SEB 171
I've heard a few tracks; though I don't have the album yet (hopefully tomorrow!)
Nuage - I'm Gonna Carry On (5/5)
Finally, a decent song from Nuage since like... Sunday? Also, unless I'm going insane, I think I hear Lolita in the backgroud for a bit singing along. XD It's a solid track; different message than you're usual "omg i love you barf barf barf" theme Nuage was riding.
Sophie - My Word 2006 (2.5/5)
My World? duuh she sings "Word" so it's obviously an avex typo.
Usually I don't go anal about pronouncing in Eurobeat; but her singing "word" every single time drives me up the wall. Plus; the remaking of the whole thing doesn't sound at all good to me, which really disappointed me. My World is one of my favorite Eurobeat tracks so I was really looking forward to this 2006 version of it. When SEB171 goes on my iPod; My World 2006 will be replaced with the original. 
Annalise - Say You Will (5/5)
I was really disappointed with Say Yeah; but this is soooo much better. With this track, I'm safe to say that I'm glad she's back. It's a solid song with beautiful sounding... sound (I have no concept of anything so don't mind my dumbed down terminology. haha) and her vocals are excellent... especially in the chrous.
Neo - Midnight Love (4/5)
Another great Neo song! ...it's a bit too fast for what I thought it was going to be but it's all good.
Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (1/5)
This song sounds like it belongs on a DDR Soundtrack, not a SEB album. You've swung and missed again, Queen 26. =/
Nuage - I'm Gonna Carry On (5/5)
Finally, a decent song from Nuage since like... Sunday? Also, unless I'm going insane, I think I hear Lolita in the backgroud for a bit singing along. XD It's a solid track; different message than you're usual "omg i love you barf barf barf" theme Nuage was riding.
Sophie - My Word 2006 (2.5/5)
My World? duuh she sings "Word" so it's obviously an avex typo.
Usually I don't go anal about pronouncing in Eurobeat; but her singing "word" every single time drives me up the wall. Plus; the remaking of the whole thing doesn't sound at all good to me, which really disappointed me. My World is one of my favorite Eurobeat tracks so I was really looking forward to this 2006 version of it. When SEB171 goes on my iPod; My World 2006 will be replaced with the original. Annalise - Say You Will (5/5)
I was really disappointed with Say Yeah; but this is soooo much better. With this track, I'm safe to say that I'm glad she's back. It's a solid song with beautiful sounding... sound (I have no concept of anything so don't mind my dumbed down terminology. haha) and her vocals are excellent... especially in the chrous.
Neo - Midnight Love (4/5)
Another great Neo song! ...it's a bit too fast for what I thought it was going to be but it's all good.
Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (1/5)
This song sounds like it belongs on a DDR Soundtrack, not a SEB album. You've swung and missed again, Queen 26. =/
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Cosmic_Bard
- Eurobeat Master
- Posts: 640
- Joined: 28 Mar 2005, 02:49
- Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
short review that gets to the point:
MIDNIGHT LOVE/NEO
5/5
fast neo song, coolies intro, really hot "boom boom, boom boom" before the sabi 8]
WANNA BE WITH YOU/MELISSA WHITE
4/5
a little faster than MY WISH, very 80's style. good song over all.
WELCOME PEOPLE/MR. M
3/5
average Mr. M song
DANCE DANCE MONSTERU/GROOVE TWINS
5/5
kick ass song
fast, go go girls-ish
RAINBOW/ODA
5/5
Do I really need to write about this one? Simple put, fantastic song with some DOA style
DD DANCE/ANNIE
3.5/5
good song...but intro ruins it for me. totally doesnt fit the mood.
YOU'LL NEVER BE LONELY/RICK CASTLE
4/5
faster than the usual Rick Castle song, comparable to a Starkly Ice song, but romantic in the trend of Rick Castle.
POWER/GO2
4/5
pretty much similar to the Fastway/Go2 (save Music Come On!) we've heard lately. The intro has a similar sound to SUMO KING/T.I.M.
POPCORNS & SEX/QUEEN 26
10/5
oh my goood the moans in the beginning are so hot. Nice to hear Elisa doing a fun and happy song on Delta, I'm addicted to the dirty lyrics about being nasty and doing coke
INTERCOOLER/CY-RO
5/5
hot stuff. Lots of car lyrics and sound effects. Very fun fun song.
MY WORLD 2006/SOPHIE
3/5
never heard the original, but this version isn't a half bad song to me.
DIE DIE/CODY
4/5
amazingly hot vocals by Cody, these also remind me of Jean Love's vocals...are we SURE Budriesi did those? If so, did he do Cody too? Very interesting lyrics, the only thing that stopped this song from getting 5/5 was the sort of lifeless intro, reminds me of Adruini's work on Stop Teasing My heart/Cherry
I'M OK/DANA
4/5
Nice, upbeat and powerful SCP female song.
SAY YOU WILL/ANNALISE
4/5
absolutely not what I expected. Slow, melancholy song with a very unique sounding intro
ACE OF SPADES/POWERFUL T.
2/5
blegh
WONDERFUL/AI YAMAMOTO
3/5
pretty lifeless SCP female.
HONESTLY/MARK GILLAN
4/5
Thankfull, better than LOve is a Fight from 166, althought nowhere near as interesting as Break it Down
I'M GONNA CARRY ON/NUAGE
4/5
Nice Nuage style, reminds me of a Norma style song. Intro had stronger instruments in Hinoi team version.
MIDNIGHT LOVE/NEO
5/5
fast neo song, coolies intro, really hot "boom boom, boom boom" before the sabi 8]
WANNA BE WITH YOU/MELISSA WHITE
4/5
a little faster than MY WISH, very 80's style. good song over all.
WELCOME PEOPLE/MR. M
3/5
average Mr. M song
DANCE DANCE MONSTERU/GROOVE TWINS
5/5
kick ass song
fast, go go girls-ishRAINBOW/ODA
5/5
Do I really need to write about this one? Simple put, fantastic song with some DOA style
DD DANCE/ANNIE
3.5/5
good song...but intro ruins it for me. totally doesnt fit the mood.
YOU'LL NEVER BE LONELY/RICK CASTLE
4/5
faster than the usual Rick Castle song, comparable to a Starkly Ice song, but romantic in the trend of Rick Castle.
POWER/GO2
4/5
pretty much similar to the Fastway/Go2 (save Music Come On!) we've heard lately. The intro has a similar sound to SUMO KING/T.I.M.
POPCORNS & SEX/QUEEN 26
10/5
oh my goood the moans in the beginning are so hot. Nice to hear Elisa doing a fun and happy song on Delta, I'm addicted to the dirty lyrics about being nasty and doing coke
INTERCOOLER/CY-RO
5/5
hot stuff. Lots of car lyrics and sound effects. Very fun fun song.
MY WORLD 2006/SOPHIE
3/5
never heard the original, but this version isn't a half bad song to me.
DIE DIE/CODY
4/5
amazingly hot vocals by Cody, these also remind me of Jean Love's vocals...are we SURE Budriesi did those? If so, did he do Cody too? Very interesting lyrics, the only thing that stopped this song from getting 5/5 was the sort of lifeless intro, reminds me of Adruini's work on Stop Teasing My heart/Cherry
I'M OK/DANA
4/5
Nice, upbeat and powerful SCP female song.
SAY YOU WILL/ANNALISE
4/5
absolutely not what I expected. Slow, melancholy song with a very unique sounding intro
ACE OF SPADES/POWERFUL T.
2/5
blegh
WONDERFUL/AI YAMAMOTO
3/5
pretty lifeless SCP female.
HONESTLY/MARK GILLAN
4/5
Thankfull, better than LOve is a Fight from 166, althought nowhere near as interesting as Break it Down
I'M GONNA CARRY ON/NUAGE
4/5
Nice Nuage style, reminds me of a Norma style song. Intro had stronger instruments in Hinoi team version.
Just copy pasting my review here... I disliked the album... a lot
1.Neo - Midnight Love (A-Beat C)
With this kind of a release pace for new songs I can already feel the novelty value of Neo vanishing. The multiple songs he has presented us with during the past year or so have been time after time excellent and I've been constantly predicting the level going down, but still to date it hasn't happened. Midnight Love is yet an another hit for this prodigy. Excellent synths, great and catchy vocals that make it really fun to sing along to the very generic song title. Really nice way to kick off the album, plus should please all the Initial D fanboys.
Rating : 9½
2.Melissa White - Wanna Be With You (SCP)
Shudder, the initial feeling I got when I heard the start of this song was that Van T.K. would be back. The intro features exactly similar sounds as the Van T.K. disco influenced songs have had in the pasts and I'm at least not really feeling too comfortable when I mix up a song by this fine young lass to him. Either way, after the slightly disturbing intro the songs kicks off and loses most of the similarities to TK. The song features very strong vocal work my Melissa that really makes the track shine out. Excellent chorus with a nice c-verse are the highlights for the song but otherwise the song can't really reach the level of her best tracks. Still a nice song over all and a nice merit for her discography.
Rating : 8+
3.Mr. M - Welcome People (Time)
At least it wasn't hard to guess which label we were dealing with when I originally head this song. The familiar vocals by Gambogi are a nice feature that work as the strongest point this track has to offer. The vocals sound slightly distracting as I always heard the song title slightly distortedly and always figured he must be saying different things instead of welcome. Exactly what you can expect to hear from Time with a nice swift outro at least.
Rating : 7-
4.Groove Twins - Dance Dance Monsteru (A-Beat C)
So first we had DDR now we have DDM, poor man's equivalent I guess... Lolita has been given the honor to sing with the older Lolita as Annerley Gordon seems to be featured in this weird track. This song has a weird giddy feeling mixed a rather annoying vocalwork (which is fairly surprising how much I love Elena Gobbi and all of her aliases). The chorus features some of the most annoying sound effects in quite a while and that accompanied with horrid "DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE!" shouts it was enough to give me the creeps and skip to the next song fast. Really not a song I enjoyed listening to.
Rating : 6-
5.Oda - Rainbow (Delta)
One of the more anticipated songs by many, and surely a song that will also please those who were looking forward to it. Rough edged fast track with nice vocals and over all catchy sounds. Slightly different style than most of the Oda releases but still a fitting track to carry on the legacy.
Rating : 7½
6.Annie - DD Dance (Time)
The previous Annie track was featured on SEB exactly 3 years ago, and one could really question where has she been all this time when Time actually releases a catchy and well produced song that shines out from the majority. DD Dance starts with a really catchy feel-good intro that will reveal most of the positive features the track has to offer: Good vocals, catchy melody and brilliant sounds. The track has a rather fast pace that doesn't really slow down at all which really pleased my ear and after multiple repeats I could really put this song as one of my favorites from 171.
Rating : 9+
7.Rick Castle - You'll Never Be Lonely (HI-NRG Attack)
Out of the various HRG titles Rick Castle has rarely managed to really make a lasting impression on me. Many of the tracks released under this title have been rather nice or good, but nothing very memorable or right on catchy. You'll Never Be Lonely sounds just like that: Fast beats and a really hyped c-melody are the strong points the song has to offer, but as the downside the vocals and verses don't really manage to bring much of life into the song. Not a bad production but just feels somewhat incomplete.
Rating : 7
8.Go 2 - Power (SCP)
What can I say? Really, what do you expect me to say? Go 2 are here and with a song titled Power. What could it be? A ballad maybe? Or a love song? No! Surprise, surprise it's a fast paced energyfilled eurobeat song to their usual style. And to their usual style it also means high quality, catchy and well produced. Oh and Alberto Contini has touched the song too, the suspense! What will the future bring...
Rating : 9
9.Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (Delta)
Moan, whine, grunt... Very surprising way to start off the track with the word sex in the title. The track is a clear step away from the slower disco beats to a more eurobeat friendly material. Really bouncy vocals and a melody that will surely make you feel good if you're not already drowned in sugary goodness. A song that took a while for me to finally reveal, but in the end it did feel like a rather nice song. Not as much of a direct hit like Inside Your Heart was, but still an okay song.
Rating : 8-
10.Cy-Ro - Intercooler (HI-NRG Attack)
Wow, what a blast this track turns out to be when you give it a chance. At first round this song sounded rather boring and not like anything special to the ear, but after I had looped the album for 6 hours I suddenly started noticing that I unconsciously jumped back to this track. The verses are rather mediocore but the chorus really makes up for any downsides the song has to offer. Excellent vocals that are just too bloody irresistible and fun lyrics to sing along too! Great song to feel happy with by HRG.
Rating : 9+
11.Sophie - My World 2006 (Time)
Hehe, it's funny how opinions can differ so much. Just had a conversation about this song and we looked at the song totally from the opposite ends. I myself was very satisfied how it turned out as it sounds way more refreshing and catchy than the original ever did to me, yet sounds like some people don't agree
. Really nicely produced song that balances between the old italo world and current modern sounds. Very nice remake by Time, but I still wish we could get some slightly newer songs featured as well. From the 93-95 era preferably.
Rating : 8½
12.Cody - Die Die (Delta)
What a lovely song title, I was actually expecting this song to be as good as it turned out to be, so for a change a song title really reveals all you can ask for. Excellent fast paced melody that really would work nicely by itself but with the strong vocal work the track shines even more brighter. When the singer tells you to Die Die don't you just feel all fuzzy and giddy inside? I did!
Rating : 8
13.Dana - I'm OK (SCP)
Seems that nearly each album has at least one really surprising song that takes me off guard. Newcomer Dana is the one that did it for me on this album. A song in the spirit of Kiki & Fancy or the other female acts on SCP that is just irresistible in it's simplicity. Very awesome sound worlds that really reach their peak in the chorus which feels as spectacular every time it starts and ends. Really awesome vocals by this new title (yet I can't help but feel disturbed and think of Dana International when I think of it). A perfect female track by SCP and the true jewel on this album.
Rating : 10
14.Annalise - Say You Will (A-Beat C)
So yeah, I praised Annerley Gordon to the skies previously when she made her comeback and already it's time to take some of those words back... Say You Will is a direct continue to Say Yeah with a slightly similar mood to it, yet calmer and not nearly as catchy. The song has a very strong Delta flavor to it and I could really imagine this song being performed by Queen 26 instead of Annalise. Not a very special song on any level and really didn't give me much to look forward to after being put after the Dana song.
Rating : 6-
15.Powerful T. - Ace Of Spades (A-Beat C)
After his previous hit on 154 Powerful T. has been keeping it slow for quite a while. Ace Of Spades carries on with the good old style we've heard in the past, but doesn't quite come near to the usual level we've heard. The song doesn't really strike as at all interesting or special on any level, the only real thing you'll notice about it is the vocals but those have been long estabilished in the past anyways. A rather mediocore presentation that just goes by unnoticed and gets forgotten after the next song starts playing.
Rating : 6
16.Ai Yamamoto - Wonderful (SCP)
After we lost Dr's Girl we haven't really had any actual eurobeat sung by native japanese people. I don't really know for sure whether Ai Yamamoto is a native, but comparing her way of pronouncing English and by the name I'd jump to conclusion and say she is. A rather typical eurobeat faire with slightly hard to get vocals, I was slightly bugged about the pronounciation all the way and always smiled when I heard her pronounce "Baby" as it reminds me of the funky way Nuage pronounces it as well. Nice "elevator eurobeat", but that's it.
Rating : 7-
17.Mark Gillan - Honesty (Time)
Thinking up crap puns from song titles is an art that I really can't master at all, but I feel I should be honest with this song. Yet if I did that I'd end up doing the same thing I did with the earlier Mark Gillan song. Maybe I'll be a broken record and again go: Boring. Sorry
.
Rating : 6
18.Nuage - I'm Gonna Carry On (A-Beat C)
So we've reached yet an another end of an album, and it's the fair Denise doing the goodbyes this time. We've come to know her as the ballad screeching girl that keeps coming back for more. I'm Gonna Carry On borderlines between normal pop music and eurobeat as it doesn't really have the clearest eurobeat elements (the A-Beat C flava aside). Not really a strong presentation in its category when it's against other really well done ballads.
Rating : 7-
Final Words :
I am really starting to feel concerned for the direction that Super Eurobeat is heading. I didn't enjoy 160s very much in general and I was predicting that 170s would be even worse in comparison and the initial opener for this decade really couldn't prove me wrong. The album features only a few really good songs and in general the songs are either just "nice" or "boring". Lots of songs on this album that I ended up skipping after a few times and the album just feels like a waste of money. Not really a good album to invest your money when you got way better albums available made in the past few years. Also I was very disappointed with what A-Beat C had to offer on this album, only Neo could keep the flag high for the label.
Final Score : 6½
The Best 3 Songs
- Dana - I'm OK
- Neo - Midnight Love
- Annie - DD Dance
The Worst 3 songs
- Groove Twins - Dance Dance Monstaru
- Annalise - Say You Will
- Mark Gillan - Honesty
Honorable Mention
- Cy-Ro - Intercooler
1.Neo - Midnight Love (A-Beat C)
With this kind of a release pace for new songs I can already feel the novelty value of Neo vanishing. The multiple songs he has presented us with during the past year or so have been time after time excellent and I've been constantly predicting the level going down, but still to date it hasn't happened. Midnight Love is yet an another hit for this prodigy. Excellent synths, great and catchy vocals that make it really fun to sing along to the very generic song title. Really nice way to kick off the album, plus should please all the Initial D fanboys.
Rating : 9½
2.Melissa White - Wanna Be With You (SCP)
Shudder, the initial feeling I got when I heard the start of this song was that Van T.K. would be back. The intro features exactly similar sounds as the Van T.K. disco influenced songs have had in the pasts and I'm at least not really feeling too comfortable when I mix up a song by this fine young lass to him. Either way, after the slightly disturbing intro the songs kicks off and loses most of the similarities to TK. The song features very strong vocal work my Melissa that really makes the track shine out. Excellent chorus with a nice c-verse are the highlights for the song but otherwise the song can't really reach the level of her best tracks. Still a nice song over all and a nice merit for her discography.
Rating : 8+
3.Mr. M - Welcome People (Time)
At least it wasn't hard to guess which label we were dealing with when I originally head this song. The familiar vocals by Gambogi are a nice feature that work as the strongest point this track has to offer. The vocals sound slightly distracting as I always heard the song title slightly distortedly and always figured he must be saying different things instead of welcome. Exactly what you can expect to hear from Time with a nice swift outro at least.
Rating : 7-
4.Groove Twins - Dance Dance Monsteru (A-Beat C)
So first we had DDR now we have DDM, poor man's equivalent I guess... Lolita has been given the honor to sing with the older Lolita as Annerley Gordon seems to be featured in this weird track. This song has a weird giddy feeling mixed a rather annoying vocalwork (which is fairly surprising how much I love Elena Gobbi and all of her aliases). The chorus features some of the most annoying sound effects in quite a while and that accompanied with horrid "DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE!" shouts it was enough to give me the creeps and skip to the next song fast. Really not a song I enjoyed listening to.
Rating : 6-
5.Oda - Rainbow (Delta)
One of the more anticipated songs by many, and surely a song that will also please those who were looking forward to it. Rough edged fast track with nice vocals and over all catchy sounds. Slightly different style than most of the Oda releases but still a fitting track to carry on the legacy.
Rating : 7½
6.Annie - DD Dance (Time)
The previous Annie track was featured on SEB exactly 3 years ago, and one could really question where has she been all this time when Time actually releases a catchy and well produced song that shines out from the majority. DD Dance starts with a really catchy feel-good intro that will reveal most of the positive features the track has to offer: Good vocals, catchy melody and brilliant sounds. The track has a rather fast pace that doesn't really slow down at all which really pleased my ear and after multiple repeats I could really put this song as one of my favorites from 171.
Rating : 9+
7.Rick Castle - You'll Never Be Lonely (HI-NRG Attack)
Out of the various HRG titles Rick Castle has rarely managed to really make a lasting impression on me. Many of the tracks released under this title have been rather nice or good, but nothing very memorable or right on catchy. You'll Never Be Lonely sounds just like that: Fast beats and a really hyped c-melody are the strong points the song has to offer, but as the downside the vocals and verses don't really manage to bring much of life into the song. Not a bad production but just feels somewhat incomplete.
Rating : 7
8.Go 2 - Power (SCP)
What can I say? Really, what do you expect me to say? Go 2 are here and with a song titled Power. What could it be? A ballad maybe? Or a love song? No! Surprise, surprise it's a fast paced energyfilled eurobeat song to their usual style. And to their usual style it also means high quality, catchy and well produced. Oh and Alberto Contini has touched the song too, the suspense! What will the future bring...
Rating : 9
9.Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (Delta)
Moan, whine, grunt... Very surprising way to start off the track with the word sex in the title. The track is a clear step away from the slower disco beats to a more eurobeat friendly material. Really bouncy vocals and a melody that will surely make you feel good if you're not already drowned in sugary goodness. A song that took a while for me to finally reveal, but in the end it did feel like a rather nice song. Not as much of a direct hit like Inside Your Heart was, but still an okay song.
Rating : 8-
10.Cy-Ro - Intercooler (HI-NRG Attack)
Wow, what a blast this track turns out to be when you give it a chance. At first round this song sounded rather boring and not like anything special to the ear, but after I had looped the album for 6 hours I suddenly started noticing that I unconsciously jumped back to this track. The verses are rather mediocore but the chorus really makes up for any downsides the song has to offer. Excellent vocals that are just too bloody irresistible and fun lyrics to sing along too! Great song to feel happy with by HRG.
Rating : 9+
11.Sophie - My World 2006 (Time)
Hehe, it's funny how opinions can differ so much. Just had a conversation about this song and we looked at the song totally from the opposite ends. I myself was very satisfied how it turned out as it sounds way more refreshing and catchy than the original ever did to me, yet sounds like some people don't agree
. Really nicely produced song that balances between the old italo world and current modern sounds. Very nice remake by Time, but I still wish we could get some slightly newer songs featured as well. From the 93-95 era preferably.Rating : 8½
12.Cody - Die Die (Delta)
What a lovely song title, I was actually expecting this song to be as good as it turned out to be, so for a change a song title really reveals all you can ask for. Excellent fast paced melody that really would work nicely by itself but with the strong vocal work the track shines even more brighter. When the singer tells you to Die Die don't you just feel all fuzzy and giddy inside? I did!
Rating : 8
13.Dana - I'm OK (SCP)
Seems that nearly each album has at least one really surprising song that takes me off guard. Newcomer Dana is the one that did it for me on this album. A song in the spirit of Kiki & Fancy or the other female acts on SCP that is just irresistible in it's simplicity. Very awesome sound worlds that really reach their peak in the chorus which feels as spectacular every time it starts and ends. Really awesome vocals by this new title (yet I can't help but feel disturbed and think of Dana International when I think of it). A perfect female track by SCP and the true jewel on this album.
Rating : 10
14.Annalise - Say You Will (A-Beat C)
So yeah, I praised Annerley Gordon to the skies previously when she made her comeback and already it's time to take some of those words back... Say You Will is a direct continue to Say Yeah with a slightly similar mood to it, yet calmer and not nearly as catchy. The song has a very strong Delta flavor to it and I could really imagine this song being performed by Queen 26 instead of Annalise. Not a very special song on any level and really didn't give me much to look forward to after being put after the Dana song.
Rating : 6-
15.Powerful T. - Ace Of Spades (A-Beat C)
After his previous hit on 154 Powerful T. has been keeping it slow for quite a while. Ace Of Spades carries on with the good old style we've heard in the past, but doesn't quite come near to the usual level we've heard. The song doesn't really strike as at all interesting or special on any level, the only real thing you'll notice about it is the vocals but those have been long estabilished in the past anyways. A rather mediocore presentation that just goes by unnoticed and gets forgotten after the next song starts playing.
Rating : 6
16.Ai Yamamoto - Wonderful (SCP)
After we lost Dr's Girl we haven't really had any actual eurobeat sung by native japanese people. I don't really know for sure whether Ai Yamamoto is a native, but comparing her way of pronouncing English and by the name I'd jump to conclusion and say she is. A rather typical eurobeat faire with slightly hard to get vocals, I was slightly bugged about the pronounciation all the way and always smiled when I heard her pronounce "Baby" as it reminds me of the funky way Nuage pronounces it as well. Nice "elevator eurobeat", but that's it.
Rating : 7-
17.Mark Gillan - Honesty (Time)
Thinking up crap puns from song titles is an art that I really can't master at all, but I feel I should be honest with this song. Yet if I did that I'd end up doing the same thing I did with the earlier Mark Gillan song. Maybe I'll be a broken record and again go: Boring. Sorry
.Rating : 6
18.Nuage - I'm Gonna Carry On (A-Beat C)
So we've reached yet an another end of an album, and it's the fair Denise doing the goodbyes this time. We've come to know her as the ballad screeching girl that keeps coming back for more. I'm Gonna Carry On borderlines between normal pop music and eurobeat as it doesn't really have the clearest eurobeat elements (the A-Beat C flava aside). Not really a strong presentation in its category when it's against other really well done ballads.
Rating : 7-
Final Words :
I am really starting to feel concerned for the direction that Super Eurobeat is heading. I didn't enjoy 160s very much in general and I was predicting that 170s would be even worse in comparison and the initial opener for this decade really couldn't prove me wrong. The album features only a few really good songs and in general the songs are either just "nice" or "boring". Lots of songs on this album that I ended up skipping after a few times and the album just feels like a waste of money. Not really a good album to invest your money when you got way better albums available made in the past few years. Also I was very disappointed with what A-Beat C had to offer on this album, only Neo could keep the flag high for the label.
Final Score : 6½
The Best 3 Songs
- Dana - I'm OK
- Neo - Midnight Love
- Annie - DD Dance
The Worst 3 songs
- Groove Twins - Dance Dance Monstaru
- Annalise - Say You Will
- Mark Gillan - Honesty
Honorable Mention
- Cy-Ro - Intercooler
-
Cosmic_Bard
- Eurobeat Master
- Posts: 640
- Joined: 28 Mar 2005, 02:49
- Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Review of Super Eurobeat Volume 171
1/5 – A song that I don’t find to thrilling. I don’t intend on listening to it much again.
2/5 – A song that I enjoyed a good deal of the elements it had but found it didn’t have enough to really engage me beyond another few times of listening to it.
3/5 – The average grade songs get. A great song all around but doesn’t really move past all the other Eurobeat songs out there. This isn’t a bad song at all and I find myself listening to songs in this level often.
4/5 – An excellent song that really stands out beyond the others out there. A song that impressed me greatly and I find listening to time and time again. Songs that originally gotten 5 before would be in this category.
5/5 – A song that I just can’t get out of my head. After hearing it the first time I had to repeat it. One of the best of the best in my opinion. A song that I would have scored a 6 would be in this category.
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01 – Neo – Midnight Love – Grade 4/5
Neo has definitely entrenched himself in the power side of Eurobeat. Definitely sounds like something that belongs on Initial D. My favorite quirk this song had was when the song stopped and you hear a female voice saying “This is what I want…” And it happens again several times in the song! Absolutely brilliant touch. While I’ve gotten more into the slower dance melodies rather than the fast tracks, I can always appreciate a powerful track when done well!
02 – Melissa White – Wanna Be With You – Grade 5/5
Anyone in love with “Switch!” will find this song extremely comforting! The dance theme mixed with disco and Eurobeat is just too awesome. Even though it sounds similar to “Switch!”, this song harkens back to the dance divas of the late 80’s and early 90’s such as Gloria Estefan. If you read my review on Midnight Love, you’d know I’m more into the slower dance style melody and this is definitely follows that. Such a gorgeous song!
03 – Mr.M – Welcome People – Grade 4/5
My main gripe with this song is that it follows the Time formula to a T on some parts. While as a whole the song is new, and they did punch up the synths up a bit, I still feel they could have done a better job in using other instruments. However, one thing I can’t deny is the fact that Giordano Gambogi’s vocals are just awesome. The song as a whole is great and extremely powerful. And of particular notice, which is a rarity on Time Records Eurobeat tracks… the song has an ending!
04 – Groove Twins – Dance Dance Monsteru – Grade 4/5
This is such a cool song! Definitely a mix of the silly & happy girl-group Eurobeat with new synths (which are comparable to those used in Jackie ‘O – Alleluia Japan) and the great Annerley Gordon with Elena Gobbi. I had fun with this song and it shows a different direction for this group. Let’s keep it up with great Groove Twins songs!
05 – Oda – Rainbow – Grade 4/5
The former Akyrmusic track originally with the title Dr. Gee, now christened with the title Oda and it has a heavy influence from the band “Dead Or Alive” in the singing. I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that Luca Torchiani is singing. It’s definitely a different more hard style than the smooth disco style I’m used to him putting out.
06 – Annie – DD Dance – Grade 3/5
This song started interestingly and I love the effects they have on the vocals however, the biggest gripe I have with the song is that it’s the same thing again. It’s not a bad song and I do like several things they do but it’s the same Time formula (especially in the riff) but compared to Mr.M’s song from earlier, this song basically mashes everything you’ve heard before into one package. It feels very uninspired. I will however say I really love the introduction. Interesting however that the title never shows up in the song.
07 – Rick Castle – You’ll Never Be Lonely – Grade 5/5
Absolutely crazy. The sabi is amazing. The singing is phenomenal, and the instrumentation is perfect. The background vocals (while I still feel is too much) isn’t overpowering the vocal which usually happens with Rick Castle songs. I’m just very surprised by this song that I don’t know how to continue to
08 – Go 2 – Power - Grade 5/5
A massively powerful song (if you couldn’t figure out by the title. It’s following the less is more trend in the riff (the instrumental chorus) that I’ve found producers such as Newfield using. Rather than a crazy riff like HRG, by using less keystrokes in the riff, the power of the bass line and the drums drive the song. Fastway once again takes the lead in this song very much the way he took over in “Music Come On!” which can be a bad thing for Ace fans which really want to hear him more. I really enjoyed this song and definitely had it on repeat for a bit when I heard it. A different style for Go 2 as well which has definitely been influenced by Alberto Contini’s production and writing. Excellent power and excellent song.
09 – Queen 26 – Popcorn And Sex – Score 4/5
Gotta love the title. You can tell by the drums that this is another Morris Capaldi song. The instrumentation is a mix of Newfield and Sinclaire style Eurobeat. Speaking of which, this is the first SEB since the beginning that Sinclaire hasn’t been on. Very interesting… Anyway the song is really interesting and definitely pushes away the disco style of the earlier songs. Its very energetic and powerful, which is how I like my female Eurobeat. It’s strong and very cool to listen to.
10 – CY-RO – Intercooler – Score 3/5
I will admit they did change the instrumentation and the riff is pretty cool but it still has the feeling of previous HRG productions hence why I gave it the score. The singing is kinda cool too but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the vocals in the previous CY-RO song. The car sounds in the song give this song some character but again the overall feeling is stuff that I’ve heard before.
11 – Sophie – My World 2006 – Score 4/5
I love this remix of the original. I really like it more than the original. The instrumentation is gorgeous. It’s just a very beautiful song that in a way reminds me slightly of the Rick Castle instrumentation from earlier. The singing has been enhanced slightly making it just right. I really can dance to this song and found myself really grooving to this song while in my car on my way to work. Very nice.
12 – Cody – Die Die – Score 4/5
Nice singing and synths. I’m glad they finally have another male singer on Delta that they’re using on SEB besides Budresi, De Jorio and Bonini. The bass drum is strong, the song is nice and tight and the power flows really nicely! I found myself enjoying this song more than the previous Cody releases since it gave the singer a better identity rather than stealing the D.Essex style.
13 – Dana – I’m Ok – Score 4/5
Reminds me a great deal of the new Kiki & Fancy style. It also seems to share the same speed. The trance synths mixed with the speed flow very well and I really appreciated the extra the gave the sabi after the second repetition of the sabi. It really helps and adds great feeling to the song. I found myself repeating this song greatly. The new version of happy Eurobeat!
14 – Annalise – Say You Will – Score 5/5
I loooove the riff. It’s very killer. The slow song too just makes it incredible. Annerley Gordon’s return to A-Beat seems to have given a new breath to A-Beat C. I dunno if anyone noticed the Middle Eastern guitar in the song that seems to be taken from another song but its really cool. It also brings back the feeling of older Eurobeat where the riff isn’t constant synths but actually broken up into pieces. The singing is brilliant to. It’s just extremely beautiful. Perfect
15 – Powerful T. – Ace Of Spades – Score 3/5
Wow… When even I give a song by my favorite singer a low grade, I have to look back and wonder what happened. The song starts off great and even has a nice riff but after the first line, Tiranti hits this one note that’s extremely high and seems to throw the song off. It doesn’t seem to recover enough. It also doesn’t really stand above previous Powerful T. releases. Maybe time will change my mind but I don’t think I’m going to listen to this release as much as his previous songs.
16 – Ai Yamamoto – Wonderful – Score 4/5
The trance feeling of Pamsy is here in this song who’s vocals sound strangely familiar to Dana & Vivi. Whatever the case, the song is absolutely gorgeous. I definitely enjoyed this song’s speed and attention to the drum styling which is slightly different from the SCP classic style. The clap style snare drum that occurs every half note is very interesting. The vocals are very clear yet I feel that with time and maturing they can get even better. Great song.
17 – Mark Gillan – Honesty – Score 5/5
Now this song just plain surprised me almost to the level of Rick Castle’s song. Trance style mixed with classic Eurobeat structure kicked up and just kicking butt. The vocals are gorgeous. Giordano is really hitting me well with his vocals. The music is also gorgeous and the guitar that most people don’t notice is very clean and strong. The background vocals also don’t overpower the song and enhance it gorgeously. This is what I’m hoping HRG pays attention to. Absolutely brilliant.
18 – Nuage – I’m Gonna Carry On – Score 4/5
Norma style mixed with Nuage dance. Very nice combination that works well. Her voice is working very well here. Again I hold to the theory that Nuage’s vocals weren’t as good as they should have been on the concert because she was moving around way too much and she was too busy jumping around. But this is a review on the song. The vocals just work well especially hearing Lolita singing background. It’s just a very well made song.
1/5 – A song that I don’t find to thrilling. I don’t intend on listening to it much again.
2/5 – A song that I enjoyed a good deal of the elements it had but found it didn’t have enough to really engage me beyond another few times of listening to it.
3/5 – The average grade songs get. A great song all around but doesn’t really move past all the other Eurobeat songs out there. This isn’t a bad song at all and I find myself listening to songs in this level often.
4/5 – An excellent song that really stands out beyond the others out there. A song that impressed me greatly and I find listening to time and time again. Songs that originally gotten 5 before would be in this category.
5/5 – A song that I just can’t get out of my head. After hearing it the first time I had to repeat it. One of the best of the best in my opinion. A song that I would have scored a 6 would be in this category.
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01 – Neo – Midnight Love – Grade 4/5
Neo has definitely entrenched himself in the power side of Eurobeat. Definitely sounds like something that belongs on Initial D. My favorite quirk this song had was when the song stopped and you hear a female voice saying “This is what I want…” And it happens again several times in the song! Absolutely brilliant touch. While I’ve gotten more into the slower dance melodies rather than the fast tracks, I can always appreciate a powerful track when done well!
02 – Melissa White – Wanna Be With You – Grade 5/5
Anyone in love with “Switch!” will find this song extremely comforting! The dance theme mixed with disco and Eurobeat is just too awesome. Even though it sounds similar to “Switch!”, this song harkens back to the dance divas of the late 80’s and early 90’s such as Gloria Estefan. If you read my review on Midnight Love, you’d know I’m more into the slower dance style melody and this is definitely follows that. Such a gorgeous song!
03 – Mr.M – Welcome People – Grade 4/5
My main gripe with this song is that it follows the Time formula to a T on some parts. While as a whole the song is new, and they did punch up the synths up a bit, I still feel they could have done a better job in using other instruments. However, one thing I can’t deny is the fact that Giordano Gambogi’s vocals are just awesome. The song as a whole is great and extremely powerful. And of particular notice, which is a rarity on Time Records Eurobeat tracks… the song has an ending!
04 – Groove Twins – Dance Dance Monsteru – Grade 4/5
This is such a cool song! Definitely a mix of the silly & happy girl-group Eurobeat with new synths (which are comparable to those used in Jackie ‘O – Alleluia Japan) and the great Annerley Gordon with Elena Gobbi. I had fun with this song and it shows a different direction for this group. Let’s keep it up with great Groove Twins songs!
05 – Oda – Rainbow – Grade 4/5
The former Akyrmusic track originally with the title Dr. Gee, now christened with the title Oda and it has a heavy influence from the band “Dead Or Alive” in the singing. I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that Luca Torchiani is singing. It’s definitely a different more hard style than the smooth disco style I’m used to him putting out.
06 – Annie – DD Dance – Grade 3/5
This song started interestingly and I love the effects they have on the vocals however, the biggest gripe I have with the song is that it’s the same thing again. It’s not a bad song and I do like several things they do but it’s the same Time formula (especially in the riff) but compared to Mr.M’s song from earlier, this song basically mashes everything you’ve heard before into one package. It feels very uninspired. I will however say I really love the introduction. Interesting however that the title never shows up in the song.
07 – Rick Castle – You’ll Never Be Lonely – Grade 5/5
Absolutely crazy. The sabi is amazing. The singing is phenomenal, and the instrumentation is perfect. The background vocals (while I still feel is too much) isn’t overpowering the vocal which usually happens with Rick Castle songs. I’m just very surprised by this song that I don’t know how to continue to
08 – Go 2 – Power - Grade 5/5
A massively powerful song (if you couldn’t figure out by the title. It’s following the less is more trend in the riff (the instrumental chorus) that I’ve found producers such as Newfield using. Rather than a crazy riff like HRG, by using less keystrokes in the riff, the power of the bass line and the drums drive the song. Fastway once again takes the lead in this song very much the way he took over in “Music Come On!” which can be a bad thing for Ace fans which really want to hear him more. I really enjoyed this song and definitely had it on repeat for a bit when I heard it. A different style for Go 2 as well which has definitely been influenced by Alberto Contini’s production and writing. Excellent power and excellent song.
09 – Queen 26 – Popcorn And Sex – Score 4/5
Gotta love the title. You can tell by the drums that this is another Morris Capaldi song. The instrumentation is a mix of Newfield and Sinclaire style Eurobeat. Speaking of which, this is the first SEB since the beginning that Sinclaire hasn’t been on. Very interesting… Anyway the song is really interesting and definitely pushes away the disco style of the earlier songs. Its very energetic and powerful, which is how I like my female Eurobeat. It’s strong and very cool to listen to.
10 – CY-RO – Intercooler – Score 3/5
I will admit they did change the instrumentation and the riff is pretty cool but it still has the feeling of previous HRG productions hence why I gave it the score. The singing is kinda cool too but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the vocals in the previous CY-RO song. The car sounds in the song give this song some character but again the overall feeling is stuff that I’ve heard before.
11 – Sophie – My World 2006 – Score 4/5
I love this remix of the original. I really like it more than the original. The instrumentation is gorgeous. It’s just a very beautiful song that in a way reminds me slightly of the Rick Castle instrumentation from earlier. The singing has been enhanced slightly making it just right. I really can dance to this song and found myself really grooving to this song while in my car on my way to work. Very nice.
12 – Cody – Die Die – Score 4/5
Nice singing and synths. I’m glad they finally have another male singer on Delta that they’re using on SEB besides Budresi, De Jorio and Bonini. The bass drum is strong, the song is nice and tight and the power flows really nicely! I found myself enjoying this song more than the previous Cody releases since it gave the singer a better identity rather than stealing the D.Essex style.
13 – Dana – I’m Ok – Score 4/5
Reminds me a great deal of the new Kiki & Fancy style. It also seems to share the same speed. The trance synths mixed with the speed flow very well and I really appreciated the extra the gave the sabi after the second repetition of the sabi. It really helps and adds great feeling to the song. I found myself repeating this song greatly. The new version of happy Eurobeat!
14 – Annalise – Say You Will – Score 5/5
I loooove the riff. It’s very killer. The slow song too just makes it incredible. Annerley Gordon’s return to A-Beat seems to have given a new breath to A-Beat C. I dunno if anyone noticed the Middle Eastern guitar in the song that seems to be taken from another song but its really cool. It also brings back the feeling of older Eurobeat where the riff isn’t constant synths but actually broken up into pieces. The singing is brilliant to. It’s just extremely beautiful. Perfect
15 – Powerful T. – Ace Of Spades – Score 3/5
Wow… When even I give a song by my favorite singer a low grade, I have to look back and wonder what happened. The song starts off great and even has a nice riff but after the first line, Tiranti hits this one note that’s extremely high and seems to throw the song off. It doesn’t seem to recover enough. It also doesn’t really stand above previous Powerful T. releases. Maybe time will change my mind but I don’t think I’m going to listen to this release as much as his previous songs.
16 – Ai Yamamoto – Wonderful – Score 4/5
The trance feeling of Pamsy is here in this song who’s vocals sound strangely familiar to Dana & Vivi. Whatever the case, the song is absolutely gorgeous. I definitely enjoyed this song’s speed and attention to the drum styling which is slightly different from the SCP classic style. The clap style snare drum that occurs every half note is very interesting. The vocals are very clear yet I feel that with time and maturing they can get even better. Great song.
17 – Mark Gillan – Honesty – Score 5/5
Now this song just plain surprised me almost to the level of Rick Castle’s song. Trance style mixed with classic Eurobeat structure kicked up and just kicking butt. The vocals are gorgeous. Giordano is really hitting me well with his vocals. The music is also gorgeous and the guitar that most people don’t notice is very clean and strong. The background vocals also don’t overpower the song and enhance it gorgeously. This is what I’m hoping HRG pays attention to. Absolutely brilliant.
18 – Nuage – I’m Gonna Carry On – Score 4/5
Norma style mixed with Nuage dance. Very nice combination that works well. Her voice is working very well here. Again I hold to the theory that Nuage’s vocals weren’t as good as they should have been on the concert because she was moving around way too much and she was too busy jumping around. But this is a review on the song. The vocals just work well especially hearing Lolita singing background. It’s just a very well made song.
You can hate me but you know you have quality issues =p
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drnrg
- Eurobeat Guru
- Posts: 6957
- Joined: 17 May 2005, 07:18
- Location: searching for missing Eurogrooves trax
I'm really liking this reviews. Redtarzanboi gives Mark Gillan a 5/5and praises Mr. M's song! 
I'm also highly anticipating the Neo track. That part about the music dropping and female vocals really got me curious. The Two HRG songs got me sold and Sophie and Annie sound just gorgeous.
I originally thought that ODA would be my fav, but now with such great rewiew of other song, this cd could be an awesome surprise. Pity I have not preordered yet.
Great review Guys
I'm also highly anticipating the Neo track. That part about the music dropping and female vocals really got me curious. The Two HRG songs got me sold and Sophie and Annie sound just gorgeous.I originally thought that ODA would be my fav, but now with such great rewiew of other song, this cd could be an awesome surprise. Pity I have not preordered yet.
Great review Guys
Hopefully I get my copy today.
Interesting reviews, I think you've waitin' too much from the new album after the summer-break, don't ya?
I just only feel that something's wrong with the ABeat males nowadays.
I don't know why but these songs are lifeless, or missing the ''I want to make a cool song'' idea, it seems they do like ''hurry, we need to finish it today, and there will 2 more tomorrow!''
I miss the old good songs like ''J.Storm-Music'', ''Matt Land-A chance to love you'', Mega NRG Man songs etc.
Anyway, I want the new songs as always.
Interesting reviews, I think you've waitin' too much from the new album after the summer-break, don't ya?
I just only feel that something's wrong with the ABeat males nowadays.
I don't know why but these songs are lifeless, or missing the ''I want to make a cool song'' idea, it seems they do like ''hurry, we need to finish it today, and there will 2 more tomorrow!''
I miss the old good songs like ''J.Storm-Music'', ''Matt Land-A chance to love you'', Mega NRG Man songs etc.
Anyway, I want the new songs as always.
...I remember that time...
D I A B O L I K
D I A B O L I K
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MarkIventi
- Eurobeat Boom
- Posts: 153
- Joined: 10 May 2006, 19:37
So, finally I got my cd, and I need to say after first listening - my review would be the same as Bore's.
The album is so ambivalent for me. I thought that some songs will be better and some will worse.
Oda, Annie, GO2 and Dana are the highlights of the album.
I've waitin' much more from Melissa White, Groove Twins, Annalise.
I keeping my mind about the ABeat males. They should be much much better.
I look forward to 172...
The album is so ambivalent for me. I thought that some songs will be better and some will worse.
Oda, Annie, GO2 and Dana are the highlights of the album.
I've waitin' much more from Melissa White, Groove Twins, Annalise.
I keeping my mind about the ABeat males. They should be much much better.
I look forward to 172...
...I remember that time...
D I A B O L I K
D I A B O L I K
My review - needless to say, SCP ruled all and it was great to see Time finally waking up and producing some songs with energy and drive!...
01 Neo - Midnight Love (A-Beat C) [9/10]
I reckon this is probably Neo's second best track so far - beaten only by the awesome I Was Born For Burning. What makes this track stand out is the fairly unique production on the synths and vocals - it heralds a departure from A-Beat C's normal production techniques, and gives the song a fresh edge. As ever, Neo's vocals have a real raw quality that capture a sense of anger and excitement in equal measures, and these work in harmony with muted saw brass synth used in the main hook. A great start to the album...
02 Melissa White - Wanna Be With You (SCP) [10/10]
This track is simply stunning. It is the combination of SCP's ever-strong production techniques, the funky vibe last seen on "Switch!" and a distant 80's feel during the big anthemic hook. Melissa's vocals appear to have matured nicely, but she still has the ability to turn on the cuteness as can be seen from the talking adlibs during the intro and towards the end.
As the song progresses, the listener also gets the impression that the track is paying homage to the hypnotic styles of the disco era, while the instantly recognisable SCP bass beat blasts remind us just who we are listening to. A superb track - easily my favourite on the album!
03 Mr. M - Welcome People (Time) [8.5/10]
Wow, what's going on here? Sounds like someone has finally given Time a much-needed kick up the bottom - gone are the watery beats and weak synths to make way for a fantastically rich sounding production that is full of power and energy. The main hook sounds totally unique and the bass pumps loud throughout. Mr. M's vocals are rich and have enough drive to keep up with the powerful backing, although in some places the melody lines of the vocal sections don't seem suited to the style of the track (the harmony section in the lead-up to the chorus for example sounds a bit messy...) A great track all-round giving hope for the future in terms of Time.
04 Groove Twins - Dance Dance Monsteru (A-Beat C) [7.5/10]
Hmmmm, sounds like Groove Twins are slowly morphing into a semi-replacement act for the Go Go Girls. The song title and vocal style of this track scream of something Go Go Girls would've done years ago, but that aside, what we have here is another diverse sounding production from
A-Beat C. The slightly muted synth during the hook is quirky and the "Dance, Dance" vocals during this section adds a unique layer to the song.
I'm not totally mad for the vocal melody overall, and I feel that the backing does overpower the vocals a lot of the time, but all in all this isn't a bad track at all...
05 Oda - Rainbow (Delta) [7/10]
I'm quite undecided on this track to be honest. If I just sit back and don't pay much attention to it, I quite enjoy it - the power of the melody and production make for an enjoyable listening experience. However, if I
listen really closely to it, things start to niggle... For example, the "ooh-oh-oh-oh" vocal phrase during the intro irritates me as it sounds like a really bad impersonation of the Looka Bomba intro. The synth hook could use some more layers to give it more punch, and the vocals in general just don't sound great - I could think of 4 or 5 other male Eurobeat vocalists that would have done the track more justice. Add to this the fact that the production in general is a bit "safe" - there isn't much going on in general - and I'm left a bad disappointed by this track.
06 Annie - DD Dance (Time) [9/10]
I absolutely love the muted piano intro to this track - combined with the bass bursts and guitar, this track really gets off to an explosive start and things get better and better. The synth hook seems to raise the song a level from the agressive intro to a more light-hearted and playful zone where Annie's vocals can smoothly weave their way across the top of the pulsating bass beat. The synths throughout are a lot more complex than what we've been used to with Time, so once again I'm left feeling that I'm witnessing the rebirth of a label exploding back onto the scene after a long and dull vacation. Excellent stuff.
07 Rick Castle - You'll Never Be Lonely (Hi-NRG Attack) [8/10]
And from a label reinventing themselves to a label that sounds like they are trying to return to their roots. The synth hook on this track combined witht the beats and bass tone remind me so much of the Eurobeat Flash days, which is a welcome route to take in my book. Rick tries his best to make himself heard over the crazy synth patterns and pumping beats but most of the time he is left sounding like a sky little boy on the biggest concert stage in the world. This aside though, I am quite excited for the future of HRG now - this track proves they can vary their style enough to surprise the listener and that surely can't be a bad thing!
08 Go 2 - Power (SCP) [8/10]
Look who's back - the continual try-hards on the modern Eurobeat scene. Love them or hate them, no-one can deny Go 2's drive and style - from the distorted guitar chords to the explosive synths and beat, this is a full-on assault on the senses that you just can't ignore. The basic synth hook isn't the most interesting and original one I've ever heard, but it's slickly produced. Generally, the vocal line didn't interest me a massive amount - it just sounds like more of the same from a duo who are already sounding a bit same-old same-old...it's better than Not For Sale (their worst song IMO) but nowhere near as good as Funky Funlover or Super Striker...
09 Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (Delta) [8.5/10]
What on earth is going on here?? This is the same alias that released all those boring 80's inspired yawnfests during the 140s/150s right? Seems like someone's definitely been on the cheap champagne here - from the half-drunk, half-scary ramblings at the beginning to the Hi-NRG style vocal melody, this is totally the opposite from what I'd expect from Queen 26. I actually quite like the playful nature of the synths and beat, and the lyrics make me chuckle. If this is the future for Queen 26, then thank god she found the alcohol and loosened up a little! The squeaky moans during the intro freak me out though...
10 Cy-Ro - Intercooler (Hi-NRG Attack) [6/10]
I really don't get the hype that seems to surround Cy-Ro at the moment - for me, he is nowhere near as flamboyant or recognisable as other HRG male aliases (Jeff Driller, Joe D. Toaster) and this tune is no exception. The beat sounds relatively weak and although I am quite partial to an ascending chord progression, the melody itself is very generic and doesn't grab my attention. It's HRG being their generic old self, and to be honest I was disappointed by that...
11 Sophie - My World 2006 (Time) [7.5/10]
Okay, I don't really remember the original version of this so I don't have much to go on comparison-wise. Sophie as an artist has never really appealed to me a massive amount as her songs are normally quite slow and boring, but this one has a nice catchy chorus and a driving beat that moves the song along well. I think it benefits from being after a fairly inane track with no real identity of its own, although I wouldn't say that it's an amazing track - just quite pleasant...
12 Cody - Die Die (Delta) [7.5/10]
First impression of this is that I don't like the fact that it sounds like Cody is singing through the muffled intercom loops you get in train station ticket offices. That aside, the synth hook is pretty cute, but I'm pretty sure I've heard something almost identical in another song - it doesn't strike me as being totally original. I like the beat and chorus starts to grow on me as I listen to the song more, but overall I just feel like this is another "filler" much like the 2 previous tracks...
13 Dana - I'm OK (SCP) [9.5/10]
Woooo, I'm loving that bass beat at the start, and then the anthemic trance-inspired synths kick in and everything takes off into the stratosphere! For some reason, this song makes me think of a slightly sped-up Livin' In The Night/Walkin' In The Shadow - I think it would really benefit from Pamsy's unique vocals, although Dana does a great job. The chorus is super cheery sounding, and this contrasts nicely with the minor key in the verses and synth hook. As ever, the SCP production is top notch, and this is overall a superb debut for Dana - looking forward to hearing more from her in the future...
14 Annalise - Say You Will (A-Beat C) [6/10]
Hmmmm, the intro sounds a bit messy to me if I'm honest. The synth hook also seems to lack a true sense of direction or identity with a rather weak sounding synth simply fluttering over the top of the synthetic beats. I'm still a bit confused as to why A-Beat C has suddenly had such a massive shift in production quality - usually they are pretty reliable along with SCP but I've been a bit disappointed by some of their productions on this album.
15 Powerful T - Ace of Spades (A-Beat C) [6.5/10]
I've never liked this style of singing, and to be honest Powerful T goes way over the top in this track. He seems to find it difficult to control his falsetto and vibrato, and this leads to some very messy vocal phrases. On the plus side, the production is a bit more like the olden days here, but I'm still left feeling like there's a crucial ingredient missing that's stopping it from having that epic and anthemic quality of previous A-Beat C tracks. I was actually expecting a crazy Motorhead cover version when I saw this track - perhaps that would've been a better idea...
16 Ai Yamamoto - Wonderful (SCP) [8/10]
Guaranteed the Japanese EB fans go crazy for this song - it just seems to have that kind of innocent ad child-like quality to its vocals that they seem to go mad for... Personally, the vocals are what lets the song down for me as they aren't always totally in tune. It's a real shame, as I can imagine this track being a really sweet and well-made track with someone like Melissa or Christine on vocals. The melodies, production and synths are all fantastic, so I just hope we don't hear too much of this new alias...
17 Mark Gillan - Honesty (Time) [6.5/10]
Now this is what I expect from Time. This is generally what they do best - a relatively watery beat and sentimental vocal melody combined with minimal production. I'm not mad on this to be honest, especially when I consider the excellent Time songs that have come before on this album - I know the label is capable of so much better so why keep churning out inane and boring mushy stuff like this. I can hear Mark desperately trying to inject some excitement and passion to this track in places but unfortunately it doesn't work...
18 Nuage - I'm Gonna Carry On (A-Beat C) [7.5/10]
Nuage as the final track of an album? I can think of more memorable ways to finish an SEB, but whatever... This is pleasant enough with a nice snare heavy beat that gives this track a cute groove to it. This seems to hark back to classic Eurobeat in terms of the melody and feel, and Nuage does well vocally, but after some of the stunning anthems that have been featured on this album I was really hoping for something a bit more impressive to close proceedings....
FAVES - Wanna Be With You, I'm OK, Midnight Love, DD Dance
WORST - Intercooler, Say You Will
Melissa White has really gone up in my estimations after her past two tracks - I'm loving her work!
01 Neo - Midnight Love (A-Beat C) [9/10]
I reckon this is probably Neo's second best track so far - beaten only by the awesome I Was Born For Burning. What makes this track stand out is the fairly unique production on the synths and vocals - it heralds a departure from A-Beat C's normal production techniques, and gives the song a fresh edge. As ever, Neo's vocals have a real raw quality that capture a sense of anger and excitement in equal measures, and these work in harmony with muted saw brass synth used in the main hook. A great start to the album...
02 Melissa White - Wanna Be With You (SCP) [10/10]
This track is simply stunning. It is the combination of SCP's ever-strong production techniques, the funky vibe last seen on "Switch!" and a distant 80's feel during the big anthemic hook. Melissa's vocals appear to have matured nicely, but she still has the ability to turn on the cuteness as can be seen from the talking adlibs during the intro and towards the end.
As the song progresses, the listener also gets the impression that the track is paying homage to the hypnotic styles of the disco era, while the instantly recognisable SCP bass beat blasts remind us just who we are listening to. A superb track - easily my favourite on the album!
03 Mr. M - Welcome People (Time) [8.5/10]
Wow, what's going on here? Sounds like someone has finally given Time a much-needed kick up the bottom - gone are the watery beats and weak synths to make way for a fantastically rich sounding production that is full of power and energy. The main hook sounds totally unique and the bass pumps loud throughout. Mr. M's vocals are rich and have enough drive to keep up with the powerful backing, although in some places the melody lines of the vocal sections don't seem suited to the style of the track (the harmony section in the lead-up to the chorus for example sounds a bit messy...) A great track all-round giving hope for the future in terms of Time.
04 Groove Twins - Dance Dance Monsteru (A-Beat C) [7.5/10]
Hmmmm, sounds like Groove Twins are slowly morphing into a semi-replacement act for the Go Go Girls. The song title and vocal style of this track scream of something Go Go Girls would've done years ago, but that aside, what we have here is another diverse sounding production from
A-Beat C. The slightly muted synth during the hook is quirky and the "Dance, Dance" vocals during this section adds a unique layer to the song.
I'm not totally mad for the vocal melody overall, and I feel that the backing does overpower the vocals a lot of the time, but all in all this isn't a bad track at all...
05 Oda - Rainbow (Delta) [7/10]
I'm quite undecided on this track to be honest. If I just sit back and don't pay much attention to it, I quite enjoy it - the power of the melody and production make for an enjoyable listening experience. However, if I
listen really closely to it, things start to niggle... For example, the "ooh-oh-oh-oh" vocal phrase during the intro irritates me as it sounds like a really bad impersonation of the Looka Bomba intro. The synth hook could use some more layers to give it more punch, and the vocals in general just don't sound great - I could think of 4 or 5 other male Eurobeat vocalists that would have done the track more justice. Add to this the fact that the production in general is a bit "safe" - there isn't much going on in general - and I'm left a bad disappointed by this track.
06 Annie - DD Dance (Time) [9/10]
I absolutely love the muted piano intro to this track - combined with the bass bursts and guitar, this track really gets off to an explosive start and things get better and better. The synth hook seems to raise the song a level from the agressive intro to a more light-hearted and playful zone where Annie's vocals can smoothly weave their way across the top of the pulsating bass beat. The synths throughout are a lot more complex than what we've been used to with Time, so once again I'm left feeling that I'm witnessing the rebirth of a label exploding back onto the scene after a long and dull vacation. Excellent stuff.
07 Rick Castle - You'll Never Be Lonely (Hi-NRG Attack) [8/10]
And from a label reinventing themselves to a label that sounds like they are trying to return to their roots. The synth hook on this track combined witht the beats and bass tone remind me so much of the Eurobeat Flash days, which is a welcome route to take in my book. Rick tries his best to make himself heard over the crazy synth patterns and pumping beats but most of the time he is left sounding like a sky little boy on the biggest concert stage in the world. This aside though, I am quite excited for the future of HRG now - this track proves they can vary their style enough to surprise the listener and that surely can't be a bad thing!
08 Go 2 - Power (SCP) [8/10]
Look who's back - the continual try-hards on the modern Eurobeat scene. Love them or hate them, no-one can deny Go 2's drive and style - from the distorted guitar chords to the explosive synths and beat, this is a full-on assault on the senses that you just can't ignore. The basic synth hook isn't the most interesting and original one I've ever heard, but it's slickly produced. Generally, the vocal line didn't interest me a massive amount - it just sounds like more of the same from a duo who are already sounding a bit same-old same-old...it's better than Not For Sale (their worst song IMO) but nowhere near as good as Funky Funlover or Super Striker...
09 Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (Delta) [8.5/10]
What on earth is going on here?? This is the same alias that released all those boring 80's inspired yawnfests during the 140s/150s right? Seems like someone's definitely been on the cheap champagne here - from the half-drunk, half-scary ramblings at the beginning to the Hi-NRG style vocal melody, this is totally the opposite from what I'd expect from Queen 26. I actually quite like the playful nature of the synths and beat, and the lyrics make me chuckle. If this is the future for Queen 26, then thank god she found the alcohol and loosened up a little! The squeaky moans during the intro freak me out though...
10 Cy-Ro - Intercooler (Hi-NRG Attack) [6/10]
I really don't get the hype that seems to surround Cy-Ro at the moment - for me, he is nowhere near as flamboyant or recognisable as other HRG male aliases (Jeff Driller, Joe D. Toaster) and this tune is no exception. The beat sounds relatively weak and although I am quite partial to an ascending chord progression, the melody itself is very generic and doesn't grab my attention. It's HRG being their generic old self, and to be honest I was disappointed by that...
11 Sophie - My World 2006 (Time) [7.5/10]
Okay, I don't really remember the original version of this so I don't have much to go on comparison-wise. Sophie as an artist has never really appealed to me a massive amount as her songs are normally quite slow and boring, but this one has a nice catchy chorus and a driving beat that moves the song along well. I think it benefits from being after a fairly inane track with no real identity of its own, although I wouldn't say that it's an amazing track - just quite pleasant...
12 Cody - Die Die (Delta) [7.5/10]
First impression of this is that I don't like the fact that it sounds like Cody is singing through the muffled intercom loops you get in train station ticket offices. That aside, the synth hook is pretty cute, but I'm pretty sure I've heard something almost identical in another song - it doesn't strike me as being totally original. I like the beat and chorus starts to grow on me as I listen to the song more, but overall I just feel like this is another "filler" much like the 2 previous tracks...
13 Dana - I'm OK (SCP) [9.5/10]
Woooo, I'm loving that bass beat at the start, and then the anthemic trance-inspired synths kick in and everything takes off into the stratosphere! For some reason, this song makes me think of a slightly sped-up Livin' In The Night/Walkin' In The Shadow - I think it would really benefit from Pamsy's unique vocals, although Dana does a great job. The chorus is super cheery sounding, and this contrasts nicely with the minor key in the verses and synth hook. As ever, the SCP production is top notch, and this is overall a superb debut for Dana - looking forward to hearing more from her in the future...
14 Annalise - Say You Will (A-Beat C) [6/10]
Hmmmm, the intro sounds a bit messy to me if I'm honest. The synth hook also seems to lack a true sense of direction or identity with a rather weak sounding synth simply fluttering over the top of the synthetic beats. I'm still a bit confused as to why A-Beat C has suddenly had such a massive shift in production quality - usually they are pretty reliable along with SCP but I've been a bit disappointed by some of their productions on this album.
15 Powerful T - Ace of Spades (A-Beat C) [6.5/10]
I've never liked this style of singing, and to be honest Powerful T goes way over the top in this track. He seems to find it difficult to control his falsetto and vibrato, and this leads to some very messy vocal phrases. On the plus side, the production is a bit more like the olden days here, but I'm still left feeling like there's a crucial ingredient missing that's stopping it from having that epic and anthemic quality of previous A-Beat C tracks. I was actually expecting a crazy Motorhead cover version when I saw this track - perhaps that would've been a better idea...
16 Ai Yamamoto - Wonderful (SCP) [8/10]
Guaranteed the Japanese EB fans go crazy for this song - it just seems to have that kind of innocent ad child-like quality to its vocals that they seem to go mad for... Personally, the vocals are what lets the song down for me as they aren't always totally in tune. It's a real shame, as I can imagine this track being a really sweet and well-made track with someone like Melissa or Christine on vocals. The melodies, production and synths are all fantastic, so I just hope we don't hear too much of this new alias...
17 Mark Gillan - Honesty (Time) [6.5/10]
Now this is what I expect from Time. This is generally what they do best - a relatively watery beat and sentimental vocal melody combined with minimal production. I'm not mad on this to be honest, especially when I consider the excellent Time songs that have come before on this album - I know the label is capable of so much better so why keep churning out inane and boring mushy stuff like this. I can hear Mark desperately trying to inject some excitement and passion to this track in places but unfortunately it doesn't work...
18 Nuage - I'm Gonna Carry On (A-Beat C) [7.5/10]
Nuage as the final track of an album? I can think of more memorable ways to finish an SEB, but whatever... This is pleasant enough with a nice snare heavy beat that gives this track a cute groove to it. This seems to hark back to classic Eurobeat in terms of the melody and feel, and Nuage does well vocally, but after some of the stunning anthems that have been featured on this album I was really hoping for something a bit more impressive to close proceedings....
FAVES - Wanna Be With You, I'm OK, Midnight Love, DD Dance
WORST - Intercooler, Say You Will
Melissa White has really gone up in my estimations after her past two tracks - I'm loving her work!
I liked a lot of the songs on this album, simply because it seemed like many of them were trying to produce different styles and such, unlike the 160s where so many songs seemed like cookie-cutter crap. Time's stuff on 171 was particularly impressive, as both DD Dance and Welcome People sounded a lot more energetic and less bland than their standard crap, like the_ditz said.
The worst song, for me, was Wonderful. The vocal work is just awful, and I can't stand listening to it. If it was an attempt by SCP to re-create the wonderful Just For Me, they totally missed the mark.
Hoping Time continues to show some improvement for 172.
The worst song, for me, was Wonderful. The vocal work is just awful, and I can't stand listening to it. If it was an attempt by SCP to re-create the wonderful Just For Me, they totally missed the mark.
Hoping Time continues to show some improvement for 172.
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