The one thing I can say for certainty about this release is it wasn't released in the US. It's a European release, though I'm not 100% sure I know the country of origin. I remember discovering this disc and going out of my way to locate a copy. I think I bought it on eBay or Amazon. I do remember this was a disc I went looking for and I paid whatever was asked to get it. This disc is basically a remix EP. The mixes contained on the disc span the duo's first three records. Two of the mixes are from their debut release, "Wendy And Lisa", three are from "Fruit At The Bottom" and the last one is from "Eroica". The title of the album is interesting. It's playing on the word reincarnation. And that's not entirely far from the truth. Each one of the songs appearing on this disc is reborn in a remix. Not always successfully, but reborn nonetheless. The first track is 'Lolly Lolly' and it's remixed by William Orbit. It's a fairly straight forward mix. The drum track is altered and there are some new electro sounds added in. Some of the instrumentation is stripped out making it a deeper cut, but that move sacrifices the cheerful nature of the tune and makes it sound a little dull. Nellee Hooper is responsible for the 'Waterfall' mix and this is by far, the best mix on the disc. It's subdued, flowing and it compliments the song rather than obstructs it. I quite love this mix actually. 'Are You My Baby' is remixed by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osbourne. They add some deep bass grooves, but stay fairly faithful to the original. Nothing wrong here. I think of all Wendy & Lisa tracks, this one is probably the most remixed. 'Staring At The Sun' is reworked by Youth and The Orb. It has a psychedelic intro added and then it moves into an almost spiritual tantric version of itself. The drum track is completely unnecessary. The piano and vocals could carry this mix all on their own. It's soaring and lovely. D.J. Premier tackles 'Satisfaction' and this is perhaps the most staggeringly different mix of the whole bunch. Virtually all the music is scrapped in favor of the pseudo swing beat Premier makes. It doesn't compliment the song and seems quite at odds with the vocals. About the only thing it does compliment is the rap added toward the end. Unnecessary. Finally, Steve Anderson hypes up 'Sideshow'. This is another great mix with the addition of percussion. I think this mix demonstrates how instrumentation can enhance a track while the previous number distracts. Ultimately, this is a great disc and one well worth owning if you're a fan. I'm not sure what it's selling for these days, but if it's too much, you may want to consider buying a digital copy. No matter what you do one thing is certain, Wendy & Lisa wrote amazing music and it lends itself well to mixing. My final words: DON'T MISS RE-DISCOVERING THESE CLASSIC TUNES IN THEIR NEW FORMS! WENDY & LISA - RE-MIX-IN-A-CARNATION 01. Lolly Lolly (William Orbit Remix) 02. Waterfall (Nellee Hooper Remix) 03. Are You My Baby (Paul Oakenfold And Steve Osbourne Remix) 04. Staring At The Sun (Youth And The Orb Remix) 05. Satisfaction (Gangstarr Remix) 06. Sideshow (1991 Remix)
No Doubt was a huge band in the 90's. Especially in Vegas. Everyone was listening to them. They were a huge band. Despite the fact you couldn't throw a brick without hitting them, I never really got into them. I liked the songs they had on the radio but never enough to actually buy any of their records. The only reason I bought this disc was because Prince works on it. He contributed to one song, so it had the potential of being one of those discs that you fork out the money for one measly track. But 'Rock Steady' survives my one hit Prince collection quagmire and comes on like a one, two punch.
This is quite a different record for no doubt. They were on the cusp of that midway alternative ska movement. Even though this album has a lot of that swing beat to it, it also incorporates more electronica than before and has elements of reggae as well. The band enlisted some serious producers for this record. Whether that was intentional to produce a specific sound, get a hit album or just because they liked the people they worked with; the eclectic feel of the disc makes it truly infectious and listenable.
'Hella Good' starts the disc off with an amazing beat and forceful song. It's easily the most powerful and straight forward track on the album. It's produced by Nellee Hooper who also produces 'Detective', 'Running', 'In My Head' and 'Rock Steady'. Oddly enough, not only is Hooper partially responsible for the strongest song on the disc, he's also on the hook for the weakest... 'Detective' is my least favorite track. It is odd enough to make me think it's one of those tracks you either completely love or hate. In my case, it's hate.
Cars veteran, Ric Ocasek picks up the reigns for a couple of songs, both having that very obvious Cars sound and beat. They're both enjoyable numbers. They're not the most exciting, but they're good fair. William Orbit shows up for a disappointing showing with 'Making Out'. The Sly & Robbie tracks are pretty good. I've never heard of Steely & Clevie, but I really like 'Start The Fire'.
The Prince track, 'Waiting Room' isn't the best track on the disc. Usually, it's the strongest. In this case, not so. However, it is the most unique and pretty good overall. I quite like it and more than some of his other collaborations, I feel this song fits quite well with the diverse material on this disc.
I'm not the biggest No Doubt fan out there, but if they were releasing material like this all the time, I'd be all over them. It's a surprising disc full of wonderful musical moments. No Doubt fans won't be shocked at the excellence of this album, but casual listeners might wanna give the band a shot. At least with this one. They rock steady, no doubt. My final word: YES! NO DOUBT - ROCK STEADY 01. Intro 02. Hella Good 03. Hey Baby 04. Making Out 05. Underneath It All 06. Detective 07. Don't Let Me Down 08. Start The Fire 09. Running 10. In My Head 11. Platinum Blonde Life 12. Waiting Room 13. Rock Steady
Crazy is a great tune and in the grand tradition of single releases, we're treated to a plethora of mixes, odds and ends. The 'Crazy (Single Mix)' is more or less an edit of the album version. The second track mixed by William Orbit is probably my favorite of all the mixes. There's a wonderful build and blend to the mix that really stands out. The 'Crazy (Acoustic Version/Instrumental Version)' is an interesting piece. It starts out with a great acoustic rendition of the song with Seal's vocals to the fore and suddenly morphs into an ambient rhythm. It's a strange choice to combine such different sounding versions together and seems slightly haphazard.
'Crazy (A Cappella Mix)' isn't entirely an accurate description of the next mix. Seal's vocals are backed by odd bleeps and trance noises used for orchestration. It's more like a science experiment than a decent mix. 'Krazy' is Tim Simenon's version of the track and is also a satisfying mix. The final two mixes didn't leave a huge impression aside from what seems like a different vocal performance on the 'Crazy (Chick On My Tip Mix)'.
'Sparkle', the single's only b-side is a danceable tune with a lively beat and repetitive lyrics. Despite it's limited scope, it's an entertaining ditty and enjoyable to listen to.
Often, singles get bogged down in mixes that identify more with the mixers than the original band and performance. In this case, careful attention has been paid to maintain the integrity of Seal's original release. With special vocal tracks on mixes and an interesting b-side this is a great single to own. Well worth the expense. My final words: WELL BALANCED. SEAL - CRAZY 01. Crazy (Single Mix) 02. Crazy (William Orbit Mix) 03. Crazy (Acoustic Version/Instrumental Version) 04. Crazy (A Cappella Mix) 05. Sparkle (Extended Version) 06. Krazy 07. Crazy (Do You Know The Way To L.A. Mix) 08. Crazy (Chick On My Tip Mix)
