For me personally, this has been an up-and-down year for Rihanna on the remix side of things. The first single from her current CD "A Girl Like Me" was the infectious track "SOS." This is probably my favorite song of the year! The original version was stellar and the mixes by Chris Cox & Jason Nevins only enhanced the fun of the Soft Cell sample. "Unfaithful," the second single, is a slow sad ballad about cheating on someone. Now even though the mixes were done by Maurice Joshua, Tony Moran, & Bill Hamel, something about this song never clicked with my ears. Maybe it was the lyrical content, considering all of these mixers are top notch. In any case, I was rather disappointed…
So now on to single #3, "We Ride". On board for this trip are Lenny B. and Kurtis Mantronik. As much as I enjoy Lenny's mixes, this one doesn't completely work for me. The synth line is a tad too heavy for my ears. The intro is very good and the bass is perfect. I love the breakdown and the outro. I actually like the mix overall! It's the wah-wah (don't you love my technical terms?) from that synth running through the entire song that sorta messes with the flow. It's not horrible, just a tad distracting. The Mantronix Club Mix leans towards the electro side of things. Just as clubby as Lenny's take, Kurtis keeps an ear towards Rihanna's voice and keeps her vocals just as dominant as his beats. Funky and smooth, this mix is also concise and tight, clocking in at just under six and a half minutes. It would be tough for me to truly pick a favorite of the two, but I'm gonna have to go with the Mantronix Club mix, but just barely! If Lenny could have just left that synth at home…
Lenny B. Club Mix - 4 stars
Mantronix Club Mix - 4.5 stars
