Even Better Than The Real Thing Vol 3
With any collection of this sort, some tracks don’t work as well as others. However, there are so many highlights here that it seems churlish to focus on the few that don’t work.
John Walshe, 05 Apr 2005
There’s something deeply ironic about a host of Irish acts releasing an album of U2 covers, considering many of them probably spent their entire careers trying to escape from the famous four’s considerable shadow, while the majority of the others were arguably at pains to prove they were never in that shadow in the first place. That said, what better reason for the current crop to embrace U2’s musical heritage than to contribute proceeds to the Unicef Tsunami Relief Fund.
To be fair, most of the acts present seem to relish the opportunity to get their teeth into their chosen songs. The Frames, for example, seem practically born to tackle ‘40’. It’s a case of play it again psalm, as the song’s inherent spirituality fits seamlessly with their modus operandi, and a bloody great version it is too. BellX1’s take on Rattle & Hum’s ‘Heartlands’ is similarly endowed with the desire and ability to make the track sound their own, Paul Noonan’s understated vocal and the unusual arrangement perfectly complementing the song’s brooding sensuality. Similarly, Mundy takes the staccato sensibilities of War’s ‘Seconds’ and turns it into a warm, yet fiery indictment of the politicians of the modern age, while Aslan’s haunting version of ‘New Year’s Day’ is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 25-song double album.
Elsewhere Paddy Casey’s fragile take on ‘Mothers Of The Disappeared’ is quietly arresting, while Jerry Fish’s simple, countrified ‘One’ shows that the song’s powerful lyrics don’t need bells and whistles to make them shine. The Walls’ ‘With Or Without You’ is deliciously delicate, and The Devlins’ ‘Love Is Blindness’ is as warm as an open fire, with some gorgeous violin courtesy of Sharon Corr.
With any collection of this sort, some tracks don’t work as well as others. Juliet Turner’s attempt at ‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, Roesy’s ‘Love Rescue Me’, George Murphy’s ‘Van Diemen’s Land’ and Mickey Harte’s take on my favourite U2 track, ‘Running To Stand Still’ all seem to lose something of those songs’ inherent power amid overwrought vocals or over-complicated arrangements.
However, there are so many highlights here that it seems churlish to focus on the few that don’t work. In the main, Even Better Than The Real Thing Volume 3 is a collection of great songs, performed by massively talented artists.
John Walshe
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And we did. and now we’re doing it again. Liam Mackey rounds up the maddest, baddest and most memorable sayings in Hot Press over the last 12 months
2003-01-08 - Interview
"In time, we might just come to look back on this as a vintage year. It belonged, almost inevitably, to Coldplay": Phil Udell recalls his 2002
2003-01-06 - Interview
Stuart Clark rounds up the music news stories that made headlines in 2002
2003-01-06 - News
Old News Is Good News Special : Hot Press writers pick their fave music writing of 2002
2002-12-20 - Interview
...it's time for your say. Write your own "end-of-year roundup" - and be in to win no less than the 30 best albums of 2002. Yowsa!
2002-12-20 - News
The Department of Communications is to recommend that the Broadcasting Commission make more radio licenses available
2002-12-18 - News
8 Mile has opened in the States to rave reviews and a rapturous public reception. The film soundtrack, masterminded by Eminem, deserves more of the same
2002-12-18 - REVIEW
It’s Christmas, time for some of the leading lights of the Irish musical family to return from far-flung stages and convene for a traditional evening of reflection, revelation, conversation, merriment and, well, gargle. The guests: Glen Hansard and Colm Mac Con Iomaire of The Frames, Gemma Hayes, Mundy and David Kitt.
2002-12-18 - Interview
One-off clubs, chillout nights, New Year's Eve events and of course gigs, gigs, and more gigs to suit your every mood: hotpress.com picks the very best stuff to do over the holiday
2002-12-16 - News
The MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 may have been a bit of a damp squib, but an electrifying Foo Fighters, a boards-sweeping Eminem and a nekkid Christina Aguilera prevented it from being a total washout.
2002-12-16 - Interview
Even aside from the abundance of quality tracks, the boo boos have a tongue in cheek “I know I’m making a fool of myself but I don’t care” twang to them
2002-12-16 - REVIEW
Glastonbury denied an entertainment license due to "inadequate security, damage to local environment" and having "outgrown" its usual festival grounds. "We are not too bothered," says founder Michael Eavis, who plans to appeal. "I think it's going to be fine"
2002-12-13 - News
Adrian Crowley, Nina Hynes and friends play a gig in support of There Is Hope, a suicide prevention charity, this weekend in Dundalk
2002-12-12 - News
Adrian Crowley, Nina Hynes and friends play a gig in support of There Is Hope, a suicide prevention charity, this weekend in Dundalk
2002-12-12 - News
Northern Irish punk legend Terry Hooley gets the biopic treatment in new film Big Time
2002-12-11 - News
Hot Press can reveal that the line-up for next year's Heineken Rollercoaster tour is The Frank & Walters, Turn and Woodstar.
2002-12-08 - News
Featuring a gorilla-sized compilation from Goppa Records, the inaugural Foggy Notions tour; and a rare My Bloody Valentine-spotting in Whelans
2002-12-05 - News
Christy Moore, Paul Brady and Paddy Moloney to publicly oppose Section 21 of new Arts Bill, which proposes to financially separate traditional music from the rest of the Arts Council's remit
2002-12-04 - News
Gobsmacking live gig/TV series 'Other Voices' - featuring shining lights of new Irish music - planned for local church in Dingle in December
2002-12-02 - News
The Reading Festival is definitely coming to Ireland next year, say the Mean Fiddler Organisation. Not so fast, say MCD. Let the games begin...
2002-12-02 - News
As High Fidelity’s Rob so rightly said, there’s an art to making a good compilation
2002-11-29 - REVIEW
Art/design/music collective The Whispering Gallery feel the noise in Dublin's Project
2002-11-27 - News
Ten years on we come upon a timely update showcasing some of the artists featured on the first album as well as a pleasure cruise through some not catered for back then
2002-11-25 - REVIEW
This reviewer’s problem is with the ‘Hits’ part of the title. It means that all the songs are necessarily singles, and therefore not necessarily the work of bands at their musical best
2002-11-23 - REVIEW
'Tis the season, so it's Christmas gigs a-go-go with Woodstar, Josh'n'James, the Juice Machine and a Very Corpo Christmas Caper to say the least. Ho ho ho
2002-11-21 - News
Barcelona might have Sonar, but, on the strength of its debut outing, Dublin’s DEAF is also set to become an essential date in the global electronic diary.
2002-11-19 - REVIEW
1 Love, is a compilation album of major artists covering number one hits from the past 50 years, with the proceeds going to the War Child charit
2002-11-11 - REVIEW
MCD and Aiken prepare for a war of the promoters over the Rolling Stones' Irish leg of their world tour
2002-11-05 - News
Get ready for new Dublin rom-com Goldfish Memory - not to mention its soundtrack, featuring Hedrock Valley Beats, Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan and Glen Hansard among others
2002-11-01 - News
Irish festivalgoers are going to be spoilt for choice next year, as Witnness, Green Energy and Slane will be sharing the calendar with an Irish version of (wait for it!) the Reading Festival
2002-11-01 - News
The quadruple-covered collector's edition of your favourite mag is dangerously close to selling out nationwide - so we need your help restocking while it lasts. Yes there IS something in it for you, since you ask
2002-11-01 - News
Want to be a singer/dancer/actor (circle as appropriate), do you? Or are you just an attention junkie? Either way, Ireland's first-ever Showbiz Bootcamp (featuring your guide, "life coach" Judymay Murphy) will sort you out
2002-10-25 - News
The second in a monthly series of showcase nights designed to highlight singer-songwriter talent
2002-10-23 - REVIEW
The proceeds from a new CD featuring the cream of Ireland’s musical talent including U2, Sinéad O’Connor and Ash will benefit people living with mental illness
2002-10-22 - Interview
MTV's Base Lick Party heads to Portrush, Co. Antrim
2002-10-17 - News
The Collectivities unfortunately sells all involved a little short in the way of packaging and general presentation
2002-10-16 - REVIEW
DEAF (The Dublin Electronic Arts Festival) turns the Guinness Storehouse on, starting Saturday October 26th; and the Fleadh Electronic brings an acoustic-electric collision to Vicar Street on the 27th
2002-10-15 - News
U2, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and Phil Lynott go postal this month as a new set of Irish commemorative postage stamps is released - and Hot Press get into the act with an also-commemorative four-cover special to match. As the man said, save 'em, swop 'em, collect 'em all
2002-10-14 - News
Our mates at Witnness bring a four-tet of big names to Ireland as the next in their rather special Experience gig series
2002-10-10 - News
Fancy yourself the next Ash or JJ72? Over 14 and under 20? Then the Wella Shockwaves Unsigned Competition is waiting for your vids and demos
2002-10-09 - News
Take a group of up and coming, like-minded singer-songwriters; put them up on stage, and let them perform a short set of their own songs
2002-10-08 - REVIEW
Swap your strat for a spatula: leftfield heavyweights contribute to Document: A Story Of Hope – a cookbook with a difference
2002-09-26 - News
A thrilling collision in the Guinness Storehouse between the aural and visual worlds, Wonky2 - brainchild of Leagues O'Toole - proved that at some parties, you don't have to check your mind in at the door
2002-09-17 - Interview
It's a lazy, slow-mo Saturday with bouts of rain as the gates open for Derry's inaugural all-day outdoor music festival
2002-09-16 - REVIEW
Maybe the place is just too big, maybe the sound's too low or the songs too weak, but rapt musical attention is giving way to inflatable chair fights and beery boredom
2002-08-29 - REVIEW
Seven hours and ten DJs later, it seems clear at this, the first Smirnoff Experience since the summer break, that dance music is in shockingly good health
2002-08-28 - REVIEW
Cambridge Festival - a touch of pop, no little style, not strictly roots
2002-08-22 - REVIEW
Prodigy, Oasis, a cast of thousands and you - the full story of Witnness 2002
2002-07-31 - Interview
Kicking Against... triumphs where others falter, strictly because the only barometer for inclusion is sheer quality
2002-07-19 - REVIEW
The current penchant for 4/4 led electro probably wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Munich based DJ Hell and his rapidly expanding Deejay Gigolos empire
2002-07-19 - REVIEW
This compilation on new label Remote Audio brings together some of the more daring explorations of the style, combining tough dance floor shapes with blissed-out electronic textures
2002-07-18 - REVIEW
Like its predecessors, this double CD features some of the finest Irish and international artists in a pared-down, mostly unplugged setting, letting the songs do the talking
2002-07-05 - REVIEW
The end result is an album that is a music collector's wet dream, with enough mouth-watering partnerships to keep most music fans happy
2002-07-01 - REVIEW
To most clubbers Smirnoff Experience has become synonymous with cutting edge club-nights all around Ireland, representing house, progressive, trance and, tonight, the harder end of dance music
2002-06-20 - REVIEW
Mundy, Kila and The Revs also confirmed for tonight's World Cup homecoming in the Phoenix Park
2002-06-18 - News
Barry Murphy, Risteard Cooper and friends - Apres Match to you - head the bill at tonight's big little homecoming party for the Irish World Cup side tonight in the Phoenix Park. Oh yeah... some lot called Westlife are playing as well
2002-06-18 - News
If you only buy one deep/tech/prog comp this fortnight, make it this etc etc etc.
2002-06-18 - REVIEW
The crowd began to file out in little rivers of sunburnt Goths and bleary-eyed metallers, exhausted, damp and hollow from the final blast of euphoria
2002-06-11 - REVIEW
It must be that time of year again as the first proper chill out album of 2002 hits our desk.
2002-06-11 - REVIEW
At its core, the idea was simple enough; gather together some of the writers who had penned hits for Garth for a live show
2002-06-10 - REVIEW
If your idea of hilarity is a "I like the Pope - The Pope smokes dope" t-shirt then you might dig this
2002-06-10 - REVIEW
Spread across two CDs and clocking in at 40 tracks, the real beauty of ’80s.
2002-06-07 - REVIEW
Some of the selections on Total Lee make delirious sense in conception and execution
2002-06-04 - REVIEW
Possibly the finest collection of unsigned Irish talent I’ve ever come across in rapid succession
2002-05-31 - REVIEW
Being a 'Miami' (Miami = Ibiza for trendies) comp, there’s no trance on offer - just house and prog
2002-05-31 - REVIEW
Forget the wanky, indulgent rawk music that is force fed us by MTV2 - this is pure, it's raw and it's sometimes out of tune. Most of all it's fun.
2002-05-27 - REVIEW
Candles and quiet. Red drapes framing the makeshift stage and an evening of stolen moments to look forward to
2002-05-22 - REVIEW
In a sense, ATP is an anti-festival. Each year's 'curator' - the band who decide what other acts to invite - is willfully chosen on the grounds of their rejection or open denunciation of the mainstream music system
2002-05-20 - REVIEW
Digital T - the dizzy electronic sibling of the annual BelFest bash - returns for its second year to give good showcase action
2002-05-17 - REVIEW
'Soulful Behaviour' - mixed by DJ Addiction - gives you a bit of a flavour of the many shades of d'n'b
2002-05-16 - REVIEW
An ideal compilation for all you hotpress rockers that are reading the dance reviews by accident
2002-05-15 - REVIEW
Dead Languages is yet another must have that documents some of Dublin’s best DIY stalwarts
2002-05-10 - REVIEW
Six hot bands, a full house, a fine new venue and attitude by the yard
2002-05-08 - REVIEW
The finalists, chosen from the hundreds of entries received, were all winners of the regional heats that had taken place up and down the country since January
2002-05-07 - REVIEW
This is a quality compilation that never succumbs to musical self-indulgence
2002-05-07 - REVIEW
But seriously kids, it's only the most dedicated music fan/snob that really digs this gear ... in an oh-so-ironic way, of course
2002-05-01 - REVIEW
A collection of fresh beats from Japan, this is indeed quite worthy of your attention
2002-04-30 - REVIEW
Wonky was conceived for the eyes and ears as a celebration of the best live bands around sharing a stage with the best new electronic producers with the most entertaining visual backdrop possible courtesy of D.A.D.D.Y. and Del-9
2002-04-26 - REVIEW
The Reindeer Section return with not-difficult-at-all second album; Del 9 get The Frames animated; Kevin Shields produces Primal Scream; and The Sabbath means no work and all play
2002-04-26 - News
You should always be wary when the music media suddenly 'discover' a new sub-genre of dance music
2002-04-24 - REVIEW
This soundtrack is essentially a collage of the work of three bands - Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays - with a few house tunes and the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Clash thrown in for good measure
2002-04-22 - REVIEW
Fierce Northern Irish guitarristas Indigo Fury win Bacardi / Hot Press Plugged Band Of The Year - and go home with no less than EUR30,000 worth of music industry goodies. Congratulations! ...Lend us a tenner, willya
2002-04-19 - News
To no-one’s surprise it was Indigo Fury who bagged that last place in next week’s grand final
2002-04-16 - REVIEW
The sheer range and breath of music assembled here is staggering
2002-04-12 - REVIEW
If you're familiar with Peacefrog's work, you'll have an idea of what’s going on here - serious music that doesn’t take itself too seriously
2002-04-09 - REVIEW
The penultimate heat of this increasingly tense battle for a coveted place in next month's grand final saw five more contenders fight it out at this fine venue on the banks of the Shannon
2002-04-03 - REVIEW
Welcome to the world of electro-breaks, an underground world populated by Radioactive Man, Dublin's own Decal and the somewhat more mellow Transparent Sound
2002-04-03 - REVIEW
An enjoyable mix of drum and bass, broken, loungey beats and straight-up deep house, it succeeds where so many other compilations fail - it gets the balance right
2002-03-27 - REVIEW
The third Dublin heat of this year's increasingly interesting battle saw five very diverse acts slugging it out for a coveted place in April’s grand final
2002-03-26 - REVIEW
With a line-up boasting the likes of David Kitt, Mundy, Nina Hynes and Damien Dempsey, it’s no wonder that Trinity's Edmund Burke Theatre was jammers
2002-03-26 - REVIEW
Some of the Om compilations have been more hit than miss over the past while, but it's hard to argue with Volume 6
2002-03-22 - REVIEW
With a line-up boasting the likes of David Kitt, Mundy, Nina Hynes and Damien Dempsey, it's no wonder that Trinity’s Edmund Burke Theatre was jammers
2002-03-21 - REVIEW
Bristol label NRK are undoubtedly one of the finest house labels in the world and this, their fourth ‘best of’ compilation speaks volumes for the ruthless quality control regime they exert
2002-03-19 - REVIEW
The third heat in the Bacardi/Hotpress 'Plugged' Band Of The Year showcased a pleasingly diverse bill of young guns intent on making their mark and hoping to emulate last year's winners, Woodstar, in securing a major label deal
2002-03-13 - REVIEW
Three of the most celebrated third-degrees ever conducted by longtime Hot Press interviewer Joe Jackson
2002-03-13 - Interview
London alternative station XFM comes to Dublin - the Jameson distillery, to be exact - for Patrick's Day. On hand to enjoy tunes, competitions and free booze will be Hot Press and, possibly, you. Read on
2002-03-11 - News
The Flowers remain as positively charged as ever, and songs like 'Hallelujah Jordan' and 'Don't Go' remain among the best to come from an Irish band, but there is a uniform harmlessness to their work that begins to pall before too long
2002-03-08 - REVIEW
It's kind of hard to get over-excited about this relatively faceless kind of electronica as so much of it is often hit and miss - with a thin line between one and the other. Happily, the majority of the 11 tracks here remain on the right side of the line
2002-03-05 - REVIEW
David Holmes and Orbital are set to launch the new, state of the art, superclub-ified 1200-capacity Tivoli, opening on March 23rd
2002-03-04 - News
Listening to the label's second compilation of the last twelve months, it's clear that they don’t like to be pigeonholed
2002-02-28 - REVIEW
Sonic Youth's baby, the infant is characterised by a very furrow-browed, collegiate-American kind of overseriousness
2002-02-25 - REVIEW
The second regional heat of this year's contest saw five very different acts battling it out for a coveted place in April’s grand final
2002-02-20 - REVIEW
From the opening bars of ‘The Trip To Seapoint Set’, a composition of Conor Byrne’s, that we were in for no ordinary night was glaringly obvious
2002-02-13 - REVIEW
Look! Up in the sky! On 150 movie screens nationwide! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Hot Press' first-ever cinema advert! Extra popcorn not included
2002-02-13 - News
It's almost like a mix-tape made up for you by a mate with particularly discerning taste....
2002-02-11 - REVIEW
Belgian party people Eskimo surface with their third and best compilation to date
2002-02-07 - REVIEW
Seeing Six, A1, Hear'Say and Fifth Avenue writhing around onstage bore a striking resemblance to Barbie and Ken coming to life. And they could sing.
2002-02-04 - REVIEW
Apart from the token grinding breaks, the album represents the synergy between breaks and raw house music
2002-02-03 - REVIEW
The Heineken Rollercoaster Tour 2002 Revs up next week: wild ride guaranteed. Hop aboard...
2002-02-01 - News
New year, new talent. Peter Murphy and Chris Donovan have a peek at those who look, in the new year, like hitting their peak... You read it here first
2002-01-22 - Interview
Boasting a truly diverse line-up that united house music in all its various hues, as well as some good old fashioned rave attitude courtesy of Orbital, this was an extravaganza that lived up to the hype.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
The final outfit to hit the stage are Horizon, and there's no doubting the classic, American rock influence running through them. The judges thought they did enough to give them the nod in what was a tight contest indeed.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
New year, new tunes - are you ready for the country? And the hip-hop? And the alt.rock? Etc...
2002-01-17 - News
Hot Press Readers' Poll favourites prepare to steal the show at this year's South by Southwest. Those Texans won't know what's hit 'em...
2002-01-17 - News
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a Historic Irish Pop Moment. No. 1 DJ in the Hot Press Readers' Poll? says Tom Dunne to Dave Fanning. I'll have that, cheers...
2002-01-17 - News
There’s enough quality and originality on display here to rival anything you’ll get on the like of De:Focus, Warp and the like.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
…No Eye is beautifully presented – each song arrives with a few (amazing) photographs and a brief illustrative tale.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
For a start, the tracks – from the deeper gear {Soul Patrol) to the quirky (Derrick Carter’s bumpin’ mix of the amazing Hot Lizard, Unslung Heroes) to the downright dirty and tribal (Eastside Movement, New Alumunists, Hipp-E and most of the others) – are excellent.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
Fcomm’s chill-out album. But just as the title is original in the face of so much similar guff at the moment, so is the music.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
Holmes has got his finger well and truly on the pulse on the music of the period
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
A brave manifesto, released in conjunction with a music information website
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
You spoke, we listened: the results of the Hot Press Readers' Poll 2002
2002-01-17 - Interview
A brave manifesto, released in conjunction with a music information website
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
Easily the best compilation of its sort since the classic A-Z Of Irish Rock.
2001-12-06 - REVIEW
Howells pushes his usual diverse blend of tough, dark techno-influenced progressive gear The reliable Warren takes it a bit more ‘large’
2001-11-29 - REVIEW
Apart from the odd dodgy moment, it’s another enjoyable diversion for the non-purist skankers
2001-11-29 - REVIEW
Howells pushes his usual diverse blend of tough, dark techno-influenced progressive gear
The reliable Warren takes it a bit more ‘large’
2001-11-29 - REVIEW
The predominant style on High Altitude, the label’s first compilation, is a deep, fluid approach rather than the more familiar, tough military-style breaks.
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Am I missing the point here? Or does this latest installation of Soul Addiction sound exactly the same as the last one?
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Heading in the opposite direction of their peers, SSR, under the guiding hand of DJ Morpheus, have put together a double CD of hard-to-find, previously unavailable left-field tracks
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Collecting seven of the region’s most exciting new bands, the emphasis is most definitely on the shouty, in your face, nu-metal end of things.
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Eleven tracks from eleven artists worthy of cocking an ear or two at and seeing what you fancy.
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Songs From A Small Room is one of those rare live albums that really captures the moment – this is as real as it gets
2001-10-11 - REVIEW
Seismic represents their support of dance music’s two most modern styles – dance floor breaks and dark, techy house
2001-09-27 - REVIEW
This project was set up with the sole aim of providing an outlet where young, unsigned bands can play properly organised gigs in established venues
2001-09-13 - REVIEW
Allthough Guidance have a habit of churning out meandering deep house compilations, this 14-track label mix stands out for one particular reason – noodle house it ain’t.
2001-08-30 - REVIEW
The Burden brothers and their 430 West label have been responsible for some of the finest dance floor house and techno to come from Detroit over the last decade.
2001-08-30 - REVIEW
San Fran man DJ Garth takes the controls for this increasingly popular (and increasingly frequent) mix CD series.
2001-08-30 - REVIEW
However, despite the label’s prolific output, this fourth instalment of ‘Botchit Breaks’ provides us with the most complete overview
2001-08-02 - REVIEW
The plaudits that the first volume in the series received from such luminaries as Steve Lemaq and DJ Magazine are legion, and happily this volume is more of the same.
2001-07-05 - REVIEW
Since it set up shop three years ago, Dynamite Joint has been one of the few dance imprints that has pursued a truly eclectic vision.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
While Belgian club Eskimo will go down in history as being the only promoters to throw a party in a disused underwear factory, they obviously aren’t content to rest on their laurels (no pun intended).
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
Internet radio station Groovetech launches their record label with a compilation, and who better to compile it than the Milesahead crew, regular broadcasters on the digital station.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
The product of Jon Richards’ famed in-studio sessions on Galway Bay FM, this double album is crammed with the cream of Irish talent.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
Baz Luhrmann’s forthcoming musical is set in the 19th century, features classic songs from the 20th and was made in the 21st. A lot of big names – Bowie, Beck, Bono – have been co-opted to make this soundtrack more interesting than your average movie tie-in.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
Like Synergia 1, a bit of a mixed bag this, but worth investigating
2001-05-24 - REVIEW
Black America mightn’t have wanted a martyr like Tupac Shakur, but they got him anyway. This latest selection is the first of two double albums culled from Shakur’s dreadful “Makaveli” period.
2001-04-26 - REVIEW
Wall Of Sound leave bigbeat behind (we’ll miss you) and jump on the cred-ship with some nifty licensing action. Telle are the Norwegian label that brought you the Kings Of Convenience and Annie’s wondrous ‘Greatest Hit’, unsurprisingly included here, along with the hitherto unheard of (to most) talents of DJ and producer Erot and company.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
Chicago house label Guidance have a bit of a following amongst “those who know”. And why not? Apart from a couple of misses, their output is generally on-point in a very non-threatening kind of way.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
You had to be there, I guess. Except of course that there was actually then, 1977, and I was 15 and Ian Dury and the Blockheads released New Boots And Panties and that was the first time I ever heard the words sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll used in the same sentence.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
Despite the potential horrors of selling Irish music to an American audiences, Green Linnet has managed to avoid many of the attendant clichés that have plagued Celtic music overseas.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
BACARDI PLUGGED BAND OF THE YEAR Dolan’s Warehouse Limerick. Katie Gallagher’s Gray, Co. Wicklow.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
Not even a suspect device on the railway line could prevent the Bacardi/hotpress team from reaching Belfast for the Northern leg of the new-look plugged format.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
First on stage tonight were Lucas, whose songs were melodic and meandering but with enough unexpected twists to maintain interest, and an ultra-confident singer boasting a voice like Vedder's, but with high notes.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
Good reason to get to a gig early: if you do, you might catch a cameo from the drummer out of Slayer… Well, his nearest approximation, anyway.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
Once you see the names Brian Eno and David Holmes printed on a soundtrack tracklist, you know it has to possess at least some serious heavyweight potential.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
Once you see the names Brian Eno and David Holmes printed on a soundtrack tracklist, you know it has to possess at least some serious heavyweight potential.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
While Ireland's club scene is often praised, sometimes excessively, there is no parallel between the standard of Irish nightlife and the quality of indigenous dance music production.
2001-02-01 - REVIEW
Superstition's newest compilation displays their ability to change, refine their sound and move with the times.
2001-01-17 - REVIEW
Eukahouse and a handful of other like minded labels were responsible for some of the UK's finest dance music in 2000.
2001-01-17 - REVIEW
Bristol house label Nrk deliver the third chapter of their Nite:Life mix project, with San Fran man Miguel Migs at the helm. Mr Migs has had a pretty good year so far: a plethora of releases on Large, Yoshi Toshi and Nrk and the like.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The ultimate heist movie, The Italian Job was everything the British wanted to be in the late sixties: full of street-savvy wit and push-your-luck cheek; astoundingly sharp-dressed in an era of longhaired hippie unwashedness; nation-conqueringly sexy; composed and smirking with hubris in the face of sure disaster.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
So… Blair Witch 2 has hit the big screen and Mr Manson has assumed charge of all things original sound track. Quite fitting really. The musical emulation of hype, eyeliner and distortion pedals meets the cinematic emulation of forests, shaky cameras crews and things that go bump in the night.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The album title may not leave much to the imagination, but the best of Plus 8 proves that, during its seven-year existence [from 1990 to 1997] Hawtin and Acquaviva’s label pushed the boundaries of techno more than arguably any other imprint.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The Christmas album concept isn't fairing too well in the credibility stakes, mainly thanks to the ‘milk-it’ strategies that Cliff Richard and Dustin have perfected.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The third installment in the acclaimed Transatlantik series sees no deviation from the high quality, deeply chilled standards of its predecessors.
2000-11-23 - REVIEW
Older jazz sources may have been incorporated into techno, house, hip-hop and drum'n'bass in recent years, but this phenomenon hasn't stopped the sound itself from progressing independently, on its own terms.
2000-11-23 - REVIEW
That we have a very strong core of songwriters who have not yet made it to a high level of prominence is an accepted fact; it is also true that there are those who with a little encouragement, discipline and luck, would make it to a higher level. This CD, mixed bag though it is, is ample proof that there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
Mixed by Eskimo’s resident DJs Mo and Benoelie, this CD features some real forgotten dance music gems from the last three decades.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
For the last decade, Germany’s Tresor has been the most consistent supporter of US influenced techno, and, as many independent record labels continue to fold, it’s testament to Tresor’s lasting power that they’ve managed to reach their eighth compilation in as many years.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
The sub-title says it all. You really couldn't sum up Alan McGee's arrogant revisionism of British music in the last fifteen or so years in a better and more overblown phrase. Despite the illusions of grandeur, there is no denying Creation's mighty influence.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
Four years on from Organik Technoloji and Botchit & Scarper release an equally eclectic collection of breakbeat workouts.
2000-10-26 - REVIEW
It’s been six years since Full Cycle’s last compilation, Music Box, and in the interim things have changed radically. Reprazent winning the Mercury Prize may have helped the label gain more exposure, while Through The Eyes shows that the tightly linked roster are content to plough on with scant regard for their public image.
2000-10-26 - REVIEW
Some people say monthly hard house club Fish is the best Friday night in London.
2000-10-12 - REVIEW
Ten years ago a trip to Japan inspired Coldcut duo Jonathon Moore and Matt Black to free themselves from the shackles of major label contracts and set up Ninja Tune, an innovative, experimental and eccentric label like no other.
2000-09-28 - REVIEW
Before Aerosmith and Run DMC joined forces for the classic ‘Walk This Way’, it was thought unthinkable. Metal? and Rap?? Together???! But in this, the decade of fusion, the boundaries have been well and truly broken by Korn, Limp Bizkit and others. It was only a matter of time before some clever soul squeezed the concoction of pseudo rap/metal on to compilation disc.
2000-09-14 - REVIEW
Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon’s Classic stamp reaches its third compilation, and there’s no let up in the quality control department. In a period when so many house producers are still looking to the disco filter as a device to gain attention, it’s revealing that the Classic stable looks to funk sources and employs more subtle, minimal house grooves.
2000-09-14 - REVIEW
Hell’s piss-ripping Munich-based Deejay Gigolo’s label has always looked to sources more diverse than most of the body popping stamps, and their fourth collection proves that they’re still way ahead of the competition.
2000-09-14 - REVIEW
The third in maverick Howie B’s conceptual compilations (following spy-funker Pussy Galore and porn-shocker Suck It And See) where Pussy artists from around the globe interpret the theme… in this instance, cartoons.
2000-08-17 - REVIEW
The late Tim Buckley, father of the less talented Jeff, was a sixties singer-songwriter whose extraordinary vocal range gave him one of the most lyrical voices of his generation. This double-CD by a variety of generally B-list alt-rockers gallantly falls somewhat short of their hero’s achievements.
2000-08-17 - REVIEW
*Breaks, Blips and Beats from Independent Dublin,* is the sub-title.It sounds promising but this turns out to be a bit of a mixed bag.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
Collections should sometimes carry a health warning. Temple Records are responsible for this release, a gabháilful of fine musicians, most with Scottish roots, purveying a snakecharmer's mix of slow airs, songs and dance tunes, played on Scotland's stalwart instruments. And that's where the Surgeon General needs to step, centrestage, scalpel in hand.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
The Pure Bodhrán - The Definitive Collection is an interesting come all ye exercise that doesn't quite manage to gather the momentum it promises. Versatile and eclectic as the bodhrán is, it simply doesn't have the strength of personality (at least on the tunes collected here) to hold a double album together.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
Here we have a good-but-not-great anthology of lost songs and remixes from City Slang - home over the years to alt-faves as diverse as Gallon Drunk, Hole and Sebadoh, and more recently Calexico, Yo La Tengo and Lambchop - who are celebrating ten years in 2000.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
Mission: Impossible 2 opens with a bit of a damp squib - Limp Bizkit's 'Take A Look Around', in which Fred Durst ruins Lalo Schifrin's original Mission Impossible theme with the addition of a lacklustre rap and the occasional burst of noise.
2000-07-06 - REVIEW
Co-operative effort in the music business is a rare phenomenon these days. Unless motivated by the promise of commercial gain, that is.
2000-06-22 - REVIEW
Co-operative effort in the music business is a rare phenomenon these days. Unless motivated by the promise of commercial gain, that is.
2000-06-22 - REVIEW
The west has truly awoken us with these two excellent compilations hitting the racks simultaneously.
2000-05-25 - REVIEW
The west has truly awoken us with these two excellent compilations hitting the racks simultaneously.
2000-05-25 - REVIEW
While last September's Homelands Ireland debut was unquestionably a great day out, the sleeve notes here take the hyperbole to new found hyperbollocks levels.
2000-04-27 - REVIEW
Every once in a while an Irish dance compilation appears. Sometimes, it's nothing more than a corporate giant flexing muscles or, in the case of the D1 and Bassbin collections, a taster for greater things to come.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
Damon Albarn is certainly keeping busy. Not content with helping Michael Nyman score the movie Ravenous, the Blur frontman embarks on his first solo work for Thaddeus O'Sullivan's Martin Cahill biopic:
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
Mixing beats to ethnic samples is nothing new. Increasingly it has moved toward a bland, easy-listening, new ageism that is non-aggressive and uncontroversial.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
The Apache Tribe label is an offshoot of a Belfast clothes shop that prides itself on being much more than just a store - a hybrid of modern culture showcasing the previously hidden talents of local DJs and first-time producers from as far afield as South Africa.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
ALTHOUGH FEATURING a wide-ranging supporting cast that includes pedal steel player about town BJ Cole, Ann Dudley and Rush's Geddy Lee, Euphoria is essentially guitarist Ken Ramm's project.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
UNLIKE ITS legendary ancestor, Woodstock '99 could hardly be described as "three days of music, peace and love", ending as it did in a riot.
2000-04-12 - REVIEW
By this stage, you're no doubt aware that Bono co-wrote this movie and provides no less than six songs on the soundtrack, some with his old muckers in U2 and others with The Million Dollar Hotel Band, which prises the likes of Lanois and Eno away from the desk and into more standard musical roles.
2000-03-16 - REVIEW
I haven't seen the movie which spawned this soundtrack, but the music certainly stands up on its own and should prove another winner for Madonna's Maverick label.
2000-03-02 - REVIEW
A new Danny Boyle flick is never complete without a hyped to the hilt, in yer face compilation of the current cream of trendies, and The Beach is no exception.
2000-02-17 - REVIEW
"14 finger clicking choons from the Sunny South" reads the upful by-line from Southern Fried - a collection of music from producers based in and around the Cork area.
2000-02-03 - REVIEW
This mini-album had its genesis in the Irish tour undertaken late last year by The Frames, Jubilee Allstars, David Kitt and Dave Cleary, but it's calibre makes it more than just a souvenir of that jaunt.
2000-01-20 - REVIEW
Seka/Sister is a marathon collection of 22 songs from a plethora of artists (both well known and obscure) in aid of a women and children's refuge in Croatia.
2000-01-20 - REVIEW
Seka/Sister is a marathon collection of 22 songs from a plethora of artists (both well known and obscure) in aid of a women and children's refuge in Croatia.
2000-01-20 - REVIEW
Galway’s stable for unsigned talent, Origin Records, involving both the Zhivago Record store and Cuba live venue, follow up the successful release of this year’s To Boldly Go compilation with yet another album. This time, nine unsigned Galway-based acts contribute eighteen original tracks.
1999-10-27 - REVIEW
THESE TWO compilations have been released to commemorate the tenth anniversary of promoter Vince Power's hugely successful annual celebration of Irish music.
1999-09-29 - REVIEW
Covers and Others showcases the work of eight up-and-coming Northern Ireland bands. The general genre is straight-up rock, with many of the featured bands comprising guitar, vocals, bass and drums.
1999-08-18 - REVIEW
So it must be summer when the British Foreign Legion, fuelled by lager and libido, embark on their annual pilgrimage to the Clubber's Mecca and spiritual home of pills n' thrills and bellyaches that is Ibiza.
1999-08-18 - REVIEW
Ór, meaning gold, is indeed a suitable title for this collaboration between two of Ireland's finest acoustic labels, bringing together as it does 16 tracks going back over a 30-year period, which indicate at first glance just what a rich seam our native music mines.
1999-08-04 - REVIEW
Celebrating ten years in existence this year, the Ballyfermot Rock School has come in for more than its share of criticism over the years ."You can't teach rock n roll" is the main accusation levelled at it, and there's an element of truth in that.
1999-08-04 - REVIEW
All too often movie soundtracks are bland affairs, with the now traditional love ballad leading the charge towards chart success. Thankfully, this one takes a couple of risks.
1999-07-21 - REVIEW
Where there's a crisis or a human catastrophe, a charity album is never far behind, with artists, major and minor, eager to be seen to be doing something to ease the suffering of the victims.
1999-07-07 - REVIEW
Another of Blood And Fire's excellent collection/samplers from their range of classier '70s reggae/dub plates - and it's good! Heavyweight 3 features 14 tracks from the likes of Horace Andy, Bim Sherman and Johnny Clarke, showcasing some of the era's most exciting sounds, punk notwithstanding.
1999-04-14 - REVIEW
In the broad arena, the Irish language has rarely been given the credit it deserves. Reasons abound for this state of affairs - a cack-handed policy regarding its teaching since the State's foundations, the cosy 'club' atmosphere of some of those who use it, alluded to by Liam O'Maonlai in a recent interview in this magazine, and the 'what use is it' brigade shouting from the rooftops.
1999-04-14 - REVIEW
The Faltering Flame is a collection of poems and songs united behind the common theme of striving for peace in Northern Ireland. All the profits from the sale of this CD go to the Cornerstone and Currach projects, two bodies working with mixed community groups on the peace line in Belfast. Needless to say, it's a very worthy cause and deserves your support.
1999-04-14 - REVIEW
Previously better known for its strengths in traditional music, Galway is now playing host to some very strong contenders in the rock arena. Its status as a college town has, no doubt, something to do with this, but then it has always been a melting pot for fusion of ideas.
1999-03-31 - REVIEW
This second country-influenced collection in a series that started with Viva Americana is something of a double-edged sword - for a fan of the genre it is a treasure trove of demos, live or alternate takes, rare tracks and exclusive recordings of select artists from the Americana stable.
1999-03-03 - REVIEW
VARIOUS ARTISTS King Of The Beats Volume 2 (Mushroom)
1998-07-22 - REVIEW
Various Artists Le Flow: The Definitive French Hip-Hop Collection (Trace)
1998-07-08 - REVIEW
Hot Press/Bacardi Unplugged Competition (UCC, Cork)
1995-02-08 - REVIEW
Various Artists: “Beat The Retreat: Songs By Richard Thompson” (Capitol Records)
1995-02-08 - REVIEW
VARIOUS ARTISTS: “Music From The Motion Picture Pulp Fiction” (MCA)
1995-02-08 - REVIEW
HOT PRESS/BACARDI UNPLUGGED BAND COMPETITION (Trinity College, Dublin)
1995-01-25 - REVIEW
WASP FACTORY/ SCHTUM/ASH/ CHIMERA/ KELTIC POSSE/ SOUND CROWD ORCHESTRA (Queen’s Freshers Ball, Belfast)
1994-10-05 - REVIEW
Female Hercules/ Cruiser/ Pincher Martin/ The Knocking Shop: “Raisins and Vomit” (Ratfish Records)
1994-08-24 - REVIEW
SINEAD LOHAN AND DECLAN SINNOTT, NOMOS AND OPEN KITCHEN (featuring Hank Wedel) (Whelan’s, Dublin)
1994-02-23 - REVIEW
VARIOUS ARTISTS: “I’m Leaving Tipperary” (Globestyle Irish)
1994-02-23 - REVIEW
Hothouse Flowers/ Aslan/The Dubliners (New Year’s Eve at The Point Depot, Dublin)
1994-01-12 - REVIEW
VARIOUS: “The Very Best Of That Loving Feeling” (Dino)
1993-12-15 - REVIEW
THE CHURCH & GENERAL CELEBRATION CONCERT (National Concert Hall, Dublin)
1993-12-01 - REVIEW
ELEANOR MacEVOY has a lot to answer for. Without her that little vessel that goes lub-a-dub-dub every time a stethoscope gets near it would still be languishing in the advertising pages of the Irish Medical Times, all arteries and veins, but no soul.
1993-09-08 - REVIEW
COINCIDENTALLY during the week the CIA opened its files on the JFK assassination, Americans had another reason to flash back to 1963: the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the March On Washington for Civil Rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In celebration of this milestone, initially made historic by the "I Have A Dream" speech, March On, an album focusing on the theme of civil rights, has been released.
1993-09-08 - REVIEW
RADIOACTIVE BENEFIT (Baggot Inn, Dublin) IT'S 3.25 on Thursday 22nd July, and I casually flick on my tranny.
1993-08-11 - REVIEW
If, as has been rumoured, they introduce an Honours List in this country as a means of acknowledging valuable contributions to the community, we'll have to propel the Danceline duo to the front of the queue.
1993-07-28 - REVIEW
THERE WAS a time when the magical words "for charity" were the guarantee of any old tat selling a million but nowadays, cynicism being what it is, there has to be musical substance to the good intentions.
1993-07-28 - REVIEW
Niall Stokes' Albums of 1977: Graham Parker, Stick To Me (Phonogram) and Bob Marley, Exodus (Island)
1977-12-15 - News
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