| CD Reviews Andrew Murray: Hell
Or High Water
By Graham Clifford
Vocalists don’t come much better than former De Dannan lead man Andrew
Murray. Since having left the world-renowned Galway ballad stars he has
branched out and his new album Hell Or High Water is set to propel the Donegal
man to the frontline of Irish traditional music.
The songs chosen are a mix of old Irish, Scottish and English folk songs
as well as some newly-written ones. However while many of these are wonderful
pieces of work Murray’s interpretation of them seems lifeless.
Like his young namesake in the tennis sphere there is no doubting Murray’s
fine ability. He has received rave reviews for his gifted voice from many
parts of the entertainment industry in Ireland and has delighted traditional
and folk music fans from Beijing to his native Inisbofin.
But for me there is a lack of emotion and over cautious delivery on many
of the tracks on this album, which by the way has a cover that Daniel O’Donnell
would be proud of.
Various Artistes: The Very Best Of Now Dance
By Phil Savva
The boys and girls at NOW... have a tried and trusted formula. It has
served them well over a number of years and shows no signs of flagging.
Compilation albums are always big business and big-sellers and NOW...
have the market pretty well cornered with their variations thereof.
This particular collection focuses on the best of the Now Dance collections
with the emphasis on the more chart-orientated tunes.
With the likes of Kylie Minogue (Can’t Get You Out Of My Head), Britney
Spears (Toxic), DJ Otzi (Hey Baby) and Diana Ross (Chain Reaction) you get
the idea.
But there’s also something for the more hardened dance fanatic with offerings
from The Chemical Brothers (Hey Boy Hey Girl), BBE (Seven Days And One Week),
DJ Quicksilver (Belissima) and the N Trance classic Set You Free.
This triple album delivers on all fronts and is a must for any prospective
party. Buy it.
Paul Van Dyk: The Politics Of Dancing Vol 2
By Phil Savva
One of the truly superstar DJs releases his new album of remixes.
Thirty-two tracks of club magic that are guaranteed to tickle your palate
in whatever style or format you enjoy.
CD1 opens with a slower track from Alex Gold titled String Theory while
Tranquillity Base’s Getting Away makes good use of synth rhythms. Calmec’s
Tangerine is a pretty smooth piece of synth-based music that has a certain
haunting quality to it.
Dance music is all about energy and making you feel good and there’s
certainly no shortage of that here. Jose Zamora & Damian DP’s Transatlantic
is quite simply superb as is Shiloh’s Dream On.
Lobo’s Why? is a great piece of electro dance using bass and synth combinations
to good effect.
Other decent tracks come from Marc Van Kinden (Forbidden Love), Mr Sam
(Lyteo) and Solange (Messages).
On CD2 Van Dyk’s own recent hit single release The Other Side opens and
other stand-out tracks come from Yellow Blackbird (Superfly), Marco V (Close
Horizon) and C J Stone (Shine).
One of the big appeals of this collection is the length of the tracks.
Club numbers tend to be anything over five minutes long but here it mixes
and matches the long and the short.
Of course it doesn’t work all the time and dance music has always been
accused of being repetitive but nonetheless it’s survived its critics and
will continue to flourish for some time to come.
Various Artistes: ITV 50 The Album
By Phil Savva
ITV recently celebrated 50 years of broadcasting. Over that period they
have come up with some pretty damn good programmes ranging from high drama
to high comedy.
This CD features a collection of theme tunes from some of the biggest
of those programmes.
While not immediately an obvious choice for an album release I guess
it will have its appeal to some and certainly there are some classic and
classical tunes on offer.
Ranging all the way back to Wagon Train, The Untouchables and Coronation
Street to more recent TV memories like Inspector Morse, London’s Burning
and A Touch Of Frost.
Definitely a trip down nostalgia lane for those who want to make it.
Sugashak: Sunshine Daze
By Phil Savva
As the final throes of summer recede into the distance Sugashak give
us a last brief taste of that feelgood factor.
Sunshine Daze is a jaunty enough, get-you-on-your-feet dance single that
— given the right atmosphere and location — will have you up with the rest
of them.
Revamped from the 1970s Osibisa classic it never quite reaches the same
heights but then nobody’s pefect.
Rachel Starr: Till There Was You
By Phil Savva
Widely tipped by many of the top DJs this single from California-based
Rachael Starr doesn’t quite cut it for me.
Positiva has a great reputation for new and innovative dance music but
I felt this fell a little short. It’s pleasant enough but not one I’d be
jumping up and thinking “I gotta dance to this”.
Comes with the obligatory mixes of which Reflekt’s is the best.
Various Artistes: Ultimate Disney Princess
By Grainne McLoughlin
This is the kind of album that has magical powers.
Certainly if you’re feeling any way down, it’s the very thing to raise
your spirits right up again.
A compilation unlike any other, Ultimate Disney Princess is definitely
one for fans of Disney classics everywhere. From Aladdin’s A Whole New World,
the Little Mermaid’s Part of Your World, Beauty And the Beast, the Lion
King’s Can You Feel The Love Tonight to Mary Poppins’ A Spoonful Of Sugar,
there’s something for everybody.
Not just for little girls, I guarantee everyone would get a kick out
of this magical album. And with a special song lyric booklet to complement
the sing-a-long CD, you can follow the words in the book and become word
perfect in no time at all.
Three Miles From: Division Demotion
By Patrick Foley
The debut single by London-based four-piece Three Miles From is not bad.
Division Demotion is the first track to be taken from the band’s debut album
entitled Optional Paralysis, due for release next year.
Written as a bitter response to a failed relationship and the band’s
apparent disillusionment at modern culture, it’s not a bad offering to the
industry.
With simplistic lyrics and vitriolic attitude, Division Demotion does
well to deliver a message.
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