Customer Reviews

Resident: Two Years Of Oakenfold At Cream

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can not describe the absolute euphoria I felt when I saw this Double CD in a local music store. I have several other Oakenfold CDs but here are some reasons I like this one more than the others (although they are all excellent). 1.) The live crowd element is refreshing- hearing the crowd clapping as the music climaxes or yelling "Come on Paul" or "Oakie!" is really a nice touch. 2.) A nice number of vocals with Jan Johnston and others. "Shine", "Someone", "Wide Open Spaces", "Butterfly" are all great vocal songs. I still can not get over how beautiful of a song Shine is. 3.) BOTH CDs are great! Unlike most double CDs where you essentially listen only to CD2 and forget about CD1 I can honestly say I listen to both CDs equally. And some of my friends like CD1 more than CD2, some like CD2 more than CD1. This is rare when it comes to an album such as this. The only possible drawmback about buying this album is that there are a bunch of songs that you probably have heard on other cds ( I think a total of 4 alone from Tranceport, and at least 2 or 3 more from Global Underground New York). One more word of caution: as with any other Oakie CD try to listen to it the whole way through dont skip tracks. NEVERTHELESS, If you consider your self an Oakie fan you must have this. If you consider yourself a trance fan you must have this. If you consider yourslelf a music fan you must have this. Oakie the Trance God has delievered yet again.

Trance will never be as huge as it was at the turn of the century. Trance music embodied the youthful optimism and adrenaline rush of technology, speed and spiritual evolution of Gen X'ers. Paul Oakenfold, already the world's #1 DJ, was spinning choons on all 6 cylinders when this Cream compilation was released. There are no throw away songs here! As you know, Cream is the UK's largest and most (in)famous dance club. If you are a DJ worth his/her salt, you will eventually wind up at Cream, with thousands of klubheads worshipping you with every song. Alas, trance went from underground to mainstream and finally in the graveyard of pop. Oakey, with his herrendous "Bunkka" album in 2001, has unfortuanetly gone the way of commercialism, now spinning Justin Timberlake and Kid Rock remixes, thus paving the way for DJs who produce sub-standard, self-ingratiating music. "2 Years @ Cream" harkens back to days when trance was pure entertainment and brain-massaging rhythms, not cheesy, senior-prom inanity. I still play Tilt's "Butterfly" at clubs and parties and it still brings down the house, even though the song was written in 1997. You will find a lot of classics from bomb-labels, like Kinetic, Hooj, Xtravaganza, and more. I also highly recommend "Another World" and especially "Travelling". Also, a word to the wise...don't pay over-inflated prices for these CDs on Amazon or Ebay. Go to the GEMM music database online or shop around at your local indy record store and I am sure you can find this great set at an affordable price.

The "DJ" title conjures up two images, fitting two different types of people. One is a recluse who tweaks and fiddles with his equipment in the basement creating strange bleeps and blurbs (a la Mike Paradinas or Luke Vibert). The other is the "Honey, get my Maserati, we're late for the gig" type. Paul Oakenfold is one of the latter (more or less), and many of his detractors constantly accuse him of laziness...this set is here to prove all wrong.

"Resident" is the perfect mix album, a true span of styles and a great mix of diverse artists. Here we have tried and true club favourites next to more underground tunes. Detractors will cite the use of old songs as a sign of laziness. This set is intended to be a retrospective! Songs like "Dark & Long," "Someone," "The Prophet" are all well-worn club favourites; but all had their place in Oakey's two-year tenure at Cream. The set is mixed creatively and flawlessly...this is no track-after track compilation...each disc flows as it's own groove. If you've never been introduced to the wonderful world of Oakenfold...this is the best way. "Tranceport" is just a "let's show the Yanks some bangin' trance" compilation, but this...this shows what the man can really do and why he is where he is today. The best dance compilation of 1999, period.

I have 100++ trance albums and i can say with complete honesty that this is my favorite... The vocals are sooo perfect. This goosebumps thing everyone is talking about is true. The music is so good that you get goosebumps while listening to iT!! I SWEAR!! I remember when i started listening to Butterfly. It was beyond imaginiation. Everything is just perfect. If you are a trance fan you MUST buy this... This is the BEST ALBUM

Oakie is the king of trance and this is the best album he's mixed yet.... (I own all of his mixes and this is the best). As soon as I popped it into my player I was greeted to one of the most uplifting songs I've heard, Mystery Land, and I tell you the fun never stops and the mix never lets up. It always keeps you on your toes and never goes tooo overboard. Oakie gives about 5-6 minutes for each song and I have to say that there is positivly no bad songs on Resident. Every single one is great to dance to. The crowd noises in the background are a nice touch and to me add alot to the mix. It makes it seem like it is live (but it's not). I have to agree with the last reviewer that Shine has to be one of the most beautiful songs. So if you like vocal trance then you are sure to enjoy this CD. It might seem alittle pricey but I'm telling you I would honestly pay twice the price for this true gem. If you like Oakie you have to like Resident (it's a rule)

Oakie hit the spot on this one. I have almost all mixes except Live in New York, and Olso. After buying Perfect Presents Another World (the american mix version of Travling) I thought I heard the best... Then Traveling came out (Import Version) and things kept getting better. Soon, A month later... Fianlly a Godly cd came in the mail. I open the pkg. and on it, it reads: "CD Order:"Resident: Two Years Of Oakenfold At Cream". Unpatiently I rip open the box, and stare at the beautiful box art work. Mesmorized by the Pakaging alone, I rush and put in the CD. I just fell in love with it. Instantly I knew this was his best work of all. Granted, Fluoro was GREAT!, But his 2 years at Cream beats even that. The first cd was great. Shine, Mystery Land, and Butterfly are the key elements on the first CD. Disc 2 is something not to be left out. Mixes like Enverate (also on Tranceport), El~Nino, Children etc. seal this secound disk for being just as good, if not better the the first disc. Not to mention Skydive by Freefall (Ft. Jan Johnston). That song definently makes the 2nd disc. The different discs are uncomparriable though, as with comparing any other of Pauls work. All his cd's are unique in their own way. But if you're looking for something that is worth every cent, something you can fall asleep two, something that mixes and blends together like water, this is it. Or even if you're just a plan Oakie fan like me. This is the "Cream of the crop" (no pun intended) You will not be dissappointed. So hurry, go get it!~ Later

GET IT. Don't pay any attention to the price just get it! This is the best compilation of songs ever and the mixing doesn't ruin it like other CDs either. Woah. When I first got it I went insane. When I found it I was in shock because I had never seen it anywhere before other than on the net so I went nuts grabbed it and took it straight to the counter. And then I was even more nuts when I listened to it! IT WAS AWSOME! Shine and Someone made me cry while dark & long and everest made me dance! If you like any dort of electronica or any type of music you will love this! I have all of Oakey's CDs and this is the winner! Uplifting, Melodic, Vocal, Hard Trance! Nothing better.
If you like Oakey its a must, if you like trance its a certainty, if you like dance its a definate and if you are any self respecting person you will not overlook this CD!

By the way this is not live. The crowd are only samples added for effect. None of Oakey's sets at Cream were ever this good and it even says that it is a compilation of his best sets as a parting present. This is not live, Don't be fooled. Pretend it's live anyway!

I have been and Oakenfold fan ever since Fluro cd ... But my favorit cd from him still is this live cd @ cream. Because it still runs chills down my spine when I listen to it. People in the background going crazy makes you feel like you are right there going crazy with the crowd....Oakie is the greatest DJ I have ever seen and heard and you can get him in this package... greatest songs that he still plays are on this cd.... LIke the Prophet, I heard him playing at New Year 2002....
This CD is on my top 5 Fav. cds of all time and I don't think I will ever stop listening to it....... Buy this cd and you will feel like you are right there listening to Oakenfold at cream live..... and if you did not get goosbumps hearing the crowd go crazy in the background, then you have no clue what Oakie is all about.....This man is the greatest and will always be the greatest, and this cd is one of the reasons why....

The best mixes, a good number of the coolest trance tracks ever made and some incredible females vocals (the killer "Wide Open Space" by Mansun).

there are no words that express the thoughts that the music gives you in this Cd.The mixing is simply the best,and the songs....the songs are so beutiful...there are just no words that can express!