Having only recently discovered Unkle and purchased Psyence Fiction earlier this year - an oustanding work of creative genius - I was delighted to hear that James Lavelle was re-releasing Never Never Land. It was an album already on my 'to buy' list, and I was happy to hang on for the new 2CD version, though I couldn't wait to hear the rest having been blown away by the awesome Reign (feat. Ian Brown, and Mani!!).
I bought it on the day of release (25th Oct '04) and was immediately impressed with the packaging and Futura artwork... but you can't judge a CD by its cover...
Having set the standard with Psyence Fiction, Lavelle falls well short here, having seemingly sold out to produce a more commercial, mainstream mix of largely forgettable, formulaic chill-out tunes.
Reign is undoubtedly the stand-out track on this album, and credit for that must go in no small part to Ian Brown, who co-wrote the song. But it must be said, the rest of the album is disappointing as most of the tracks simply pass you by.
Thankfully, the 2nd CD, of remixes, is rather better, which (along with Reign) saves this album from an even lower rating, but the absence of DJ Shadow from this latest Unkle offering is painfully evident: the creative variation and all-round energy of the last album is virtually non-existent.
It's one I'll probably listen to every now and again, but it's a shame Lavelle didn't have the courage (or the inspiration?!) to deliver another work of Psyence to match the artwork, and his own previous collaborative efforts.