Super Eurobeat 205

[drnrg]

jeurobeat

I agree that the old Go2 songs had good and aggressive synth hooks. Too bad this Hotblade synth hook is almost an exact copy of the tune of the A-Team (not the entire tune, ofcourse). I heard that tune too many times already so I don't think I'll ever listen to this song again.

That's the one! I knew I heard that synth somewhere. Terrible song. So bad that I gave that song about 2 spins, so this new Hot Blade sounds really fresh and HOT!

...and with that thought I do my review.

1. Dave Rodgers- The Race Is A Game (AbeatC)
Ah yes the good old days when ABeatC would start off the cd. Proves the label doesn't even have to exsist to releases good old traditional Eurobeat. That's probobly the best way to describe this new(old) Dave Rodgers trax. Traditional AbeatC Eurobeat. Always reliable and always catchy. Dave will always fall amongst the best Eurobeat vocalists. The Intro here is a real standout. It almost has kinda arabic sounds. They actually sound quite nice laced with the ever so present Dave Rodgers guitars. Those same guitars are actually backing up 80% of the track. Much like a Mega NRG Man track of that era would have. Sex All Over The Phone directly comes to mind. These are all reasons to give this song a solid 10, but even with all these high points I'd still have to give it a 9. Something about the whole production screams repetitivity. Almost kinda cut and paste job. Especially in the last part. Dave = 100%. Riff =100% even intro =100%, but something was missing and oddly enough; I thought it actually needed more power it its deliverance.
9/10

2. Karen- Evergreen (AbeatC)
and yet another unreleased track makes its debut. I said it countless of TIMEs, but Karen just isn't one of my top ABeatC singers. I can count the songs I truly enjoy from her in one hand and this one falls under the "that was quite forgettable "pile. Aside from the intro; the song just felt out of place. The synth ;while fast ,actually felt kinda stale and the whole song itself didn't do much for me. Sorry, but this is normally what a Karen song does for me and I'm pretty sure there are better ones from her among those unreleased songs.
6+/10

3. Vicky Vale- Your Barbi Girl (DELTA)
Vicky is quite the versatile artist now adays. First we had the mind blowing blast to the past "Italo Beat Boy". then the bouncy "Do With Me" and now she gives us a straight out aggressive Eurobeat track that quickly is becomming one of my standouts. Funny thing is that this round, the ever so rehashed Turbo Disco intro works very well for this song. A few members are already hearing what I hear in this track. First you have a riff that is oozing with Italo inspirations. I dare say , that something that has been missing from the latest Rizzi/Capaldi trax. Not only that ,but the melody in the verses sounds very fresh as well. Ironically enough, you would think the title Your Barbi Girl would mean happy, hyper almost Aqua style melody, but as I mentioned earlier, this is actually a mighty aggressive Clara track that sounds great on all Eurobeat levels all the way up to its last note.
10/10

4. Hotblade- Plastic (SCP)
I knew this song would be one of my favs when I first saw the title. I even thought it had a Eurogrooves vibe to it. By the TIME the preview came out, I was really expecting something amazing. and now at first listen, I couldn't even sit still on my chair. The song has all the elements I love in a track. Aggressiveness, Powefull melody, vocals and guitars. The intro takes no prisoners and right away introduces us to the crazy sounding chorus talking nonsence about Horrors, monkees and plastic. LOL! The real punch of the song is in the guitars and riff ; which this TIME sounds great, as opposed to an earlier AAA cover Go2 made. Those giutars are perfectly accompanying the ever so present Italo melody in the chorus. There is a definate comparison to Go2 and the fact the this song sounds almost exactly like a said Go2 song, makes me wonder if Go2 themselves will end up taking a beackseat to the new Hotblade artist? I still yet to see if this song will have a lasting effect on me or fizzle out in the weeks to come, but for now, it sits nicely as my favourite track for containing the elements that almost always drive me crazy in a Eurobeat song. Kinda like a great new Chris Stanton track would. Go Plastic Horror!LOL!
10+/10

5. Radiorama- You Are Always On My Mind (Saifam)
Saifam has been really shining on SEB on these last few cds and this TIME around is no execption. Those of us who were craving a more Boom Boom Beat sound of yesteryear are definately excelling in these new releases. Remixed or not, Saifam is doing something right and it has everything to do with the older soundworlds they are reviving. Right away we are treated a great intro and by the TIME the dump de dump bass rolls around, you know what to expect. I was immediately reminded of such classics as "My Heart & My Soul" or "One 4 U One 4 Me" The riff isn't nervouse style st all, but magically inserting all the grace and poise of a instant classic. Vocals are soothing and thinking back, the whole track really does carry all the class an older Radiorama song would sound like. I would love a Farina sung song to have the name Radiorama again, but I know Saifam would have to really dream up a masterpiece to pull that one off. This song does come very close to being just that.
10/10

6. Ester- Nobody Loves Me Like You Do (GGMs)
I can't explain how rudly I am shaken out of my perfect Eurobeat zone when this song comes around. This song totally misplaced as it really creates a terrible barrier between two of my favourite songs on the cd. EveryTIME I think about Ester, I remeber her very mistitled Boom Boom song. If that isn't enough to hate this song; there is still the fact, that it completely blows chunks. To me it contains nothing redeeming in melody, riff and not even vocals, so it sits pitifully as one of the worst GGMs songs ever. Hollow soundworlds and bad placement on this cd to say the least. Seldom do I give grades lower than six, but this song sounds like a pimple on a perfect face.
4/10

7. Jay Lehr- Little Little Star (SCP)
So as the previous song completely put me to sleep; this Jay Lehr song takes me thru a very cool dreamlike stage. The feeling is nothing like I have ever quite felt as I'm listeing to a Eurobeat song. It goes beyond the celestial feel of a great aishu song, because this song has no meloncholic feel at all, but rather a Super up lifting vibe from start to finish. It definately turns out to one of SCP's most "expirimental" traxs to date. The verses use a style ,that I have to admit sounds like completely uncharted territory to my ears, What makes it sound so amazing is the way the bridge comes in like a sort of shooting star. In fact the images this song gives are celetial stars shooting back and forth, but wait that's not all, not by a long a shot. I havn't even commented on the riff. It has a perfect fusing of 80's, Italo and even a hint of Disco. Defiately a riff SCP hasn't used before, once again proving to me that Jay Lehr is in fact SCP's brightest star....and he doesn't sound like Owl City.LOL!
10+/10

8. Sara- Little Love (DELTA)
This song has been around for almost a year now. I have to admit that I wasn't immediately blown away when it first made its appearance on EM vol 20. In fact the compilation had so much great songs , that poor Sara's song took a back seat ride for me. It does, however seem to stand out amongst this batch of new songs, but then again, this SEB has so many amazing songs that is again falls into the good catagory. What I still enjoy, and probobly always will, is the mesmerizing riff that sounds a lot like Wonderland, but at the same TIME, what I rally dislike is the very Club oriented beats of the intro and break. They just don't work for me and seem to clash with the "Wonderland" riff.
7+/10

9. David Dima- Somebody To Love (Dima music)
I'm still giving All Is Magic at least two spins a day. It really turned out to be all Manuel promised. I listen to this song and really hear almost all the same ingredients that made Manuel's song such an epic classic. As I was racking my thoughts comming up for a review for this song, I came across Megan's review and use of the term "African melodic style" and I realize that she has really hit the nail on the head on this one as far as capturing a certain vibe a song gives. It leaves me with very little more to say, except that I enjoyed all the usual epicness a Dima song would have. The synths in the riff are definately one I have heard in an older Dima production, but the lowering of the bpms, gives it a completely fresh feel. I don't know who came up with the lyric "Like A Shadow" at the start of the chorus, but it's giving the song incredible melodic power without even having to be an aggressive one. That is an epic compostion.
10+/10

10. Sarah- Little Lies (Saifam)
...and yet another title with the word "Little".LOL! Saifam is fast becomming a regular on this series. TIMEs are really changing and you can hear it in thier second offering. The intro sounds great, again reminding me of such Boom Boom Beat classics like "Change" the vocal sampleings are very effective and also give the song a 90s feel as do the soothing bpms. Now this song is great, but the Radiorama song is so much better in comparison and to me the reason would have to rest heavily on the vocals. They are kinda hypish and the only portion of the song where they sound perfect to me are in the bridge. The chorus itself would be the weekest link of the song and also the part that sounds most like thier 2007-008 productions, but as a whole, the song works nicely and is especially shining in the break and outro. Another hit for Saifam.
8+/10

11. Cy-ro- It's All Up To You (HRG Attack)
Mark my words, Live Music Studio will be a force to be reckoned with on the new SEB era. I admit to be one of the one's who was completely turned off by this song when I first heard the preview. It just sounded so hollow and that's not even taking into concideration the so called "Axel Folly" riff, everyone seems to pick up on., but as fate would have; and this having to do with the fact that Festari is quickly becomming one of my top 5 male vocalists, I started loopig that 40 second so preview from AVEX and starting digging the mellow atmosphere the song would creat. I have always concidered HRG Attack to have rerally buisy sounding songs. One of the reasons I actually enjoy thier songs is that I can pick up on each different effect and instrument that they use. This song. with it's BPMs at such a mellow speed, really lets all those sound worlds shine even more so. It's a straight out pop sounding song. Even I would be crazy not to admit that, but it works amazingly by adding the Axel F riff that in turn provides it with a very mid 80s sounding vibe. The percussion is another instrument that sounds very crisp and clear. I remember the intro of Maid Attack when I hear the drum rolls and what not of this Cy-Ro song. I would definately love to hear this style in a female sung HRG Attack song. If anything it would give a us a marvelous opportunity to hear Cindy in a totally normal octave. BTW, I think Festari's heavy Italian accent adds a certain charm to the song, much like Roby Gabrielli's did back in the glory days.
10+/10

12. Mom & Dad- Kiss My Boo Boo (Sinclaire Style)
I quote myself to show how much difference a song can do when heard in its entirty "pure poo poo to my ears" yep, that was me when I first heard the preview to this latest Sinclaire offering. Oh, how wrong one can be. This actually turns out to be one of my favourite Sinclaire productions ever.and I'm speaking of his DELTA days level. To get it out of the way; yes, I think the artist name is still pure poo poo and the song's title shares that same label, but looking ahead of that, you come to discover a really little charming diddy that falls right into the catagory of a great hyper happy HRG Attack song. Gucci Girl, Sex On The beach and countless others, only done in the Sinclaire style. The lyrics ,make all the sence in the world. A feat seldom accomplished by a Eurobeat song and it's actually kinda hilarious how the same SCP song would fall flat on its face by adding stupid little shoutouts here and there. I think Bratt , himself has discovered that he can make an SCP song better than SCP. It's no doubt he will venture out more in this style, I just hope he can mimic the same charm and perfect synth riff he has accomplished on this first offering. Does anyone else find themselves singing along? Comon admit it. I do
9+/10

13. Survival Dance- No More No Cry(Dima Remix) (Dima Music)
I usually always skip over this 13th track as I have no interest in the J.Pop genre at all, but this TIME I remebered hearing a Dall Ora remix of this same song which didn't sound half bad, so I decided to give this a shot. While it still ins't anything I can sing along to; except maybe the chorus, I have to admit that it has a very heavy Eurobeat sound. I really enjoyed the middle portion of the song and Dima came up with a great riff reminding me a lot of One Week. I actually think this song would have sounded amazing as an instrumental. It really is the end of days when I start liking J.POP.LOL!
8+/10

14. Desire'- Take A Look In My Heart (Eurogrooves)
What's with the funky little apostraphe on the name Desire? is it pronounced Desiree? Anyway, here is another song that made very little impact on me when I first heard the preview. I really didn't even pay attention to Elena's vocals at first listen. I knew it was a Eurogrooves track, but somehow wasn't blown away as I usually am. Weeks passed and I get to hear the song in it's entirety. There probobly isn't too many of us, except Faarben and me, who really got into the Eurogroove of this track. Elena sounds marvelous as always, but the song itself is also oozing with all the great sound effects of a Dall ora remix would have. I still believe Dall Ora has a special love in his heart for the true 70's Disco style, cuz he captures it so much better than any other composer out there. It's almost as he travels back in TIME pricisly to the Disco peak moment to creat such classics as the ones sung by Phil & Linda. It really is a joy to have someone create the perfect disco atmosphere for this song. The third portion of the song is really shing out all of Dall Ora's talent as those violines burst out your speakers and lead you straight to the perfect outro for this style song. BTW, all three versions are equally epic. Enjoy as I did.
9+/10

Once again we have a album that is full of surprises. This cd accomplished not only to deliver the alrerady anticipated hits, but also to completely knock you me my feet by adding charm and grace to many of it's entries. I would have to say that SEB 205 is really one of AVEX's most classiest compilations yet. I can only anticipate that the level will continue high as it was this round. I'm also gonna add, is it me ,or does anyone else imagine picking out the songs for an SEB to be the coolest job in the world

[Jay]

In my last post, I said that the Ester song nearly put me to sleep the first time I heard it. Well, guess what? I was planning on listening to this album from start to finish on my long flight from Frankfurt to Singapore and I ended up falling asleep midway through "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", haha! I only woke up when Cy-Ro started playing.

I've described songs as "anaesthetic" in the past, but when describing the Ester song I mean it in the most literal sense possible. From the looks of things, very few like this song. Perhaps GGM's biggest universal blunder to date?

[WNight]

In my last post, I said that the Ester song nearly put me to sleep the first time I heard it. Well, guess what? I was planning on listening to this album from start to finish on my long flight from Frankfurt to Singapore and I ended up falling asleep midway through "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", haha! I only woke up when Cy-Ro started playing.

I've described songs as "anaesthetic" in the past, but when describing the Ester song I mean it in the most literal sense possible. From the looks of things, very few like this song. Perhaps GGM's biggest universal blunder to date?

You came to Singapore ? Now that's a real shocker. Hope you had fun.

Anyways, Wouldn't the Cy-Ro song sound more sleep inducing than NLMLYD ?

[MAtRiCks]

My favourite on this albums are:

#1 David Dima - Somebody Love

This is simply amazing, beautifully executed and shows how much soul Dima puts into each and every song. This is truly the work of a Eurobeat genius. That chorus could have ended halfway and still be awesome, but Dima decided it wasn't enough and gave it this extra hook that makes it all the more uplifting. Props to a producer that gives more than what we've come to expect.

#2 Vicky Vale - Your Barbi Girl

To me, Capaldi is the new Gilardi. All of his songs share a very consistent core and key elements, yet somehow all manage to hook me up so easily. Here, Clara demonstrates once again another extent of her vocal talent. Bravo for that fresh and uplifting hook in the chorus, it's blissful!

#3 Sarah - Little Lies

This song is just so pretty! The melody is reminescent of Fields Of Gold by Sting, and the song also shares that peacefulness of the classic. Is that Melody Castellari on the vocals? I would like to clear that up, but the song is great nevertheless.

[ryosuke63]

After a relatively long wait (compared to the last few volumes), we finally have a new issue of Super Eurobeat... complete with controversial cover art!
Considering the amazing win streak SEB's been having lately (in my opinion), this should be another great volume...? Let's see what we've got this time.


01. Dave Rodgers - The Race Is The Game
Rating: 8.5/10

With a very eastern-style intro (that's either a shamisen or a koto, my ear's not trained enough to know) this song gets off to an energetic start.
Relatively bland riff, and the verse has typical Dave written all over it. The bridge is very very strong though in many ways, including Dave's trademark powerful vocals.
The chorus is nice and catchy, but still has some aggressive elements. Dave likes to make songs about racing and cars a lot, doesn't he?
The biggest and best part of this song for me are the vocals. Pasquini has seriously been lacking these last few years... as if he's not putting all his usual energy into it, but this track features some of his best vocals in a while, in my opinion.
Can't wait to hear this in the next season of Initial D, as I'm sure it'll be featured.



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02. Karen - Evergreen
Rating: 7.5/10

Pretty nice riff, and the bridge's melody is very great. So is the chorus, which (depending on how you listen to it) can be pretty catchy.
Karen's vocals are sharp as usual, and fit this song perfectly. I've always been a fan of Karen, but I much preferred I Know What You Like over this.
That's two different styles though, so it's unfair to compare them. This song is pretty good, and I like the picture the title painted in my mind while listening.



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03. Vicky Vale - Your Barbie Girl
Rating: 5/10

"Oh heck yeah, more Vicky Vale! Her last few songs have been amazing, I can't wait to check this out." You can guess how it went after I listened.
This song stinks, plain and simple. I hate to be so objective about it, but there's literally nothing interesting about this song anywhere in the riff, verse, bridge, chorus, or even the break.
And here's another case of racy lyrics for the sake of racy lyrics. "You made me liking my dress, making that mess" "Take off my clothes and play with me like your barbie girl" are two examples of lyrics with nothing to redeem them.
It's "bland Delta" style at it's worst. This song gets 5 points for production quality and Clara's vocals, which aren't bad.



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04. Hotblade - Plastic
Rating: 7.75/10

I sure love it when a eurobeat song comes along and actually says something, tells a story.
Joe Banana did it last volume with "Cataclysm Night," a song references the popular "2012 end of times" talk.
This song's making a statement about the fake side of society, and telling it well.
Nicely executed vocals, a great bridge, and the chorus is awesome too.



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05. Radiorama - You Are Always On My Mind
Rating: 10/10

HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...
Whew, had a heart attack there. This is without a doubt one of the best intros of the decade. No, not the SEB decade, nor Kamen Rider decade, I mean this is one of the best intros in eurobeat made in ten years.
I fangasm'd all over the retro percussion used, but have to say I was very surprised to see this style from a name like Radiorama. They always tended to do darker, rougher songs (well, most of the time, at least - see ABCD.)
Each instrument in this song goes together beautifully, but there's actually one thing I would change about the riff, but I don't know how to describe what it is. I love the 3-note repeation with the bassline, but there's something I'd do to the last part of it (the bassline.)
Anyway, the riff is a breathtaking melody, and repeating it with the vocal samples takes it a step higher. The verse is kinda nice, and the bridge is amazing, especially with the use of the background vocals.
The first half of the chorus is bright and energetic, but the second half is truly something magical. The vocals are just so perfect, it's crazy. And it just gets better, because you get to hear that spectacular riff again!
This version is so much better than the original, I can't even believe it. More and more, Boom Boom Beat/SAIFAM/Asia/What-have-you is proving to be the best label of the SEB decade, for me.



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06. Ester - Nobody Loves Me Like You Do
Rating: 6.5/10

Very nice riff. I like that raw, speedy sound, and it's applied nicely here.
I'm not sure what I think of these vocals. They seem a bit off. Just not my style, I guess.
The bridge is pretty good, and so is the chorus, but not much more about this song is that great. The highlight, of course, is the synth riff.



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07. Jay Lehr - Little Little Star
Rating: 9/10

Now this song is very interesting! The sounds, the style, the mood, everything.
The riff isn't like most eurobeat riffs in that it was a bit mellow, and didn't feature enough percussion to make it as driving as most other riffs.
I love it a lot though, because it's bright, upbeat, and just plain sounds cool.
I'm a big hater of the musical atrocity that is known as the vocoder. Vocal aids are part of what killed pop music as we know it, so I'm always apprehensive when I hear them used.
That said, considering the dreamy mood and feel of this song, it actually compliments the sound. I never thought I'd like this effect.
The verse is so great, and the bridge is nice. The chorus takes it to a new level though, and I love the use of the background synths.
It's pretty driving, unlike the riff, so it actually makes the riff a sort of cooldown period. Very nice touch, and not one that many would think of.
I was pleasantly surprised by this song, and appreciate the originality very much, especially considering how well it was pulled off.



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08. Sara - Little Love
Rating: 7/10

"Jeez, what happened to Delta. Here's another slight disappointment" is what I first thought, but the more I listen to this song, the more I appreciate it's sound.
I love the riff a lot, and the verse is great. The chorus is pretty catchy too, and isn't half bad.
The riff is sort of a throwback to Delta's old style, which is pretty great, I think. Not much more to say about this song, except for that the background synths are really great.



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09. David Dima - Somebody To Love
Rating: 7.5/10

Well... that's a typical Dima aishu intro for you. Not much to say there.
Pretty good riff. The guitars are a nice touch. The chorus is very catchy, and Dima's vocals are great.
Great production quality, too. Can't think of much more to say about this track, but it's definitely good.



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10. Sarah - Little Lies
Rating: 6.5/10

Ah, more Boom Boom Beat! Amazing intro, as per usual for BBB.
This is a pretty good song to sit back and listen to. The chorus is very nice.
It's not too special a song though (at least for BBB, in my opinion), so I don't have more to say, sadly.



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11. Cy-Ro - It's All Up To You
Rating: 8/10

"HRG Attack? They've been pretty great so far. Please-please-please be sane... YES!"
First impression - DAT COWBELL. Good intro, good riff, great verse... but the bridge and chorus are wonderful. Very nice transition from bridge to chorus here.
I like how HRG Attack is putting the "extended" back in "extended mix." This track comes in just under 6 minutes, and most of their extendeds are around this length.
Surprisingly enough, Mr. Banana's vocals work well in a melodic song, and this is a good example.



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12. Mother And Father - Tend To My Wound Affectionately
Rating: LOL/10*

AHAHAHAHAHA OHOHOHOHOHO OHEHEHEHEHE OHUHUHUHU WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN. Gimme a sec, I need to catch my breath...
The lyrics... oh God the lyrics... this is going to go down in eurobeat history. What a joke...
Man, and some of us thought SCP was taking a childish turn with some of their songs... then comes this abomination, from SinclaireStyle!
I seriously SERIOUSLY hope this song was made for someone's kid, and wasn't the result of some illegal-substance-fuled brainstorm session, like I think it was.
Even "Internet Kills The Eurobeat Star" is better than this. Want to know why? No? I'm telling you anyway.
"Internet Kills" has one thing going for it that Boo Boo doesn't: humor. It was a decent satirical song. This... this is just plain silly.
Anyway, enough ranting. Worst song of the year, and we're only halfway through it, so you can see how confident I am in making that call so early.

*1 point for effort



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13. TRF - survival dAnce ~no no cry more~ <Dima>
Rating: 6.75/10

First impressions on this song are that this must have been a very eurobeat-sounding song to begin with, because if it weren't for the Japanese lyrics, I would have thought this were just another eurobeat song.
This is a pretty good, cheery song, and I like how extended this track is, at 6:18.
I really like the structure of J-Pop songs, and think it translates well to eurobeat, which is a style that can bring out some of the better points in songs like this.
A nicely done remix of a song (sadly) not quite to my tastes, as far as J-Pop goes. All the same, good job, Dima.



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14. Desire' - Take A Look In My Heart
Rating: 9/10
Note: This is a review of the 2010 remake, not the SEB Healing version, or the Bossa version.

Woohoo, another remix of an old Time song, finally! (Though this one was already covered in 2007 by "Vanity." I'm sensing a theme with the names... *wink-wink*)
And this one is done in a style I wouldn't have expected, being so far from the original - Disco.
VERY very great intro, and Elena's vocals are so top notch, I don't know why she wasn't picked for the original.
The bridge is absolutely amazing, and the chorus is spectacular, with a great beat and subtle bassline.
The synths compliment the mood nicely, and this is one of the best remakes/remixes of the year, for me. Shame it only lasts barely 4:10.



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TOTAL SCORE: 100/140

Best Song: Radiorama - You Are Always On My Mind
Worst Song: Mom And Dad - Kiss My Boo Boo


Final Thoughts:
After seeing some less-than-impressed reviews about this album, I was worried the streak was over, but thankfully I was wrong.
I can't believe we're only halfway through with the decade, and I can't wait to hear more!!

[drnrg]

haha! Nice Review ryosuke63 only Festari does vocals on the Cy-ro track, not Rimonti, so it's Mr. Banana

whose the guy in the white raincoat under David Dima's review?

[para_rigby]

Clearly, Kiss My Boo has, what I call, STB (Sticky Tricky Bang) Syndrome. Great production, melody, and sounds, but it's those damn lyrics that make you hate it or love it (ps...I love this song...maybe the best of the album?).

And to whomever said it was worse than "IKTVS"...really?

[Javy]

Kiss My Boo Boo isn't SCP it's Sinclairestyle and it was intended to mainly be a children's track.

[ryosuke63]

@Drnrg:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/doubles-guy

Also, points taken, drnrg and Javy. Can't believe I was so careless and didn't notice what label it really was. XD;
That said, I still can't stand the song, but as para_rigby said, it's just love it or hate it.
Come to think of it, that's why I go all out for my reviews. All anyone's reviews and opinions are subjective, because one person might like a song another doesn't. So I try to explain why I like/dislike a song and use colorful dialogue to do so, to make my review interesting, enlightening and entertaining (which is where the accompanying reaction faces help.)
I do my best...

[jeurobeat]

Here's my review of 205. There are 6 songs (certainly) and 2 (probably) that I will still listen to after doing this review, which is not a bad score.

1. Dave Rodgers - The Race Is The Game

Standard dave couplet, annoying bridge, repetitive chorus and rehashed synth melo. The only thing left is the skip to next song button on my CD player.

2. Karen - Evergreen

Karen has a history of really great songs. Rhythm Of Loving, 9 And A Half Weeks, Made In Heaven just to name a few. Unfortunately, this song doesn't even come close. It repeats everything she has done before. It sounds old, which is isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case it sounds like a rejected song that has been included just for being on A beat C.

3. Vicky Vale - Barbie Girl

I really like most of this song. The intro, the hyper sound, the synth line, the bridge. But unfortunately the vocal melody of the A melo and especially most of the chorus are so annoying that I can hardly listen to it. Too bad, because most parts of this song are really great. I might just make a remix using the instrumental version on the A melo and the chorus

4. Hotblade - Plastic

As I mentioned before, the synth line is a rip-off of the intro of the 80s TV series The A Team. The other parts of this song are not strong enough to make up for this.

5. Radiorama - You Are Always On My Mind

I remember the sudden appearance of the Eurobeat label in 1992 (Krystyna - Lonely Hearts, Ian Lex - Just Over The Time), when some people said "if this is the future of eurobeat, we'll have a great time ahead!" The same happened in 1996 with the establishment of Vibration Records (Hey Hey Baby Cry, You Belong To Me, Diablo Man). And now, listening to this song, I have the exact same feeling. This song is really great! Nice sounds, melodies!

6. Ester - Nobody Loves Me Like You Do

Cute voice, I like her vocals. The synth melo is a very annoying, but otherwise this is a very good song. I don't understand why people are so negative about it.
7. Jay Lehr - Little Little Star

For some reason this song reminds me of Cube - Concert Boy. Because of Cube's weird vocals and sounds it took a while before I could appreciate it. Unfortunately Jay Lehr's vocals are damaged too much by the autotune. Too may effects on the synths as well.

8. Sara - Little Love

Typical ravenant sound, always nice to hear. She sounds a bit hurried, maybe the song would have sounded better at a lower speed.

9. David Dima - Somebody To Love

Wow, this song is really good! It builds up great, until the last part of the chorus and the synth part which are a bit disappointing. This is not the new Help Me, but still a very good song. The extended parts are nice as well.

10.Sarah - Little Lies

The comments on Radiorama apply to this song to a certain extent, except for the synth melody and sound used. This way it sounds like a 21 Century Records label song, but now with a good (euro)beat instead. Replace the synth sound and melo by a eurobeat counterpart and this would be a perfect eurobeat song. The chorus is great!

11. Cy-Ro - It's All Up To You

Good intro, good speed, good sounds. This song has the same problem as the previous track: I don't like the synth sound and melody. I think it doesn't fit this otherwise perfect song. Cy-ro should sing more songs this way. The song sounds really mature and serious. I really like it. The couplet, bridge and chorus morph into each other in a really good way. And then there is that annoying synth again that destroys it a little.

12. Mom And Dad - Kiss My Boo Boo

And then, after a rather relaxing song, there is Kiss My Boo Boo. The kick drum is ear-killing. Melodically this is really good song.

13. TRF - Survival Dance

There have been more eurobeat mixes of this song, which I didn't like either. And this is no exception. It's the chorus that bothers me, so I don't think any remixer could make something good out of it.

14. Desire - Take A Look In My Heart

To me there is only one Take A Look In My Heart, and that is Jilly's, which I never regarded as anything special anyway. It was certainly not bad song but I don't understand why it would get a remake anyway.

[Vadim]

whose the guy in the white raincoat under David Dima's review?

You can never go wrong with Christian Bale for picture like this..

[drnrg]

jeurobeat

Here's my review of 205. There are 6 songs (certainly) and 2 (probably) that I will still listen to after doing this review, which is not a bad score.

Wow a review. Nice to have you more active on the forums nowadays. Anyways nice job. I'd like to hear that Vicky Vlae remix when you get around to it.

quote

5. Radiorama - You Are Always On My Mind Very Happy

I remember the sudden appearance of the Eurobeat label in 1992 (Krystyna - Lonely Hearts, Ian Lex - Just Over The Time), when some people said "if this is the future of eurobeat, we'll have a great time ahead!" The same happened in 1996 with the establishment of Vibration Records (Hey Hey Baby Cry, You Belong To Me, Diablo Man). And now, listening to this song, I have the exact same feeling. This song is really great! Nice sounds, melodies!

I remeber that Eurobeat label and thinking the same thing. For me it was Styloo- My Dreams and U.S.A- Gino Ca..I mean Joe Yellow.


Christian Bale is an AMERIACN PSYCHO.LOL!

[ryosuke63]

Awesome review, and awesome name-dropping of Concert Boy by Cube. Now that's old-school.
Also, heck yeah, Hey Hey Baby Cry and You Belong To Me are some of my favorite Vibration tracks too.

[jeurobeat]

Wow a review. Nice to have you more active on the forums nowadays. Anyways nice job. I'd like to hear that Vicky Vlae remix when you get around to it.

Thanks, you're the first to know if I really make that remix

I remeber that Eurobeat label and thinking the same thing. For me it was Styloo- My Dreams and U.S.A- Gino Ca..I mean Joe Yellow.

My Dreams is very good as well. I still don't understand why Mauro sang the song instead of Ian Lex, who was the original Styloo and whose picture is on the record sleeve. Maybe Mauro's vocals were better for the song (he did great by the way).

Awesome review, and awesome name-dropping of Concert Boy by Cube. Now that's old-school.

Yeah, I'm glad that some people around here know what I was talking about

[Jay]

6. Ester - Nobody Loves Me Like You Do

Cute voice, I like her vocals. The synth melo is a very annoying, but otherwise this is a very good song. I don't understand why people are so negative about it.

Because it's boring? I don't know why but that song has a really bizarre effect on me. Even when I'm wide awake, listening to it makes me very sleepy.

Anyway, I don't really want to post a massive overall review of this album since I don't think it's necessary. Other than Ester, I enjoyed every song from the album. The two standouts were Radiorama and Vicky Vale - both are absolutely INCREDIBLE tunes. I'm really amazed that Saifam was able to dish out something unique and enjoyable to listen to for a change.

Likewise, I'm very happy that HRG have proven to us again that they're capable of producing something outside of their comfort zone. Cy-Ro's song is definitely the best song that HRG have put out this decade so far, but that wasn't very hard to achieve considering all their other songs this decade were absolutely loathsome.