Customer Reviews

A Whiter Shade of Pale / A Question of Honour

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"A Whiter Shade of Pale / A Question of Honour" is excellent.

Back when I was nightclub disc jockey in the early '80s these sort of dance re-mixes were only available to radio and club disc jockeys. But record companies realized that collecting-crazy fans would pay good money for these re-mixes. So count your blessings they are now available to you.

Re-mixed songs usually contain some stripped-down instrumental sections primarily intended to aide dj's in blending one dance song to the next without people leaving the dance floor. They may also offer alternate versions with different moods to stimulate (or sedate) the crowd on the dance floor.

But when listening to a re-mix collection remember it is not primarily intended to be listened to like an album. It is primarily created for dance dj's to be able to keep a continuous beat going on the dance floor and keep the crowd jumpin'.

A prime example is cut # 7 on this Sarah Brightman CD. Sarah's vocal is completely absent on "A Question of Honour (Pech remix)". Instead we are treated to the male chorus chanting "when two men collide", an infectious beat, and vocal samples of Michael "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Buffer.

In fact two men DID collide at the 1995 World Boxing Championship fight in Germany and we hear Buffer announcing the introductions of Henry Maske and "Rocky"Graciano Rocchigiani. Sarah originally performed "A Question of Honour" at that fight.

This collection of re-mixes is sure to have a version or two you will like.

Hi there, Sarah Brightman fans. This enhanced single is at least half of what I expected! The mixes for "A whiter shade of pale" are all excellent, but what happened with "A question of honor"?

The only great versions of "AQOH" are the radio edit (1st) and the Tom Lord Alge remix (5th). They are both very similar, but the Tom Lord Alge cut appears on the Fly cd as album version. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th versions of AQOH are boring and pay little to no tribute to Sarah and her remarkable voice. As a matter of fact, in the Pech remix, Sarah doesn't even sing, except for the high note repeated 3 or 4 times! All you will here there is the voice of an announcer through the entire song.

On the brighter side, the La Luna screensaver and La Luna video clip are stunning. What a nice bonus.

All cuts of "AWSOP" are great, and they go from Classical to Dance Club. Equal attention goes out to the 4 remixers mentioned on this song. They are Paralyzer, ATB and Rhys Fulber/Tom Holkenborg.

And yes, the packaging is attractive, in its paper cover. Wear and tear might happen sooner to some, but the photo inside is nice. Now comes the 3 stars thing. I actually want to rate this CD single 3.5 stars because it gives the item an "almost" fair halfway chance. And you can't get many commercial singles with 2 songs of 5 versions each plus an enhanced section. So, because of the 2 good versions of "AQOH", I had to rate it at least another half a star.

Now with all that said, considering it is a Sarah Brightman item, it's great for collectors and Sarah fans. Buy it if you like. Maybe you will appreciate the 3 other versions of "AQOH".

For anyone who wants the track listing, here it is. A Whiter Shade Of Pale 1) radio edit 3:10 2) ATB remix 8:32 3) Ecstasy mix 3:12 4) Paralyzer 6:05 5) ATB radio edit 3:57

A Question Of Honor 1) radio edit 5:19 2) pech remix 5:18 3) knock out mix 8:15 4) damage control mix 6:03 5) Tom Lord-Alge mix 6:39

(Xtra stuff) la luna screen saver and video clip, sign-up for Sarah Brightman mailing list, access to angel records web site.

Did my review help you?

Okay, maybe it's my fault for not knowing who ATB is, or any of the other "remixers". I'm just a Sarah Brightman fan, and I love, love, love the two songs being remixed, so I bought this CD. Imagine my surprise when none of these remixes sound ANYTHING like the originals! NOT A BIT! NOTHING! NADA!

Well, imagine how you would feel if you bought a single marked "Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, remix" and you got Puff Daddy's "Come With Me"? You'd be kind of ticked-off, don't you think? And yet, there's more in common between "Kashmir" & "Come With Me" than there is with some of the tracks on this album. There is literally THREE SAMPLES--three Brightman Wails--from "Question Of Honour" lost in eight and a half minutes of generic dance music.

These people may be geniuses in the world of dance music, but then why was the album billed as being by Sarah Brightman? Why wasn't the artist listed as ATB, or Paralyzer, or whoever?

The only reason I'm even giving this album two stars is because two of the mixes are okay, and it is an enhanced CD (the real reason I'm not returning it). The Tom Lord-Alge remix of "Question..." is actually the one used on Ms. Brightman's FLY album, and one of the "Whiter..." remixes (I think maybe the Paralyzer one) is listenable.

Well folks I've completely re-written my entire review due to drastically conversed feelings toward the remixes of A Whiter Shade Of Pale.Through passing time I've grown to really enjoy each and every remix, save A Question Of Honour. The radio edit, the Tom Lord-Agle remix, (which is simply a longer more satisfying version found on her Fly cd) and the Damaged Control mix are all excellent - but what happened to the other two?! The use of her voice is to a minimum (which I find a disgrace) and are flatout annoying; especially the Pech remix with the consistancy of a man repeatedly saying: Question ... Of Honour. Shut up already! On the other hand, though, A.W.S.O.P. remixes are just glorious, giving Sarah's voice an ethereal edge backed with ambient and melodic trance dubs. This includes the original edit from her La Luna cd and mixes by ATB, Ex-Delerium Rhys Fulber/Tom Holkenborg, and Paralyzer. This enhanced cd also includes the La Luna interactive screensaver and music video as a bonus. I have to admit though, that the true gem of this single is A Question Of Honour. That song by itself stands out as amazing. It just might arguably be one of her best songs to date.... I like how it fuses a unique blend of rock, pop, techno, and opera. Trust me people, if not for the remixes than buy this soley for that. This is opera that won't put you to sleep.

Good but slightly flawed.

I highly recommend Sarah's other works Eden and La Luna. Also, if you like the flow of opera and techno together, I advice you pick up Jean-Patrick Capdevielle's Opera Trance. You won't be disappointed. I promise.

This album is basically a remix album. If you are looking for some of Sarah's more classic stuff, then don't look here. This is all high-energy techno remixes that will get you jumping out on the dance floor. I was a little bit nervous to buy this CD, since the 2 songs are already songs that are on my other CD's, but let me tell you what, this is one cool disc that you won't be upset with. In addition to the songs on here, this is an enhanced CD that has a music video and screensaver on it. If you want the change to see her in action, then pick this one up today!

Might I inform you that this CD single has 10 remixes of two spectacular songs, A Question of Honour (from her rap/trip hop Fly CD) and A Whiter Shade of Pale (from her classic pop CD La Luna). This single also features an extraordinary enhanced CD feature. The remixes are listed as follows:

1. A Whiter Shade of Pale (Radio Edit)

2. A Whiter Shade of Pale (ATB Remix)

3. A Whiter Shade of Pale (Ecstasy Mix) <----(not a drug;) )

4. A Whiter Shade of Pale (Paralyzer Remix)

5. A Whiter Shade of Pale (ATB Radio Edit)

6. A Question of Honour (Radio Edit)

7. A Question of Honour (Pech Remix)

8. A Question of Honour (Knock Out Mix)

9. A Question of Honour (Damage Control Mix)

10.A Question of Honour (Tom Lord-Alge Mix)

The CD's Enhanced Features include an Interactive Screensaver and the EXCLUSIVE video for the "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Remix (from ATB), which can not be found on the DVD.

Overall, this CD is full of bouncin' beats, trippin' tunes, and vibrant vocals! Purchase this project soon! You will not be disappointed!

....

While this is a great CD, it may only be worth the price for a hard-core Sarah Brightman fan: although it's a little cheaper through some online merchants, it usually costs as much as an oridnary CD.

The CD contains five new mixes of one of Sarah's most recent covers, "A Whiter Shade of Pale":

..1. - Radio Edit - simply the original 'La Luna' version, minus the orchestral bit between vocal segments ..2. - ATB Remix - A LONG but well-done dance mix - very loud, with a seriously heavy bass line ..3. - Ecstasy Mix - A wonderful, very mellow mix, with a psychadelic twang - actually better than the orignal song. ..4. - Paralzyer Mix - A slightly shorter, faster, and weirder dance remix ..5. - ATB Radio Edit - track two, only cut about in half, so it's actually a song instead of a dance...VERY cool

The CD also contains:

..La Luna Screensaver - shows four images of Sarah over and over, while playing 'La Luna's intro over and over...cool, but nothing to write home about.

..ATB Radio Edit Video - Now /this/ was a neat idea: a remix of the original music video, set to the ATB Radio Edit. A bit corny in parts (Sarah with a remote-control moon rover, Sarah on NASA's mission screen), but pretty cool nonetheless.

..A Question of Honour 1995 German Single - Throwing in the original single for the song that was revived in the 'La Luna' tour was really a neat idea. Of course, since it's mid-90s from Germany, there's lots of really bad almost disco-esque stuff on here, but still...

...6. - Radio Edit - A shorter version of Track 10, with a few minor sound effect changes. ...7. - Pech Remix - Long, boring...hardly any singing, mostly really ancient dance music. ...8. - Knockout Mix - Again, long and boring. More singing this time, but it also has some really corny, deep robot voice in the background bellowing 'Question...of Honour...Question...of Honour...' ...9. - Damage Control Mix - in my opinion, this is the best song on the CD. Opens with a very cool keyboard part, skips the opera altogether... ...10. - Lord Tom-Alge Remix - The song. This is what was sung in the concert, what's on the Fly CD...I didn't even know it wasn't the original song till this single was released.

I keep buying her recordings and I paid good money to go to her concerts. I do not know if she is the best, but there are not too many equals to her either. This CD is right on the top of the world.

This little CD is jammed with stuff. Not to mention the remixes of Question of HOnor and Whiter Shade of Pale, but it also includes a screensaver which is absolutely stunning. I've enjoyed it. If I were a disc jockey it would certainly be a must. For me, I just pop it in rotation with all my other CD's...I don't know many people who can listen to remix after remix such as these unless they are in a club or at a party. But, don't let it diminish my message-these are fabulous remixes!

I haven't been a Sarah Brightman far too long, maybe two years I think. I am not a fan of opera music by all means, a lot of it bores me or gets on my last nerves. Although her music isn't pure opera, Sarah still manages to take elements of opera music and make it interesting for this music fan. I think Sarah has one of the most beautiful voices on this planet. She sings like an angel. My first Sarah Brightman album was 2000's "La Luna", which remains a personal fave of mine. One of my favorite songs on the album is the Procol Harum cover "A Whiter Shade of Pale". Sarah does a stunning interpretation of the classic rock song. I came across the single for "A White Shade of Pale/A Question of Honour" a couple of years ago and was intrigued to see that there were remixes of the songs. I was eager to hear what Sarah would sound like remixed. There were some good mixes and some not-so good mixes. I wasn't too fond of the Ecstasy mix of "A Whiter Shade of Pale". As much as I enjoy Rhys Fulber's work in general, I didn't think he did a great job remixing this particular song. It was too mellow. I preferred the more uptempo remixes like the ATB remix and my personal favorite the Paralyzer Remix, a killer trance track. As far as "A Question of Honour", the Pech remix got on my nerves. How typically cheesy. Of all the remixes, I felt that the Damage Control remix was the best although I did enjoy the Knock Out mix and Tom Lord-Alge's mix. Despite its flaws, I would just love it if Sarah would put out more remixes of her songs. That would totally rock my world. It would show a totally different side of Sarah's music that listeners rarely hear.