (Michael's first verses, the instrumental breakdown) are drawn out and repeated (the instrumental breakdown has a really Latin flavor, who knew?) and the instrumental build-up behind Jermaine's lines is an excellent touch. The Andres Levin mix of 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' is the crowning glory of the album. Marvin's vocals are front and center, as they should be, and they are perfectly complemented by the mix, which features a piano track. It's absolute alchemy! It reminds me of the genius of a Freemasons remix. Another solid track is the mix of the Spanish-language version of 'Being With You'. The trademark saxophone of the original is omitted, but Smokey's always-brilliant vocals are placed over layers of bongos and strings, creating a slightly more (just slightly, though) uptempo sound than the original.

Lowlights:

The 'The Boss' mix is dreadful...the mix strips the original instrumentation and is very salsa/tango music with a hint of reggae, which is fine, but paired with Diana's vocals all the drama of the song is zapped. And if you've heard 'The Boss,' it is ALL ABOUT the drama. All that is lost in this mix, unfortunately. There's something about the key of the original vocals and the key of new mix that doesn't match well at all. Not to mention that her vocals are too muddled. A bit of a disaster. Both the David Elizondo mixes (of 'Heat Wave' and 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone') have a reggae sound as well, and I'm not a huge fan of reggae so naturally I'm a bit predisposed against them. It works much better for 'Heat Wave,' but neither track is one I plan on listening to again.

In the middle:

The SPK mix of 'I Want You Back' is very subtle, to the point where I might have to take a minute before realizing it's a mix. If I want to hear the original, I've already got it. The mix of 'I Can't Get Next To You' is subtle but slightly less so...it attempts to add drama with an extra drumbeat and a rock guitar sound, and the breakdown is mixed. But the original already had drama with the frantic passing around of the vocals, and the original beat complemented it perfectly. This mix seems to be a bit overkill. The 'Square Biz' mix is very calypso flavored and fun, but Teena Marie's vocals are slightly overpowered by the instrumental track. And the original 'Don't Look Any Further' has a bit of a Latin/reggae feel, which ironically is stripped a bit for the new mix. A folky-Latin guitar arrangement is added, and it has a bit more of a downtempo sound. I prefer the original but this version is quality (it would have been much more fitting on the first Motown Remixed album).

So, 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) for a solid remix album. Regarding the series in general, I do wish that instead of themes, the Motown Remixed series would focus on compiling the best Motown remixes out there, regardless of style. And I wish the series would come out more often than once every two years! Remixes of Motown tracks are constantly hitting the clubs, so there's no shortage of material.