Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Revitalised!, 16 Oct 2003
Mariah Carey has always been vastly underrated in the UK! In America she broke numerous awards in the 90s for sales and other chart achievements, in the UK she broke none. Seen as more of a diva more obsessed with her image and vocal histrionics than writing "serious" music she was put in a pigeon hole with the likes of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Unlike the latter two, however, Mariah writes all of the lyrics in all of her songs and has done since her debut single 'Vision of Love'. That she appears to be an attention grabbing diva only adds to the stage act and makes her a breath of fresh air when compared to other balladeers. This album takes songs from her whole career and puts them through the mix. Mariah actually re-records most of the songs as they are remixed which is something very rare. This gives each song a whole new lease of life allowing for new vocals, and even new songs added to the middle of old. The 1st disc concentrates on dance style mixes, the standout being 'Heartbreaker/If You Should Ever Be Lonely'. The 2nd disc is fixed on Mariah's RnB mixes. Think back to 1995 and you'll see that Mariah was the 1st diva to use a guest rapper on a hit single - she's dissed these days for jumping on a band wagon...how?! She did it FIRST! - 'Fantasy' with O.D.B. . You also get songs that appeared on her 'Butterfly' album - 'Breakdown' with Bone Thugs and Harmony and 'Crybaby' with Snoop Dogg from 'Rainbow'. I read a review on amazon from someone who clearly doesn't like Mariah. Why would one buy an album and review it knowing that they didn't like the artist?! I do like Mariah and her music. If you want her personal songs for which she is not known outside of her core fanbase then go to 'Butterfly', 'Rainbow' and 'Chrambracelet'. If you want a great RnB/Dance party album BUY THIS!!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
remix heaven!, 9 Oct 2003
Having been a great fan of the vocal talents of this amazing woman, ive wanted her to put together a remix lp for years!The album is in two cds, it's filled with club and rnb remixes of some of Miss Careys greatest hits. 'Heartbreaker' 'My All' and 'Fantasy' sound great with harder club beats and heavier rnb tones to them. The lyrics are still there soft and true, but with the blend and sound of the club scene, Mariah can reach out to a wider fan base! You dont have to be a typical Carey fan to enjoy this lp collection! The one that stands out the most is the mix of 'Honey'. The original version is amazing, and the club beats bring the rnb toned track to life even more! It's a driving in your car track! In a nut shell if you enjoy Mariah's music when your chilling at home or driving in your car, then you can take her music to the next level! You can enjoy her whilst getting rea
dy for going out and whilst in the club! It's a great lp!!! BUY IT!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seminal Mariah moments, 14 Oct 2003
What a treat this one is!!! Released by Mariah's old label Sony what could so easily have been merely another cash in album becomes an essential purchase as Mariah herself, Virgin and Def Jam worked together to present an overview of her whole career right up to Through The Rain and The One. Encompassing track from 1991-2003 its perfect both for reviving memories of days gone by and a great introduction for new fans who want to look beyond the studio albums. What few people seem to realise is that Mariah has been a true innovator in the dance, pop and hip-hop field. Most artist simply release the same vocal track over a mundane souped up dance beat with no heart or imagination. Mariah's instead demonstrates the musical ability which has seen her co-write and produce everything she's ever recorded. Working with dance producers like David Morales and Junior or rap producers like Jermaine Dupri she crafts an entirely new piece of music often with re-written lyrics or a new vocal melody to create a track which is often entirely different song with only the title in common.
On the best of the dance remixes on CD 1 such as Honey, My all and the seminal Dreamlover remix the resung vocals, mixing gospel with disco create a piece of work which is aware of the dsemands of the dance floor but without losing the heart or meaning of the song underneath the groove. Most of these tracks are extended club mixes perfect for both the disco and dancing around the living room!!!
CD 2 takes us on a very different journey through Mariah's rap remixes. Again the lyrics are often re-sung and re-written. Listening back to 1995's Fantasy remix with ODB it may not sound revolutionary now. But back in the day this kind of collaboration between a pop diva and rap superstar was unthinkable. Given that the likes of Beyonce, Ashanti, jennifer Lopez and many others have build a career out of this very sound its well worth listening back to the original and best. One listen to the Thank God I Found You, My All and Honey remixes its clear why Mariah was both the major influence on the current pop/rap scene and why with her incomparable vocal range the others can only ever be imitators! The brand new The One remix unavaliable in the UK until now, is at once a new piece of work, taking a track from her current album Charmbracelet and a refreshing reminder of days gone by with its new-jill swing influences. Sony have also in included the likes of the lost gem Breakdown, the heartfelt Crybaby and funky and infuriatingly catchy Miss You, album tracks in a similar vein to the rap remixes with star collaborators as well as the hit of the summer- I Know what you want.
After so many remix albums recently by artists with little music history to draw on its refreshing to hear a compilation with a wealth of material over more than a decade to draw from. With a range and power which puts today's bland, feeble voiced 'divas' to shame and a collection of songs strong enough to have been singles in their own right you won't be disappointed with this album! Indeed some of these tracks are stronger than the actual single released so whatever you think you know about Mairah throw it out the window and embrace a collection which highlights seminal tracks which have influenced an entire generation!
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