Amazon.co.uk Review
Surely it has to be every producer or remixers dream to get their hands on the master reels locked away in the vaults at Motown. A sound unto itself, Motown spawned some of the most enduring hits of the last 40 years featuring iconic artists such as the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye.
Z-Trips remix of "I Want You Back" opens the album and treats the original with the respect it deserves. Kicking off with the famous guitar lick--the subtleties of which are lost in the original wall of sound--it features vocal outtakes and an infectious drum loop that sounds super-sweet when pitched against the instruments recorded over 30 years previously. There are no tasteless mixes here even though it wouldve been easy to stick a domineering breakbeat in; but the good people of Motown chose their collaborators wisely. King Britts version of Edwin Starrs "War" could easily lend itself to a tribal house rhythm yet restraint was shown and the result even more brooding and intense than the original mix.
As with the original Verve Remixed compilation, when theres such a vast catalogue of quality material to choose from itd be tricky to make anything sound bad and Motown remixed is no different. Highlights are tricky to choose as its all fantastic, it just depends whether you prefer listening to Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder or whoever else. Theres nothing here to enrage die-hard fans: even if you like the originals better, these mixes are a joy. --David Trueman