De La Mix Tape - Remixes, Rarities and Classics [Original recording remastered]

Specifically in the case of the DE LA MIX TAPE, however, I think they missed the bull's-eye. As a die-hard De La fan, I would not consider most of the tracks on this collection to be true rarities or true classics, especially considering the large group of other tracks that would have been more appropriate to include.

WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS COLLECTION?

- All of the non-single album tracks ("Oodles","I.C. Y'all","Big Brother Beat","The Magic Number")--Some of them are great songs, but why waste space on a "Remixes and Rarities" compilation with regular old album cuts that most De La fans already own?

- "Piles and Piles..."--This is a very cool instrumental version of a classic song, but who wants to listen to a very cool instrumental version of a classic song?

- "Me Myself and I (Badmarsh + Shri Remix)"--Personally, I don't care for this version, but, more importantly, this remix is already available on at least two other collections (both of which I have on my shelf).

WHAT COULD/SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED ON THIS COLLECTION?

- "Sh.Fe.MC's" and "Stix & Stones" from the Clear Lake Audiotorium promotional album--This is the rarest of the rare, folks. Perfect fodder for a compilation like this one.

- "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" from the "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" single--A bouncy, infectious (and rare) posse cut featuring ATCQ, The JB's, Black Sheep and a cool Woody Woodpecker sample.

- "360 Degrees (Oh Yeah)" by Propellerheads feat. De La--This is a terrific but little-known collaboration.

- An "Ego Trippin' (Part Two)" remix, "Lovely How I Let My Mind Float" and "Ego Trippin' (Part Three) from the "Ego Trippin'" single--Here is the missing Buhloone Mindstate era stuff. I have this one on CD. Fantastic. "Lovely" features Biz Markie.

- "I Can't Call It"--From the High School High soundtrack. Bangin'.

- "Breakadawn (Remix)"--There are at least two remixes of this song that I have heard before, but never found a copy on CD.

- And there are many, many more. I have heard very few remixes from the most recent AOI albums--it would have been nice to get one or two of those on this collection.

Don't get me wrong: this collection contains great songs from one of the greatest hip hop groups ever. It just doesn't live up to its potential as a "Remixes & Rarities" collection. Too many worthy tracks were either left on the cutting room floor--or worse, never made it to the cutting room in the first place.

First was last year's "Timeless: The Singles," which collected most of the band's hits; then came "Live at Tramps" last month, which captured an energetic, tight live show from 1996, despite some audio-quality problems; and finally comes "De La Mix Tape" which fills in a lot of the gaps, rescuing some remixes, rarities and guest spots from oblivion, and filling out the running time with some overlooked album cuts.

Is it a mix tape in the DJ sense? No. It's more like a mix CD a De La fan would burn from his/her computer. But that's not a bad thing.

Considering the material on the disc ranges from 1989 to 2000 and comes from a wide variety of sources, it holds together extremely well. There are many treasures on here for De La diehards, but it's not too obscure to be off-limits for casual fans. Oh, and it's really cheap.

Now for the nitpicking. "De La Mix Tape" is very partial to the "Stakes is High" era, with six of the disc's 14 tracks coming from the album's sessions. And the "Buhloone Mindstate" and "AOI: Bionix" albums are ignored completely.

But that's a small complaint. When the disc is playing, it sounds wonderful. Highlights include "Piles and Piles of Demo Tapes Bi-Da Miles," an instrumental version of "Ring Ring Ring" featuring a SICK flute solo; the deliciously breezy "More Than U Know," from Prince Paul's "A Prince Among Thieves" album; "Sweet Dreams," an amusing, previously unreleased track from a promo-only 12-inch; and "Trouble in the Water" by DJ Honda, in which Posdnuos and Dave trade verses about their childhoods over an atmospheric vibraphone loop.

Is it perfect? No. But is a mix CD ever perfect? All in all, a very worthy compilation for one of the few rap groups to continually make music true to their hearts and true to hip-hop.