Popular Australian record label Central Station celebrates 30 years of dance music with this massive 44-track set. Disc I leans more house/funk/disco, while Disc II contains more dance and trance. Some tracks DJ-mix into the next one.
I Love New York's "Seasons of Love" (from Rent) is a happy version with group singing throughout-- not as pleasing a tune as some of the club remixes of the original. Get ready for gospel flavor on Darren Glen's "Hope." It is female-fronted and catchy, with house leanings and an electric guitar solo. ATB's "Let You Go" remix features a good male vocal and is a groovy dance track with some nice analog touches. Static Revenger's "Round and Round" is not a New Order cover.
After the relatively bland collection of songs on Disc I, Disc II redeems this project! There's a hearty amount of impressive covers, all with vocal stylings similar to the originals. "Love Shack" (B-52's) is one of the best songs on the disk, with dance remake production and cool vocal tricks. "Living on Video" pops with its passionate black female lead vocal. "Vogue" (Madonna) is a slammin' rework with thick rich euro-flavored synth. The Real Booty Babes push Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" in a more aggressive trance direction--more enjoyable to me than the popular Jason Nevins remix. "Listen to Your Heart" (Roxette) continues the streak of well-done covers. It leans in a more aggressive and euro trance direction than d.h.t.'s current version. "More Than a Feeling" (Boston) will get you up and moving with its hot synth work, male vocal, and high energy.
Yes, O-zone's "Dragostea Din Tei" is the Numa Numa song and proves a substantial remix-- more aggressive than the album version, yet maintaining the main synth melody with vocals in Romanian. "A to the B"'s (by Infernal) nasty good vocal and catchiness make it another of the top songs on this disc. "Circles (Just my Good Time)" alternates male and female singers while its buzzy bass and tricked-out vocals make it a groovy and compelling dance track.
Finally, European trance phenomenon Above and Beyond's original track "Alone Tonight" grabbed my attention. The stellar trance programming is accentuated by a male vocal and a hooky Phil Collins-esque melody.
With a hefty price tag in the neighborhood of $27, weigh out your interest in this collection. Pros are some strong tracks, many and short tracks; cons are cost, high number of unknown artists, and the lackluster first disc.
