Post
by #Infinity » 17 May 2008, 03:47
~ REVIEWS! ~
1. HELLO HELLO! / DELTA QUEENS: (10+++++)
This is just it. I had very high expectations for this track since the samples, and yet they were still surpassed with such ease. I was swept away pretty much immediately; it's raging with sheer energy thanks to the driving, "athletic" beat and the awesome guitars used as a strong backup. The synth hook is literally head-banging it's so infectious. The track doesn't follow the typical eurobeat structure, but what it does follow is utterly brilliant; since there's not really a verse, instead we have more of a side-chorus that supports the sample version perfectly - the purity of this just allows the elements to stand out excellently - it's right in your face, exactly as eurobeat should be, and with an already-excellent melodic progression already set in-place, how can go wrong? Another advantage of this comes regarding the length - there's a lot more room to adventurously explore a variety of possibilities to surround the incredible hooks - the solo + key change especially is an outstanding approach that shows how various the song can be. And let's not forget those mind-blowingly-awesome lyrics! I'll surely be remembering them for the rest of my life they're so perfect! THIS, THIS is what eurobeat is all about - one of the catchiest, most energetic, aggressive, and memorable performances Super Eurobeat has ever seen. Thank you so much, Delta, for giving us this pure masterpiece of a eurobeat song. Outstanding, just outstanding.
2. A LITTLE DESIRE / ANNALISE: (8½)
Annalise is a title I'm pretty much never looking forward to due to her overexposure and tendency to be rehashed, but A Little Desire turned out a lot better than I would've ever expected. The melody for this is typical Annalise - I'm not a massive fan of her style, but hey, just about anything works when you do it the right way, and A Little Desire achieves that pretty well. The track is very synth-driven, which gives it a nice edge over the quiet beat and makes it stand out when you compare it to her previous releases of the 180's so far. On-whole, it fails to live up to the exceptional level of Say Yeah! and With Your Photograph, but it's still clearly Annalise's best track in a long time.
3. MOVE ON NOW BABY / MEGAN: (10+++)
I don't know why, but somehow Sinclaire's method of handling eurobeat always seems to passionately draw me in. Let's Go Wild wasn't quite a jackpot for SinclaireStyle, but the fresh, new ideas from Roberta Grana's first release since Hot Hot on 161 turn his comeback into a whole different story. He sure knows how to make a eurobeat song - his sounds are always very distinct, and he always ensures that none of the elements are left behind, especially the verse - Move On Now Baby's verse is catchy and fun as hell; rather than just stand there and drift away, it insists some very quirky chemistry between the vocals and the track's persistent drive. This catches my ear every time so that I'm not washed over by the different, yet equally-effective chorus phrase. An absolute hit for me, as it takes many chances, elicits a bagful of quirky sounds, and works in a catchy way that eligantly allows everything to stand out mannerfully. More like this, please!
4. BABY DON'T LEAVE ME / RICK CASTLE: (9)
Rick Castle finally makes a comeback for a change, so the material we get is far different from all the craziness otherwise put forth by Hi-NRG Attack. While I usually go for the wackier performances by this label, Baby Don't Leave Me is actually quite energetic while still maintaining the harmonious variety Rick Castle can present, similar to Midnight Lady. The production of this track is definitely the highlight - it allows this track to stand out like a eurobeat song and still works with the melodic progression fairly well; I love the synth especially. The main downside this track suffers would be that the melody is a bit underpowered and not particularly memorable, so Girbauldo's vocals kind of drown into the driving energy from all of the different sounds going on. It's definitely a little odd to be listing a track with a grade of 9 in the bottom 3, but nonetheless, I still enjoy this song a lot and would absolutely love to hear more of this style in the near future.
5. CAN CAN WORLD / MAKKERONI: (10+)
Considering how much I bashed over this track during the pre-release, I bet most of you will think this rating is all just a prank, but believe me, it sure isn't. The sample sounded flat to me and clearly didn't offer enough to convince me, but I was completely astonished once I truly gave this song a shot. From start-to-finish, it's an adventurous, eurodance-like faire completely riddled with fun. If the intro isn't enough to make you want to hear the rest, you must be in a cranky mood or something, as I was sure prepared for quite a ride, and quite a ride I got. The verses are easily the best phrases of this track - the eurodance-bubble-gum-inspired vocalist experimentation between Kimmy and Luca is simply infectious and works perfectly with the rest of the song. Even the chorus + synth hook, which originally just didn't sit with me, have completely grown on me since the sample. Unbelievably catchy, and yet another fantastic step out of general eurobeat standards. I reckon this could easily gain a lot of popularity if it were promoted at European dance clubs!
6. SECRET DESTINATION / MARI-SAN: (9+)
Not eurobeat? I sure think it is - that fiercely powerful synth hook may be inspired by hyper techno, but at the core of it all, this is definitely a track in the vain of GGM's usual style. Secret Destination gets a high grade easily thanks to its production values - the aforementioned synth works outstandingly, and fresh, driving sounds bring more life than what most other labels can possibly muster. As for the song itself, the vocals follow a very Cher-like method of standing out; at times they work quite nicely, but at other points (particularly leading into the chorus and during it) they just start to sound a bit muffled and nasally. Overall, I found this track to be quite excellent and in-your-face, but it does have a few drawbacks that keep it from receiving the perfect grade from me.
7. I NEED YOUR LOVE 2008 / DE LEO: (10)
This is how you remake newer tracks. Basic sound updates as seen in tracks such as Love Desire 2007 and Supersonic Fire 2007 are just fine, kind of unnecessary, but I Need Your Love 2008 takes it much further and explores the possibilities to truly coat the original track into a more updated style. Quite a few people have complained over the replacement of the old synth (which was good, don't get me wrong), but why rehash everything old when you can shake things up? I think the new hook is one of the best ones Time has produced as of late; in contrast to the rest of the song, it represents more thoroughly the current state of Time and what they're able to do that wasn't originally appropriate/effective in 1997. It still fits the song perfectly imo. The new sounds add a whole new dimension to an already fantastic song, and De Leo's raspy voice brings energy into the song that Simone Valeo wasn't originally capable of mustering. The little guitar solo in the extended cut is a very nice addition. A fantastic remake that, like Doctor Doctor 2007, achieves enough to stand out from the original version that it not just a basic rehash.
8. MAGICAL / MATT LAND: (10)
This track surprised me a lot, because Bad Boys was just such a tremendous letdown for Matt. As most A-Beat C releases as of late have tended to sound rehashed after a while, the new, slower direction taken in Magical is definitely the right move to avoid sounding too much like Gunfire without living up to it. If I'm gonna be honest, it actually sounds like a tribute to Norma Sheffield by Matt, hence his way of handling the track's vocals, but here it works significantly more effectively. The sounds for once aren't lackluster again and manage to live up to Matt's strong voice, which is definitely the type of thing I've missed from A-Beat C lately. Whereas this label's other newer releases have sounded rehashed and extremely uninspired, Magical is pretty much opposite - it's finally the first song in a while that has truly stood out with all the right elements set into place. I gotta admit that it's really quite nice to see them take full advantage of Matt Land's potential and try something new with it, as this really swept me away. Possibly the best A-Beat C offering of the 180's!
9. VAMOS A BAILAR / COO COO: (10)
Coo Coo returns after his long-awaited comeback with Age Age Every Night, and wow, what a song does he have. Vamos A Bailar is everything fun about Saifam taken to a different level; if I'd describe it, I'd say it's like Vodka by Mad Cow meets Vanilla Gorilla by the Zippers (eurodance). What's not to love about it? Those tongue-in-cheek lyrics bounce with the typical saifam beat really persistently, making it an ideal song to dance to at parties. It's loveably catchy, and easily one of their best tracks as of late.
10. LOVE IS A PRETENDER / PAMSY: (9½)
Pamsy's last few tracks weren't her best ever, but fortunately this is a strong comeback. While it still can reach the mezmerizing heights of such classics as Walkin' In The Shadow and Once Upon A Time stand-out-wise, its production values are still top-notch. Fantastic vocals from Pamsy, smooth lyrics, and atmospheric sounds make this her best release in a while. The melody isn't super-memorable, but it's still effective and leaves plenty of room for everything positive about the track to shine.
11. RUN AWAY / DANY: (9)
Dany is a title I have high expectations for all the time, so the high rating for this track comes as no surprise. While her comeback has produced mostly energetic, powerful new releases, Run Away is far softer and laid back for a change. Overall, the song fits together very nicely thanks to Dany's rich vocals, slick melody, and easy-going-yet-catchy production. It doesn't have the same aggressive feel that allows it to stand out nearly as much as the masterpiece, Love Is Like A Fever, but it's nonetheless yet another hit for this quality female title.
12. SPITFIRE / GO 2: (9½)
My impression of this track has been a constant roller coaster ride ever since the samples were posted. At first, it sounded like an uninspired disappointment from an incredible duo, but if you think the sample is enough to judge the entire song, you've got to be kidding yourself. Once I gave this a listen in its full form, I was surprised to see more experimentation in it than anything else Castanga has conjured for Go 2. It's by far their most intense performance to date, energizing the production so much that there's almost no emphasis on melody (this is especially prominent during the synth). Believe me, it's truly not meant to be a pretty track - the verses are immensely chaotic and screamy, making the once-bland-sounding chorus extra aide to the angry mood. The lyrics are excellent, but they further the song in the exact same way. I had a lot of trouble evaluating this track, and it took me a few listens to decide its final score, but ultimately I decided that the overboard level of energy and experimentation gave this hardcore track a massive ability to stand out, as well and a ton of replay value, making it truly worthy of the Go 2 title. Still, as this song is definitely not for everyone, in the future, I'd prefer to hear something a bit more melodic, not to mention far more listenable, like Looka Bomba, Power, or NRG, all of which are some of the duo's strongest performances to date imo.
13. SUN CITY 2008 / DAVE RODGERS: (9½)
Ah, Dave Rodgers...but where's Jennifer Batten? Heh, putting that aside, ending a Super Eurobeat album with A-Beat C is usually not something I look forward to, but luckily, in this case, it's actually for the better. Sure, this cover may be no Eldorado, but when compared to everything else this poor label has done throughout the 180's thus far, it really shines like a jewel. The calm mood to this production is suprisingly effective - really gives that calm, summery vibe that contrasts excellently with the well-handled lyrics. Even though this song dates way back to 1995, it still feels everything like a Dave Rodgers song - a classic 90's melodic feel, rock-esque production qualities, and raspy vocals to fit. The wait for another A-Beat C cover finally instead of Time was long, but it was definitely worth it. Easily one of the label's best releases of the 180's decade - I'd love to hear more covers like this in the near future from them!
FINAL SCORE: (10)
All things considered here, Super Eurobeat 187 more than took me by surprise. I was worried that the labels wouldn't be able to redeem themselves after their mediocre performances on 186, especially with the new format of only 13 tracks per release, but every single one of them seemed fresh and rewarding on 187, even A-Beat C (this is by far their best set of tracks of all CD's from the 180's). There may not have been too much to offer from all the labels in general, but what they did give us made for by far one of the best and most diverse Super Eurobeats ever. Lately, 106 has probably been my favorite all-time Super Eurobeat album, but 187 may have easily stolen its crown. If this new format results in a constant level of Super Eurobeat compilations of this quality, I've got to be honest and say that I'm totally for it. There's really not ONE track on this entire CD that I didn't really enjoy, and the amount of perfect songs here comprises virtually half of it. Bravo to everyone for their outstanding performances here, especially SinclaireStyle for Move On Up Baby and Delta for Hello Hello!. Those are both among the best eurobeat tracks I've ever heard and will surely receive plenty of listens for years to come.
TOP 3 SONGS:
1. HELLO HELLO! / DELTA QUEENS
2. MOVE ON UP BABY / MEGAN
3. CAN CAN WORLD / MAKKERONI
BOTTOM 3 SONGS (ugh, it's so hard to list these because none of them deserve this honor tbh):
1. A LITTLE DESIRE / ANNALISE
2. RUN AWAY / DANY
3. BABY DON'T LEAVE ME / RICK CASTLE
HONORABLE MENTION:
- MAGICAL / MATT LAND
Last edited by
#Infinity on 17 May 2008, 16:26, edited 1 time in total.
