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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Remix Album For True Mariah Fans, November 2, 2003
Being the huge Mariah Carey fan that I am, I rushed out a few weeks ago and bought this CD the day it was released. I wasn't expecting much because Remix albums never impress me much, but I have to say that I am rather pleased with this purchase. No way is this my favourite Mariah album, I don't even think I'd include it in a list of my top 10 albums by her, but it is a good remix album which brings together some of Mariah's biggest hits from the past ten years on two discs of superb Mariah remixes. Such is the popularity of Mariah Carey's remixes that you get two discs here for the price of one. Disc One features nine dance remixes that are made for the clubs, while Disc Two has twelve R'n'B classics from Mariah in the latter part of her career.
Disc One starts off with the brilliant "My All - Morales 'My' Club Mix." Thunderous beats and gospel-style vocals from backing singers work wonderfully with Mariah's soulful voice on this original ballad, reworked for the clubs. "Heartbreaker/ If You Should Ever Be Lonely - Junior's Heartbreaker Club Mix" is up next and runs for more than ten minutes of disco perfection. "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise) - Fly Away Club Mix" is an extended version of the reprise that is featured on Mariah's 1997 Butterfly album. This version isn't as good, but the vocal styles and instruments half way through are wonderful. "Anytime You Need A Friend - C&C Club Version" and "Fantasy - Def Club Mix" are up next, but don't quite live up to the standard we have seen so far. "Honey - Classic Mix" is exactly as it says, classic! The beat drives the song totally. "Dreamlover - Def Club Mix" is just weird! The rhythm at the start sounds so camp and old that you can't help but like it. Her vocals dip and rise all over the place, and it works rather well. "Emotions - 12" Club Mix" and "Through The Rain - HQ2 Radio Edit" work well to round off this first disc.
Disc Two opens with "Fantasy - Featuring O.D.B." which is the classic R'n'B remix. "Always Be My Baby - Mr. Dupri Mix Featuring Da Brat & Xscape" is a slowed-down, mid-tempo version of the original, while "My All/Stay Awhile - So So Def Remix Featuring Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz" is one that I have being playing to death. It rules beyond belief. "Breakdown - Featuring Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone" is the original version, while "Honey - So So Def Mix Featuring Da Brat & JD" is also featured on some special editions of the Butterfly album. "Loverboy - Remix Featuring Da Brat, Ludacris, Twenty II & Shawnna" is a fantastic party track, which ultimately saw the demise of Mariah's career in 2001. The highlight of this disc comes with "Heartbreaker - Remix Featuring Da Brat & Missy Elliott." This is the version you see in the black and white version of the video, the R'n'B remix which you just can't help but groove to. "Sweetheart" is just the original version, "Crybaby - Featuring Snoop Dogg" featured on the Rainbow album and "Miss You - Featuring Jadakiss" is another highlight with it's cool and funky beats. "The One - So So Def Remix Featuring Bone Crusher" is an awesome remix of the original version from the Charmbracelet album, and the album closes with the huge hit "I Know What You Want - Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey Featuring Flipmode Squad."
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10
The only think that stopped me from giving this album five stars was the fact that quite a few songs on Disc Two are songs we either already had on previous albums, or remixes that aren't quite good enough for this album. This album has flopped in the charts both in America and Britain because of a lack of promotion. Mariah did not need telling about the release of this album, as it was all planned by her ex-husband, the rat Tommy Motola! In the end Columbia, Sony, Virgin, Def Jam and Mariah herself joined forces and the album was finally released! Disc One has some of the club remixes that you can listen to when you want to get your groove on, while Disc Two is a treat for all hip-hip/R'n'B fans and is perfect for chilling with mates to. This is essential for Mariah Carey fans, but not for casual listeners. There's something for every Mariah fan here, a worthy purchase.
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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mariah on Fire., October 19, 2003
I wouldn't classify myself as a huge fan of Mariah Carey, but this much is certain: she usually releases some pretty impressive remixes. "The Remixes" doesn't boast any new material: it's an unmixed compilation of previously released club mixes that cover her entire career to date. Most of the tracks appear in their full length version and are divided between 2 discs: one is house music and another is hip hop. Maybe it's because I'm biased towards house music, but I found the first disc to be the more enjoyable of the two. David Morales near dominates this set with some impressive re-workings of cuts like "Dreamlover" and "Fantasy." I'm not a huge fan of the original versions of either of these songs, but Morales gives these cuts his own disco flavor to make you forget the banality of their lyrics. Disc two is for the hip hop heads, and there's enough good stuff on this disc to make it noteworthy. Some standouts include the remix of "My All," which segues into a remake of the Loose Ends classic "Stay Awhile," and "Thank God I Found You" more than liberally samples Keith Sweat's "Make it Last Forever." The disc closes with one of 2003's catchiest singles, "I Know What You Want" featuring Busta Rhymes. The 13 cuts on this disc are pretty enjoyable samples of radio-friendly hip hop, although not all are remixes. "Sweetheart" (with Jermaine Dupri) and "Crybaby" (with Snoop Dogg) both appear in their original versions. I didn't seem to mind that, for they blend in with the rest of the other tracks nicely. While "The Remixes" doesn't really present anything new, it's a pretty good compilation of Mariah's club hits.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING!, October 15, 2003
This is the best remix cd that has come out, and will ever come out. It's completely different from your ordinary Remix album, where mariah actually included club mixes, which get you up and movin. Her hip hop based second disc is amazing, which never before heard remixes such as "Honey" (so so def remix), which is one of the better remixes. Or classic remixes such as My All/Stay Awhile, which is some of the first taste of real hip hop that mariah hit us with, (outside of her colabo with odb.) On the first disc, "Heartbreaker/If You should Ever Be Lonely" is addicting! I'M HOOKED! ALL TOGETHER YOU WONT FIND A REMIX CD LIKE THIS...THIS IS THE WORTH YOUR MONEY, AND YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED, IF YOU LIKE TO DANCE, AND IF YOU LOVE HIP HOP, WITH A LITTLE POP FLAVA TO IT, YOU'LL LOVE THIS ALBUM! MARIAH'S BANGIN', AND I WONT EVER STOP LOVIN HER, AND HER MUSIC!
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