Review Of Super Eurobeat Volume 164

[Jion]

So after a long delay in doing reviews here I come back! Let's take a look at 164!

01. ON MY OWN 2006 / A.GORDON

Great great remix of such a great song. The vocals are just as good as you'd expect from Annerley. The synths are on par with what you'd expect from most A-Beat C songs. The entire feel of the song makes this song just right. All the elements fall into place and the music sounds like it could be played in any club with everyone just dancing to it! Great song, great remix; what more could you ask of a remix? In my opinion 10 times better than the slightly dissapointing Like A Virgin 2005.

5/5

02. QUEEN / MARK FOSTER

I'm sure all of the 3B fans out there either have heard this song already by downloading it/ordering the song from SAIFAM or heard the sample. It's a pretty good song. Course having the name Mark Foster, many people are gonna try to compare it to the previous release by Mark Foster which was Like A Fire. Both can't be compared. Queen is a great song by itself and continues the BBB style nicely. Speedy and boomy; pretty much what you'd expect from SAIFAM.

4/5

03. BAZOOKISTAN / MAD COW & THE ROYAL EB ORCHESTRA

THANK GOD THEY CHANGED THEY STYLE JUST A LIL BIT MORE! This is a massively awesome song and much different than the previous Russian style songs that have been released. Federico's voice has a lot of effects on it or something because he almost sounds like a mix of his regular voice mixed with some Festari's. Anyway the trumpet intro is so awesome! Great job HI-NRG! Just keep working on bringing a different style!

5/5

04. FUKU WA UCHI / DOMINO

I'll be honest. While I know Eurobeat is released in Japan, I'm not a fan of J-Euro. So you can imagine that I wasn't so much of a fan of Domino songs where she sings in Japanese. The Japanese elements mixed with happy SCP style is really interesting to listen to though. The music is really good. Personally this is like a totally different style for Domino that what I'm used to so I don't understand why everyone is comparing it to old styles of Domino. Anyway, I almost was expecting Kiki or Fancy to jump out of nowhere and deliver some "YAH!" or the Goofy DJ to go "MY LOVER!". I personally would have loved that. As for the actual vocals, I can't really say much since like I said I'm not a huge fan of the Japanese vocals. Great music and rather interesting to see that Sandro Olivia wrote part of this song seeing as he's a big A-Beat C man. The points I give this song are mostly for the music but big props to Alessandra for doing work with SCP! Next time sing it in English!

4/5

05. IN THE NIGHT IN THE FIRE / MAKO

Mako? This is Mako? I was almost tempted to say that it's Cody or Niko singing the song. The really pushed Mako's vocals back in the background to the point where the background vocals are almost as loud as he is. And they did some effects on his vocals too to make him sound almost totally different. I love the trance effects. They work so well. This song is extremely sexy and everything about it makes me dance! Not the absolute best song by Mako but extremely good! *Gets ready to rave!*

5/5

06. INTO THE NIGHT / MEGA NRG MAN

What they did for this song was mix elements from early 90's dance, rock and trance. Almost as if they took Matt Land's style, mixed it with Manuel's new style and added some new effects. It's rather striking to hear Marin singing in this style. I was really impressed with Mega NRG Man. While no one is gonna say this song is much better than Supertonic Lady, I can see this song lasting for quite a while. I really liked this song as well. Alessandra shows her work again as a wonderful song writer (two songs on this CD were written by A. Gatti). Great great great stuff!

5/5

07. PRIDE / DAVE

I'm just gonna say it. This is by far the greatest Time song released since The River Of My Heart. An absolute treat to the ears. Everything was done so well for this song. Sergio deserves a raise just because of how good this song is. The main vocals are amazing and I'm glad they did the background vocals right. They are there to support the main vocals and don't overpower the main vocals like they do in so many songs. Plus the background vocalist isn't singing the entire song either! Dave is actually singing this song! It seems weird but listen to any HRG song and you'll hear the female background singer singing pretty much the entire song or other Time songs and you'll hear the same thing. Another thing this song has right... IT ACTUALLY HAS AN ENDING! I loooooooooove this song! If this song were released in time for 160, I have a good feeling it would have made the top 10 at least. Absolutely a blast to listen to! The last time I was this happy in listening to a Eurobeat song was Wonderful Feelin' by Lisa Lion!

6/5 (Thats no typo)

08. MAKE ME BELIEVE / CHERRY

Pretty much your typical Delta fare. It's actually a rather good song to listen to but there's nothing that makes it a massively good song. Everything right was done and it's just really nice to listen to. The vocals as always by Clara are great. Good stuff!

4/5

09. CHINA / KEN MARTIN

The guitar is really nice in this song. The second China story song in this song (Queen is the first one). Again the style is typical 3B. (This is another song that I can use to explain my rant about background singers singing the entire song). It's a good song but like Make Me Believe, theres nothing that makes it really stand out. The elements are where they're supposed to be at and I'll listen to it quite a few times but it won't become a massive favorite of mine.

4/5

10. BLUE / ALEXIS

The one letdown of this CD in my opinion. This is typical Time style (done well though I must say). I'm just upset that Elena seems to get the exact style in all her songs. It's rather speedy compared to the recent Elena releases which is kinda cool. I liked it but it was too typical to stuff she has put out before.

3/5

11. BOOGIE BOOGIE / DONNA

I love the synths in this song! They're so cool! The entire song sounds great and the guitars really make this song stand out quite a bit. Newfield knows how to make Clara stand out in my opinion. Pretty nice sabi melded with powerful lyrics. They really made this song different from the other songs on the CD by adding stuff in this song that is usually only on the extended mixes. Instead of repeating the B melo after the C melo as they usually do, they make it instrumental! Took me back! Then they added the other instruments after the repeat of the Sabi! I was almost trying to keep up with how cool this song is! Newfield does it again (and I'm not trying to kiss up to him! Listen to this song and you'll understand why I'm excited by this song!) Oh yeah interesting ending too!

5/5

12. NO CONTROL / MANUEL

Fast old style Manuel returns with some of the Trance style Manuel mixed in. Manuel really sings well in this song. Again the guitar stood out to me! Another thing that was cool was how the chorus was sung! "No control, not at all!". Hearing Manuel singing in other parts of the song as the main vocals are singing is a cool effect I haven't seen since Big Boy and Shock Me. I likey! Gimmie magic! Gimmie heart! Gimmie more Manuel doing songs like this!

5/5

13. SHATTERED DREAMS / PRISCILLA

The third song by Clara comes with quite a interesting style. It almost has an old style Spanish style of writing the music though the instruments are clearly Eurobeat style. The singing is also very much in the style of Spanish boleros. Very very beautiful. I found myself listening to this song for the vocals. Just a lot of it was so beautiful and breathtaking. I almost feel weird by giving so many 5 out of 5's this CD but I can't help it if the songs are really high quality!

5/5

14. MAKE A MOVEMENT / DAVE RODGERS

If you heard the version on Campus Summit, you're pretty much getting a longer version of it. Theres no guitar solo like in the real extended version which massively upset me since they pretty much did release this song earlier. Not much to say except that this song is really really cool and I like it quite a bit! The guitars make the most of this song (I likey rocky guitars!). Dave sings really nicely in this song but it's not the typical Dave Rodgers style song (as Eldorado and Space Invader are) but thats not always a bad thing! It almosts has a ravish feel to it. I listened to this song quite a bit when it was released so I'm gonna give it the grade I would have given it back then if I had never heard it before!

5/5

15. I'VE GOT THE MUSIC IN MY HEART / KELLY WRIGHT

Karen J. Wainwright comes back with a nice song using the old school name Kelly Wright. I kinda wish she stuck with the name Karen since I hate having so many names for the same vocalist. Anyway, the singing is absolutely beautiful. The style is almost a mix of Newfield style Delta with A-Beat C. It's a rather interesting mix. It's a really good song with so much of it just so beautiful. Not your typical K.J. Wainwright song!

5/5

16. LOOKA BOMBA / GO 2

Wow... Just wow... (for like the 15th millionth time this review). THE GUITARS! The killer guitar solo this song has will blow the roof off any club and keep the party going! Fastway really takes the reigns in this song. Quite a striking blend of the two vocalists results in a powerful and awesome song being created! The effects used and the way this song just shows how gutsy it is just blows expectations of everyone! It's hard to be angry for there being so many Go 2 songs out so quickly when they're so good! Keep it coming! I was pretty much floored the way I was when I heard Pride! Wow!

6/5 (Again not a typo)

17. PUN PUN BEAM / CINDY

Now I'm kinda in the middle with this song. It's a HRG female song which is kinda bad in my book (the reason for that is the contemporary HRG female songs have their vocals raised so high that it almost becomes annoying... I miss hearing great female vocalists with a natural tone to their voice). It is kinda funny hearing Festari saying that little rap at the beginning of the song. I kinda wish they used a few more different instruments for this song since it kinda does sounds like some recent HRG songs (almost like Bugabuga Chew Chew). It's a pretty good song which is kinda cool. It's the best female HRG song released on SEB so far. Though I do have one question. Why do they have to say it's like a rollin' stone in almost every current HRG song? Good song but HRG still needs to change their style.

4/5

18. ONLY FOR LOVE ONLY FOR YOU / PHIL & LINDA

Definately disco. This seems like to be the relaxer after taking such a speedy ride this SEB. The music is so beautiful! I really like this song. Time is showing so many faces of it's ability! The music is gorgeous and such a blast to listen to. My dad actually liked this song! Saying it reminded him of how disco used to be like. I could almost dance hustle to this song! I don't hear much Linda but Phil is great!

5/5

Best song - Tie: Pride by Dave & Looka Bomba by Go 2
Best Male song - Tie: Pride by Dave & Looka Bomba by Go 2
Best Female song - Boogie Boogie by Donna
Most Dissapointing song - Blue by Alexis

Overall rating of the CD - 5/5

Great great CD. 162 was weaker than 161 and 163 was the weakest CD of the 160's. 164 puts it to the level where it should be. I'm kinda disspointed though that SCP only got two songs this CD.

SIDE NOTICE FROM THE BACK OF THE CD BOOKLET!!!!! PLEASE READ!!!

If anyone is able to get to see the A-Beat C Special Band thing and record it, let me know! It comes out on the 10th of Feburary and currently the live singers will be Dave Rodgers, Nuage, Manuel and for the first time for anyone to see... DIGITAL PLANET! Apparently they won't be the only singers there too. Theres supposed to be more singers. Maybe Mickey B. or Karen/Kelly Wright will make an appearance! We need to get some info on this! Digital Planet live is hot!

[drnrg]

I guess i'm the first to comment on your review. Actually it is pretty good. I totally agree with "Pride" I just have a snippet, but that was enough to convince me that it is amazing. I will trust that Phil & Linda is good since it is TIME(It should be). Two HRG attack songs are allways a treat. My only concern is on the ABeatC reviews. The word "Trans" does not give me high hopes. and I really hate that style of music to be included in a Eurobeat review for a song., but maybe what sounds like trans to you will just sound like Eurobeat synths with a harder edge to me(I hope so?) Otherwise your review is well done and definatly makes me wanna buy this CD. Good Work!!

[Ricfiam]

I very like this cd!
Great work, energetic songs, that's what I need (but more SCP please...)!
So,
-A.Gordon is pretty cool, remember "S.O.S. feat. Annalise - Don't you leave me standing"? I loved that song and now I feel the same than in 1994...
-I have Mark Foster and Ken Martin for few months ago in extended, I prefer those.. Excellent music
-I like Mad Cow if I drink some beer..
-Domino.. uhh, I'd like to shot her down! I hate it, childish, japanese vocals... pfff
-Dave - Ohhh maaan, welcome back G.L. Anceschi! One of my favorite vocalist!
-Priscilla - the first song from her what I like...
-D.Rogers - little disappoint for me after his 2 songs before
-Kelly Wright - good old Kelly, I like this stuff!
-GO 2 - Ohhhh yeah, best song on this cd! Just great, I can't stop jumping, dancing, singing and others...
-Phil & Linda - please no more.. worst song on cd... pfffff

Overall a good compilation!

[the_ditz]

May as well add my review here as well (originally from BahamutForever.net)

1. A GORDON - ON MY OWN 2006 [8.5/10]
So far, this is the biggest surprise of the album for me - basically because I can't believe I actually like an SEB remake! Maybe it's because I've never heard the original version of this track, but it just appeals to me as it harks back to the good old days of the 110s/120s in terms of style and structure. The vocal line seems to remind me a lot of Groove Twins (especially "Oh Baby Call Me Now" from 162 for some bizarre reason!) The synth hook is really cute and gives the song a really nice feeling of energy. The chorus can get a bit repetitive at times though, and I'm not sure about the ending, but this is definitely the strongest SEB remake we've seen so far!

2. MARK FOSTER - QUEEN [8.5/10]
The first thing that strikes me about this track is the excellent Saifam beat - they really have developed a very strong beat dynamic that spans all of their songs and makes them instantly recognisable. The synth hook is scarily similar to Gun Boy though, and considering that track was on the last SEB I would advise Saifam to be careful that their synth lines don't become too samey. There is a clear tribute to Hi-NRG Attack in parts of this song (the "Ahy Ahy Ahy Ahy Ah" in the verse for example is pure Jeff Driller/Franz), but the thing I love most about this track is the chorus, as it has really grown on me after just 3 listens. Not the best Saifam track, but strong nonetheless.

3. MAD COW & THE ROYAL EUROBEAT ORCHESTRA - BAZOOKISTAN [8/10]
If it ain't broke, why fix it. That must be the opinion of Hi-NRG Attack with regards to this track, as it succeeds once again in sounding extremely similar to so many of their other tracks while somehow sounding new and fresh. The intro here with the la-la-la-la vocal line is great and gets the song off to a pretty unique start. The new touches continue with the introduction of a trumpet hook instead of the standard synths, and while I think this adds a fun new dimension to the sound, I do miss the old synths! As ever, the vocal melody is as catchy as ever, but the odd pause halfway through just sounds bizarre! Miles better than Maid Attack, which makes me happy!

4. DOMINO - FUKU WA UCHI [7/10]
This song is exactly what I was expecting from Domino to be honest - a slightly childish mixture of cheesy synths and girly singing. The intro irritates me as it sounds very childish, and the background effects remind me of "Butterfly" by Smile.dk. I'm not sure whether I like the cutesy little synth hook or not - I do find myself humming along sometimes, and it's a pretty unique melody too. The vocal line doesn't do much for me though - I just imagine lots of 12 year old Japanese girls parapara-ing to this in their school playground. This would fit great on DDR/DS Disney Mix to be honest...

5. MAKO - IN THE NIGHT IN THE FIRE [6/10]
What is that horrible intro all about? The possessed "OAOAOOOAOWWW COME ON!!" screams disturbed me deeply when listening to this on my mp3 player, and the sounds used in general are just a bit icky. The overall production of this song could use quite a bit of work - the bass sounds far too dominant, and the synths throughout the verses in particularly are too sparse. I do enjoy the chorus, but it sounds a bit too similar to so many faceless songs from the SEB archives that I don't really care to remember. It may grow on me a bit, but at the moment this isn't doing much for me!

6. MEGA NRG MAN - INTO THE NIGHT [8/10]
The production on this track sounds fantastic after the rather dodgy "In The Night In The Fire", but really it's what I would expect from Mega NRG Man. he really benefits from the position on the album he's been given, as the overall impression about this track is much enhanced. To be honest, I can't really pick out anything unique about this track - the lyrics are fairly generic, the melody is pretty safe throughout (although the lead in to the chorus includes a nice little shift in pace that sticks in my mind). All in all, this is an enjoyable track, but it's not a stand-out song IMO.

7. DAVE - PRIDE [8/10]
Hmmm, I'm not too sure about that guitar-led intro - it sounds a bit too thrown-together without too much care. I do like the synth-hook a lot - I've been humming it loads since I got the clip of this track a few weeks ago - I think that is probably the thing that gives this tracks its edge. The verses are a bit painful to listen to, as Dave's vocal ability sounds very weak and he almost goes out-of-tune on various occasions. However, he puts on an impressive show in the chorus, and that convinces me that he has potential for the future. I don't think this song is as strong as the clip suggested, but it's still a worthy addition to the album.

8. CHERRY - MAKE ME BELIEVE [6.75/10]
God, those intro synths sound like they're drunk, and then Cherry comes along with her tipsy pianist and starts inanely groaning into the mike. Probably the worst intro on the album. Thankfully, things get a bit better when Cherry actually starts singing and the real synths kick in, but all in all it's just another bland Cherry track. Her songs never really stand out in any particular way for me, and this is no different - nice enough when it gets going, but not a favourite.

9. KEN MARTIN - CHINA [6/10]
Wow, from that intro I was really looking forward to a great Franz Tornado style journey into the world of nonsense, but to be honest the vocals don't convince me a lot here. There is nothing exciting that I can pick out, and the whole song just seems to trundle along with no real aim. Very repetitive is a way to describe it I guess. I'm not convinced by the synth hook either - it's too manic and the melody gets lost in all the flourishes. A disappointment.

10. ALEXIS - BLUE [8/10]
I should hate this song, as it strays very close to the bland and sickly sentimental mush that I hate in Eurobeat, but to be honest I quite enjoyed this one. The breakdown at the start is a really nice touch, and the way the chorus contrasts with the synth hook gives the song more depth as you're never really sure what's going to happen next. The verses are a bit bland, but on the whole I enjoyed this. Maybe it's because it reminds of a Eurovision Song Contest entry...

11. DONNA - BOOGIE BOOGIE [7.5/10]
Oooh, Donna's taking some inspiration from Earth Wind & Fire now. The intro sounds like a tribute to Let's Groove, and gets this off to a funky start. However, the synth hook sounds a bit dodgy - I'm not really sure what I don't like about it, perhaps it sounds too much like a 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog tune. Who knows... I do like the way this song breaks with the verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure by introducing a bit of adlibbing after verse 2. This may well grow on me, but for now it's strictly middle of the pack...

12. MANUEL - NO CONTROL [8.5/10]
Take away the cheesy talking in the intro please! It's horrible. So anyway, I'm going to review this song from 28 seconds onwards, as that is when it gets really good! The synth hook is your typical Manuel fayre - which isn't a bad thing at all - frantic, tuneful and energetic. Also, listen to the transition from synth hook to verse and you'll find the same synth strand that appears in the intro for "Free Love" by Karen. Anyway, let's jump to the defining part of this track - the chorus. Much like "Let's Go Come On", the chorus has a great pace thanks to the speedy chord progression and the ascending melody in the second part of the chorus is great to sing along to. This is a favourite of mine without a doubt!

13. PRISCILLA - SHATTERED DREAMS [6.5/10]
This style of Eurobeat doesn't really float my boat - it sounds far too amateur, like a spotty 17 year old mucking about on a Casio in his bedroom. I can't really pick out anything particularly unique in the vocal line either, although I do like the "just a little crush, a little shake inside my heart" descending string in the chorus. Not much else I can pick out really, I'd probably skip past this quite a lot...

14. DAVE RODGERS - MAKE A MOVEMENT [6.5/10]
Oh man, this song sounds a lot like a cheesy 80s song that I remember from my childhood, but the name just isn't coming to me at the moment! Mr Rodgers seems to have abandoned his classic production style here to try a little bit of experimentation, and to be honest I'm not really sure that it works. The vocal line is as catchy as ever, although it does sound generic when compared with his other songs. The chorus however is a bit messy, and the "woah-woah-woah" is crappy to say the least. This is perhaps the biggest disappointment on the album

15. KELLY WRIGHT - I'VE GOT THE MUSIC IN MY HEART [7/10]
This sounds like an old Eurobeat Flash style track! The vocals are a tiny bit iffy to be honest - I'm not convinced that Kelly is going to stay in-tune throughout. The melody isn't bad, but much like the vast majority of this album nothing really stands out and screams to me "OMG listen to me again, I kick butt!!" Might grow on me, but at the moment it's just another bland female-led track.

16. GO 2 - LOOKA BOMBA [8.5/10]
Okay, it's safe to say this is Go 2's worst track so far. However, in the context of this album, it sounds pretty damn great! The full-on energy that the track has blasts through the speakers from the first beat drop, and things never slow down for a second. The synth hook is pure Initial D (I don't really know what I mean by that - it just sounds like it belongs in ID) and the vocals are passionately delievered (although both Ace & Fastway need to relax a little on the screaming especially in the chorus). Enjoyable, but nowhere near as fab as Funky Funlover.

17. CINDY - PUN PUN BEAM [8/10]
I hate myself so much for liking this song!! Lol. Cheesy does not even begin to describe this track - from the cutesy vocals to the odd robotic voice in the intro and the odd lyrics, everything oddly comes together really well. This would fit so well in Euromach, and I can even see it fitting in DDR pretty well. My only real complaint is the dodgy ending to the synth hook - it seems to lose its way a bit and go out-of-tune. A nice piece of nonsense!

18. PHIL & LINDA - ONLY FOR LOVE ONLY FOR YOU [7.5/10]
It's like a dodgy 90s B-side from some rubbish soapstar singer trying to break into the charts. However, it isn't as bad as I first thought when I heard the sample on the Avex website, and the song structure keeps things a bit more interesting. I still wouldn't choose to listen to this particularly, but it's pretty inoffensive and compared to the majority if tracks on this album the melody at least has some lasting appeal. But what's with the fadeout???

OVERALL [8/10]
I had a feeling this album wouldn't be as good as the previous 160s after hearing the various song samples that had been kicking about. There are still some good tracks here - On My Own 2006 and No Control will probably become my overall favourites - but I just feel that was a lack of real inspiration throughout the majority of the album. Even heavyweights like Mega NRG Man and Go 2 couldn't score 9 or 10/10 from me here, and I just hope that after the 165 Nonstop album, things pick up again and we get some explosive and memorable material that will become classics of the future...

[Nine]

ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch you guys, just ouch. XD

[the_ditz]

I will admit that Domino is growing on me a bit, and it is definitely in the top half of the album quality wise.

[Mikaeru]

Don't worry, I'll support Domino with you. It's exactly what I expected, wanted, and LIKE! Might have been a bit better if the arrangement was a bit fuller, and maybe Kiki & Fancy doing some backup vocals, but I *like* that it's really happy fun and cheery.

[jp75]

Pride should deserve a 10/10. The embodiment of Super Eurobeat!

[Mikaeru]

Gah... I feel like I'm (almost) the only person to love Fuku Wa Uchi, AND the only person to think Pride, while being nice, and REALLY good for Time, isn't all that special.

Nothing that we really haven't heard by, say, J Storm, Powerful T, Ace Warrior etc...

[jp75]

I know what you mean, i just love the enthusiasm, energy, and power they put in those more powerfull super eurobeat songs. In the other hand those fu wu way or wherever songs are so annoying and girlie, just can't stand. I respect your taste its just my opinion.

[Mikaeru]

Yeah. Like, I don't mind the rock ones, I just prefer the catchy ones. I'm in a para group, getting ready for a con in April, and for picking songs, I really REALLY want to do ST&B, but everyone else refuses to. Ah well.

[Jayveemon]

Jorge you are waaaaaaaaaay to generous in your reviews oh yeah and On My Own 2006 is ubershit I mean my god I havent heard anything this bad since overload - terminator

[Cosmic_Bard]

Pride is pretty damn awesome, that's for sure. It's the kind of awesome you can only get from Time every once in awhile.

I really liked On My Own 2006... despite never having heard the original.

And Mike, I wouldn't be too horribly opposed to doing STB with you.

[Sadie]

Wow, no one really agrees on much anything.

My review of the album is at my site.

Into The Night by Mega NRG Man is awesome! I love it!

[Bore]

Hmm I seem to be quite alone on this, but I feel that Pun Pun Beam is the best HI-NRG Attack song in ages and also one of the best songs on the album. Been replaying it nonstop and it just doesn't get old.
Domino song is growing on me slowly, but still not that happy with it.

Pun Pun Beam!