Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (Various Artists)

Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a tribute album that was released in 1991. It features many great artists doing excellent versions of songs composed by the pair and originally recorded by John. While there are some less than stellar performances here, like Wilson Phillips' take on "Daniel" and Jon Bon Jovi's version of "Levon," most of these are quite good. Highlights include Sinéad O'Connor's "Sacrifice," Kate Bush's "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)," Tina Turner's "The Bitch Is Back," and George Michael's "Tonight."

Tracks:
1. Eric Clapton: "Border Song"
2. Kate Bush: "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)"
3. Sting: "Come Down in Time"
4. The Who: "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)"
5. The Beach Boys: "Crocodile Rock"
6. Wilson Phillips: "Daniel"
7. Joe Cocker: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
8. Jon Bon Jovi: "Levon"
9. Tina Turner: "The Bitch Is Back"
10. Daryl Hall & John Oates: "Philadelphia Freedom"
11. Rod Stewart: "Your Song"
12. Oleta Adams: "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
13. Bruce Hornsby: "Madman Across the Water"
14. Sinéad O'Connor: "Sacrifice"
15. Phil Collins: "Burn Down the Mission"
16. George Michael: "Tonight"

Red Hot + Dance (Various Artists)

The 1992 album Red Hot + Dance was released to raise awareness of (and money for the prevention of) AIDS. The opening three tracks are awesome non-album songs from George Michael, led by the hit single "Too Funky." The other two are quite strong as well and make the album a worthwhile purchase in and of themselves. However, other cool remixes found here include the If I Was Trev mix of Seal's "Crazy" and the Metamorphosis mix of Lisa Stansfield's "Change." Overall, quite a cool album.

Tracks:
1. George Michael: "Too Funky"
2. George Michael: "Do You Really Want to Know"
3. George Michael: "Happy"
4. Madonna: "Supernatural" (Original Arms House Mix)
5. Seal: "Crazy" (If I Was Trev mix)
6. PM Dawn: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (Richie Rich mix)
7. Lisa Stansfield: "Change" (Metamorphosis mix)
8. Young Disciples: "Apparently Nothing" (The Re-Rub)
9. Sabrina Johnston: "Peace" (nu-mix)
10. Sly & The Family Stone: "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Todds CD mix)
11. Crystal Waters: "Gypsy Woman" (Joey Negro's mindmix)
12. EMF: "Unbelievable" (The Hovering Feet mix)
13. Tomandandy: "Theme From Red Hot + Dance" (Gothic mix)

Clivillés + Cole Greatest Remixes, Vol. 1 (Various Artists)

I took a chance on a cheap disc of Clivillés + Cole Greatest Remixes, Vol. 1. It includes some of the pair's hits, as well as mixes of tracks like Chaka Khan's "Clouds" and The Cover Girls' "Because of You," as well as various lesser-known tracks. It makes for a pleasant enough listen if you like that C+C early 90s style. Some cool stuff here. Not worth seeking out, but if you stumble upon it for cheap, grab it.

Tracks:
1. C&C Music Factory: "C&C Music Factory MTV Medley"
2. The Cover Girls: "Because of You"
3. Lydia Lee Love: "Don't Take Your Love Away"
4. Seduction: "Two to Make It Right"
5. Clivillés + Cole: "Pride (In the Name of Love" (Techno House version)
6. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam: "Let the Beat Hit 'Em"
7. Clivillés + Cole: "Mind Your Business"
8. David Cole: "You Take My Breath Away"
9. Clivillés + Cole: "A Deeper Love"
10. Chaka Khan: "Clouds"
11. Billy: "True Love"
12. Sandée: "Notice Me"
13. Two Puerto Ricans, A Black Man & A Dominican: "Do It Properly"

Alice Music 12 (Various Artists)

My friend made me a copy of Alice Music 12, a cool compilation put together by a local radio station of stripped versions of popular Hot AC hits. Some of them tend toward the boring side (e.g., Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly," which opens the album), while others end up sounding very cool (e.g., Matchbox Twenty's "Disease"). It's a very relaxing album, and while I wouldn't recommend going to great lengths to get this, it is worth hearing.

Tracks:
1. Colbie Caillat: "Bubbly" (Alice Lounge)
2. Matchbox Twenty: "Disease" (Alice Lounge)
3. Tristan Prettyman: "Madly" (Alice Lounge)
4. The Last Goodnight: "Pictures of You" (Alice Lounge)
5. Brandi Carlisle: "The Story" (acoustic)
6. Plain White T's: "Hey There Delilah" (Alice Lounge)
7. Mat Kearney: "Undeniable" (Alice Lounge)
8. Jeremy Fisher: "Cigarette" (Alice Lounge)
9. Ingrid Michaelson: "The Way I Am" (Alice Lounge)
10. The Spill Canvas: "All Over You" (Alice Lounge)
11. Anna Nalick: "Shine" (Alice Lounge)
12. Pat Monahan: "Her Eyes" (Alice Lounge)
13. Yellowcard: "Light Up the Sky" (Alice Lounge)
14. Maroon 5: "Won't Go Home Without You" (Alice Lounge)
15. Marié Digby: "Say It Again" (Alice Lounge)

Club Epic: A Collection of Classic Dance Mixes, Volume 4 (Various Artists)

Volume 4 of Club Epic features some cool dance track of the 70s and 80s. Highlights include Sarah Dash's "Sinner Man," the club mix of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero," the club mix of France Joli's "Gonna Get Over You," and the original 12" mix of Cheryl Lynn's "Star Love." It's a neat collection to pick up a few good tracks to get you on your feet.

Tracks:
1. Shannon: Let the Music Play (original full 12" mix)
2. Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine: Dr. Beat (original 12" mix)
3. Wild Cherry: Play That Funky Music
4. Brick: Dazz
5. MFSB: Love Is the Message
6. Lil' Louis & The World: French Kiss (the original underground mix)
7. Cheryl Lynn: Star Love (original 12" mix)
8. Sarah Dash: Sinner Man
9. Will to Power: Fading Away (Power House mix)
10. France Joli: Gonna Get Over You (club mix)
11. Bonnie Tyler: Holding Out for a Hero (club mix)

Radio 1 Established 1967 (Various Artists)

Radio 1 Established 1967 is a set of remakes put together to celebrate 40 years of BBC's Radio 1. One track from each year 1967-2006 is performed by a current well-known artist.

Overall, the set is awesome. Obviously, some pairings work better than others. Sometimes, a song I like is paired with an artist I like, and I don't like the result. Other times, I found myself enjoying a rendition of a song about which I'm not usually crazy, but other times still, song selection proved the downfall of artists whose material I usually enjoy.

The highlights for me: Robbie Williams's "Lola," Franz Ferdinand's "Sound and Vision," Kasabian's "Too Much Too Young," James Morrison's "Come Back and Stay," Editors' "Lullaby," Groove Armada's "Crazy for You," Paolo Nutini's "It Must Be Love," Just Jack's "Lovefool," and The Twang's "Drinking in LA."

Tracks:
1. Kaiser Chiefs: "Flowers in the Rain"
2. The Fratellis: "All Along the Watchtower"
3. Amy Winehouse: "Cupid"
4. Robbie Williams: "Lola"
5. The Streets: "Your Song"
6. Sugababes: "Betcha By Golly, Wow"
7. The Feeling: "You're So Vain"
8. Foo Fighters: "Band on the Run"
9. Kylie Minogue: "Love Is the Drug"
10. KT Tunstall: "Let's Stick Together"
11. Franz Ferdinand: "Sound and Vision"
12. The Raconteurs: "Teenage Kicks"
13. Mika vs. Armand Van Helden: "Can't Stand Losing You"
14. Kasabian: "Too Much Too Young"
15. Keane: "Under Pressure"
16. McFly: "Town Called Malice"
17. James Morrison: "Come Back and Stay"
18. The Gossip: "Careless Whisper"
19. The Pigeon Detectives: "The Power of Love"
20. Lily Allen: "Don't Get Me Wrong"

Disc 2
21. Stereophonics: "You Sexy Thing"
22. Mutya Buena: "Fast Car"
23. Editors: "Lullaby"
24. Razorlight: "Englishman in New York"
25. Groove Armada: "Crazy for You"
26. Paolo Nutini: "It Must Be Love"
27. The Kooks: "All That She Wants"
28. Mark Ronson: "You're All I Need to Get By" (vocals by Wale and Tawiah)
29. Calvin Harris: "Stillness in Time"
30. Klaxons: "No Diggity"
31. Just Jack: "Lovefool"
32. Natasha Bedingfield: "Ray of Light"
33. The Twang: "Drinking in LA"
34. The Fray: "The Great Beyond"
35. Girls Aloud: "Teenage Dirtbag"
36. Maxïmo Park: "Like I Love You"
37. The View: "Don't Look Back Into the Sun"
38. Hard-Fi: "Toxic"
39. The Enemy: "Father and Son"
40. Corinne Bailey Rae: "Steady As She Goes"

Club Class: Pop (Various Artists)

The eleven-track Club Class: Pop contains some club mixes of eleven popular tracks. Remixed tracks include Duran Duran's "Girls on Film," Paula Abdul's "My Love Is For Real," and Louise's "2 Faced." I would recommend this disc, as I found all eleven mixes to be quite enjoyable. It's hard to pick a favourite, but on first listen I think I would give the slight edge to the Motiv8 Northside Mix of Sean Maguire's "Good Day." Fans of club mixes will not be disappointed with this CD.

Tracks:
1. Shaggy: "Boombastic" (Stonebridge vocal remix)
2. Louise: "2 Faced" (Almighty Definitive mix)
3. Spandau Ballet: "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" (D-Bop's vocal house mix)
4. Paula Abdul: "My Love Is For Real" (Junior Vasquez club extended)
5. Sean Maguire: "Good Day" (Motiv8 Northside mix)
6. Kim Carnes: "Bette Davis Eyes" (OPM All About Kim mix)
7. Eternal: "What'cha Gonna Do?" (K. Warren mix)
8. Duran Duran: "Girls on Film" (Salt Tank mix)
9. Dana Dawson: "3 Is Family" (Dancing Divaz club mix)
10. Deborah Harry: "I Want That Man" (Almighty Definitive mix)
11. Belinda Carlisle: "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (Vito & Matt's new club mix)

Music from the Television Show The Heights (Various Artists)

There's only one reason that I would have bought the soundtrack from The Heights, a forgotten TV series of the 90s, and that is "How Do You Talk to an Angel." That song, performed by Jamie Walters, is a guilty pleasure of mine. The rest of the soundtrack is a bit generic and a bit schlocky, including remakes of "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" and "Feelin' Alright." One would do just as well just to get the big hit on a 90s nostalgia disc or something of that sort. Still, it was an interesting window back into the world of the early 90s. Can't recommend this one unless it's for nostalgia purposes, though.

Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection (various artists)

I'm feeling lazy, so for the basic info of these sets, check here: http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,4349044,00.html

Can't speak to the packaging or anything of that sort, but as far as the music, my preference was mainly for the stuff on the later discs (Betty Everett, Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler) as well as the John Lee Hooker and gospel-oriented songs. You know if you're a fan of these vintage styles of rock, rhythm & blues, gospel, etc., and if you are, this set would likely be a good investment.

See link above for the track listing.

Q 1998: Best (Various Artists)

Q 1998: Best is the second of two Q Magazine compilations in the bargain box I picked up on Record Store Day. While I enjoyed Rule Britannia, I'm currently leaning toward this as the one I prefer. It has a diverse representation of styles, but it sticks (mainly) to tracks I like, and introduced me to a few new discoveries I love along with some songs I already greatly enjoyed. My favourite of the new discoveries is Catatonia's "Road Rage." I was going to list other standouts, but I realized it would be easier to go the opposite route. I wasn't crazy about Marilyn Manson's "The Dope Show," but all the other tracks on here range from reasonably good to excellent listens.

Tracks:
1. Air: "La femme d'Argent"
2. Fatboy Slim: "The Rockafeller Skank"
3. James: "Destiny Calling"
4. Placebo: "Without You I'm Nothing"
5. Massive Attack: "Teardrop"
6. Marilyn Manson: "The Dope Show"
7. Garbage: "I Think I'm Paranoid"
8. Gomez: "Here Comes the Breeze"
9. Manic Street Preachers: "My Little Empire"'
10. Neil Finn: "Sinner"
11. Madonna: "Drowned World/Substitute for Love"
12. Catatonia: "Road Rage"
13. R.E.M.: "Daysleeper"
14. The Beautiful South: "Look What I Found in My Beer"
15. Oasis: "The Masterplan"
16. Bernard Butler: "Stay"

Q Presents Rule Britannia (Various Artists)

Q Presents Rule Britannia has a title that pretty well explains itself. Q magazine assembled a CD with some classic tracks by British artists. The contents is varied chronologically and the quality of the tracks generally runs high. The latter is only to be expected when the artists represented include Madness, The Jam, Kaiser Chiefs, The Kinks, Pulp, etc. Overall, it's a cool compilation.

Tracks:
1. Bloc Party: "Helicopter"
2. Suede: "The Drowners"
3. The Small Faces: "Don't Burst My Bubble"
4. The Kinks: "Misty Water"
5. The Jam: "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow) (first version)
6. Pulp: "Dishes"
7. Madness: "Mr. Speaker Gets the Word"
8. Ian Dury & The Blockheads: "Wake Up and Make Love With Me"
9. The Departure: "Be My Enemy"
10. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: "Perfect Skin"
11. Echo & The Bunnymen: "Crystal Days"
12. The Only Ones: "The Beast"
13. Feeder: "Just the Way I'm Feeling"
14. Kaiser Chiefs: "Caroline, Yes"
15. Dexy's Midnight Runners: "One of Those Things"

Classic Country Volume 6: Sony Ladies (Various Artists)

Classic Country Volume 6: Sony Ladies has a title that accurately describes its contents. The disc is a hodgepodge of country chart hits by female artists released by Sony. The eighteen selections here represent multiple decades and degrees of popularity, containing everything from a big hit that even crossed over to the pop market to a minor hit that scraped the bottom of the country chart then disappeared. It's therefore perhaps more useful to examine its individual parts.

Tracks:
1. Bobbie Cryner: "Daddy Laid the Blues on Me" (#63 Country / 1993)
This is a cool country-blues number. Good song.

2. Shelby Lynne: "Things Are Tough All Over" (#23 Country / 1991)
Lynne is still around and recording. This is one of her earlier selections, and one of her more commercially successful ones. It's a nice tune.

3. Tina Rainford: "Silver Bird" (#25 Country / 1977)
Great song! It was produced by German recording star Drafi Deutscher. It sounds pretty pop to me, but I really like it.

4. Joy White: "Little Tears" (#68 Country / 1992)
A solid 1990s country tune. Fairly clever songwriting.

5. Dolly Parton: "Dumb Blonde" (#24 Country / 1967)
One of Parton's earliest hits that has endured fairly well. Still a fairly well-known tune, I believe. Well-liked, and it deserves the admiration.

6. Lynn Anderson: "Isn't It Always Love" (#10 Country / 1979)
A Karla Bonoff song, and it sounds it. Nice song with lyrics that give a fairly relatable examination of love.

7. Calamity Jane: "I've Just Seen a Face" (#44 Country / 1982)
A country-pop remake of the Beatles song. It's actually one of the reasons I wanted this disc, as it's quite a good version. Definitely recommend it.

8. Sweethearts of the Rodeo: "Since I Found You" (#7 Country / 1986)
A good song, but as mentioned in my recent Sweethearts CD review, I prefer others from them.

9. Debbie Lori Kaye: "Come on Home" (#68 Country / 1968)
An early weeper. It works pretty well.

10. Barbara Fairchild: "Baby Doll" (#6 Country / 1974)
Another weeper. Fairchild has a good voice, but I'm not a huge fan of this song. A bit too maudlin or something.

11. Sue Richards: "Feel Free to Go" (#56 Country / 1971)
"Stay 'cause you want me, not 'cause you feel like you're tied." It's a pretty sentiment, delivered simply but pleasantly. I like it. It makes a nice love song.

12. Terri Lane: "Daisy May (And Daisy May Not)" (#37 Country / 1973)
This is solid 1970s country-pop. It's somewhat reminiscent of Lynn Anderson's rendition of "Rose Garden" production-wise. Not sure why it didn't become a bigger hit, because it's a good song and it sounds like it could have crossed over.

13. Joni Bishop: "Heart Out of Control" (#71 Country / 1987)
I like this one. Something about the way the vocals are delivered, I think. Not that it's a unique structure, but it's just a cool style. I wish I had the musical background to describe it. Anyway, it's a good song.

14. Sammi Smith: "So Long, Charlie Brown, Don't Look for Me Around" (#69 Country / 1968)
This is another one whose lack of success surprises me. It seems to have what it takes. It's a lyrical brush-off that includes some well-crafted verses and a chorus that builds upon itself. Very cool selection.

15. June Stearns: "Empty House" (#47 Country / 1968)
It sounds a bit older than 1968 to me. Maybe that's what held it back. Her vocals are a bit drowned by some of the instrumentation and backing singers, too. Not sure if that's just the remastering here or the production of the original song. Not a bad song, but it could use some cleaning.

16. Mary Kay Place: "Baby Boy" (#3 Country, #60 Pop / 1976)
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman impacts the music charts. It's not a bad song. Amusing enough. Fun, even.

17. Marshall Chapman: "Why Can't I Be Like Other Girls?"
This didn't hit the country charts, and that's not surprising. That's not to say it's a bad song - it's actually quite cool. But it doesn't sound any too country. It's Southern rock, maybe with a little blues influence thrown in. Country radio has never been broad enough to attack anything like this. It sure has a killer guitar solo, though. It was released on her album Marshall in 1979.

18. Connie Smith: "('Til) I Kissed You" (#10 Country / 1976)
This is a version of the hit by The Everly Brothers from 1959. It's a decent version. Nothing terribly exciting about it, but it's a good song and Connie Smith sings it well.

Ready to Wear/Pret-a-Porter soundtrack

I'm never really sure what to say about various artists discs like this. I guess I'll say that the music is generally dancy soul, with some other stuff thrown in. I enjoyed listening to it and think it's a pretty cool album.

Tracks:
1. Ini Kamoze: "Here Comes the Hotstepper (Heartical mix)"
2. Supercat: "My Girl Josephine"
3. Salt-N-Pepa: "Here We Come"
4. M People: "Natural Thing"
5. Janet Jackson: "70's Love Groove"
6. The Rolling Stones: "Jump on Top of Me"
7. Sam Phillips: "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
8. The Cranberries: "Pretty (Pret a Porter Movie mix)"
9. Deep Forest: "Martha"
10. The Brand New Heavies: "Close to You"
11. Ce Ce Peniston: "Keep Givin' Me Your Love (West End mix)"
12. The New Power Generation: "Get Wild"
13. Terence Trent D'Arby: "Supermodel Sandwich"
14. U2: "Lemon (Perfecto mix)"

This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Dance Hits

I saw the collection This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Dance Hits while I was Half Priced Books-ing it up. With collections like this, my usual method of choosing if they're worthwhile is by looking at the track list, seeing what I don't have, seeing which tracks I wouldn't be likely to buy in another form (e.g., a collection of songs by the artist), and then seeing if it's worth the price.

In this case, at $1.00, this was a fairly easy choice. The inclusion of such tracks as Pylon's "Volume," Mi-Sex's "Computer Games," and Fishbone's "Party at Ground Zero," selections which were new to me, make this is a fairly nice collection. Bigger hits on the album include Romeo Void's "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)," Nena's "99 Red Balloons," and After The Fire's "Der Kommissar."

While some of these selections are definitely songs I'd be interested in buying on collections by their respective artists (like Haircut 100, represented here by "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl), or Adam Ant, present with "Goody Two Shoes"), this is overall a nice compilation of songs in a style I very much enjoy. Viva new wave!

Tracks:
1. After the Fire: "Der Kommissar"
2. Haircut 100: "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)"
3. Nena: "99 Red Balloons" (incorrectly identified as "99 Luftballons" on the track list ... gotta say, I was slightly disappointed not to get the original German)
4. The Thompson Twins: "Lies" (this may be an extended version or 12" or album version or something. It clocks in at 5:21. It's cool, just not the one I'm used to hearing. I think the video I've linked to is the same as the included version.)
5. Romeo Void: "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)"
6. Pylon: "Volume"
7. Modern English: "I Melt With You"
8. Adam Ant: "Goody Two Shoes"
9. Dead or Alive: "You Spin Me 'Round (Like a Record)"
10. Mi-Sex: "Computer Games"
11. Ultravox: "Sleepwalk"
12. Fishbone: "Party at Grand Zero"