Greg Wilson - Credit To The Edit 2

This release is a delayed follow up to 2005's 'Credit to the Edit Volume 1', which concentrated largely on music drawn from the 1970s and 1980s, with Greg Wilson reconstructing (in some instances) mixes that had been originally produced during that period. For 'Volume 2' the emphasis shifts to include more recent material, informed by an acknowledgement that "connecting with younger people is vital" as Wilson seeks to connect the musical past to the present, with an eye (and ear) to the future.

Ask any DJ or Producer and they should be able to cite records that they would wish to be given the opportunity to remix, remould and re-invigorate. When the question was posed to the legendary Tom Moulton he looked beyond the realm of black music to Abba's 'Dancing Queen', and in a similar move Wilson opens this collection with a subtle mix of Roxy Music's 'Love Is The Drug' (1975), originally issued prior to the emergence (and subsequent dominance) of the 12" single. Wisely, Wilson extends the mix and chooses not introduce any new elements, an appoach he often adopts in this collection. A further example of this is the re-working of the Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) track 'Messages' (1980), which extends the original and provides a DJ friendly 'intro' and 'outro', with elements from Kraftwerk's 'Numbers' added at the very beginning. Very subtle and very effective (or as Wilson explains in the liner notes, "...it's often about what you don't do than what you do...".

Other standout moments include A Guy Called Gerald's 'Voodoo Ray', here presented incorporating elements from the original 12" mix and a contemporary Frankie Knuckles remix. The original record was sublime and Wilson manages to produce a mix that enhances the original in an entirely respectful manner. This is also the case with Klein and MBO's 'Dirty Talk' (1982), which is very much from within the predominantly European / Giorgio Moroder influenced tradition of electronic dance music, but produced at at time when Electro-Funk was beginning to dominate the underground, and therefore a great example of a cross cultural record. The collection ends with The Third Degree's 'Mercy', a cover of the Duffy record that was itself a parody (or pastiche) of an older 1960s black soul 'sound', updated (and perhaps made palatable) for a predominantly white audience in 2008. The question of authenticity and meaning continues.....

So. Do you buy?

In contrast to 'Volume 1', this collection is wider in scope, allowing Wilson greater scope to showcase his talents and (importantly) his respect for the music and the craft of re-editing - there are no moments of excessive technology driven aural masturbation! Instead you have the chance to hear 12 very interesting and well considered edits from an individual not content to rest on his (already well earned) laurels, exhibiting his continued love and commitment to music and the art of the edit. If there is a concern it relates to the mastering of the collection, which can occasionally sound harsh and ragged (perhaps reflecting the computer driven mechanics of the contemporary re-editing process).

Overall, a fine collection and a worthy purchase. Hopefully the wait for 'Volume 3' will not be as long......

Brilliant selection of songs, great editing from the man on the reel machine. Can't really get any better than Greg Wilson to be honest. I suggest you download his Essential Mix from the BBC. Disco/Electro at its best.