Not for nothing has Peter Rauhofer's work been a staple in clubland for over a decade now. Combining classic House vibes and deep Tribal rhythms with a constant selection of memorable hooks, Rauhofer has been a Billboard Club Chart regular with a successful succession of songs that have been able to please hardened clubbers and pop-dance aficionados. This CD complies Rauhofer's work under the Club 69 (and in the case of "Unique," the Danube Dance) moniker from the early 90s until today. Featuring the radio-length versions of tracks from Club 69's two previous albums "Adults Only" and "Style," this CD highlights the more commercial side of an act whose work is primarily heard in extended, remixed versions on dance club floors or mixed CD compilations.
While almost all of the songs are vocally-oriented, many of the tracks feature campy spoken word narratives in lieu of a traditional song structure. "Diva," "Style," and "Drama" are prose dedicated to the virtues of being beautiful and glamorous, envied or desired by all others. Switching gears, "Take A Ride" and "Let Me Be Your Underwear" are (unsurprisingly) salacious tributes to the desires of the flesh. Mixed in are more conventionally structured songs like the smooth riding "Sugar Pie Guy" and "Much Better" along with harder Tribal workouts like "Alright," and "Twisted" that let the resident divas (including Suzanne Palmer, Annette Taylor, Kim Cooper, and Connie Harvey) raise the roof with their soaring vocals. Though the "Best of Club 69" primarily features original compositions, both the Michael Jackson-penned Diana Ross early 80s hit "Muscles" and "Warm Leatherette" (first recorded by New Wave/Industrial pioneers The Normal and then two decades ago given the club treatment by the infamous disco legend Grace Jones) are reworked in the modern style as well.
The CD is heavy on House beats but it does slow down just a bit near the end for "Pleasure" and the wonderful "My Orchard" which continues with the seductively decadent Grace Jones influence before ending with the instrumental "The Theme."
While this CD is unmixed, the combination of cold endings on all the songs and thoughtful track sequencing give the collection a cohesive wholeness. An excellent reflection on the Club 69 story so far as well as a fine introduction for those who only know of Pete Rauhofer for the remix work he has done for the likes of Madonna, Yoko Ono, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys, Book Of Love, Jennifer Lopez, Celeda, Soft Cell, Suzanne Palmer, etc. And speaking of remixes, keep your eye out for "Club 69 Remixed 2004" coming later this year on Star 69.
