| CD Reviews Various Artistes
 Cream Ibiza Classics
They say the ‘oldies’ are always the best. And that’s certainly true of this triple-CD dance compilation from the label that is synonymous with dance music.
Cream are undeniably one of — if not the — most recognised brands worldwide. Whether it be their home and original club based in Liverpool or their influences on dance music nationally and internationally through their releases and club nights Cream are No.1.
This particular compilation features some of the biggest and best-known tunes ever to have featured on a turntable in that sunny Spanish venue.
There’s a nice mixture throughout the three CDs of old and relatively new and anybody who goes clubbing regularly (or doesn’t for that matter) will immediately recognise most of the tracks.
So with that in mind the highlights of the three CDs include — from CD1 — the electro trance of Felix’s Don’t You Want Me, Benny Bennassi’s Satisfaction and Sasha’s Expander. The haunting Rapture by Iio is another gem.
CD2 biggies include BT’s Flaming June, ATB’s 9pm Till I Come, Planet Perfecto’s Bullet In The Gun and the incomparable Paul Van Dyk with For An Angel.
CD3 features the now legendary anthem Cafe Del Mar from Energy 52, Des Mitchell’s Welcome To The Dance, Darude’s Sandstorm and the pumping drum and bass of Public Domain’s Operation Blade.
Cream by name, cream by nature.
Phil Savva
 BRAKES
Give Blood
IF you like your songs short, political and to the point, with tongue firmly lodged in cheek, then Brakes are the band for you.
Consisting of Tom and Alex White from Electric Soft Parade, Eamon Hamilton from British Sea Power and Marc Beatty from The Tenderfoot this quirky quartet got together for a bit of a laugh.
With songs berating political leaders George Bush and Tony Blair and a 10-second track pleading ‘Cheney stop being such a dick’, Brakes are nothing if not unique.
Eclectic barely begins to describe these four.
With Eamon’s vocals shifting from shrill punk and soft country it’s hard to pin down the band’s sound without doing them a disservice.
Their tracks flit from deep country to sleepy grunge and then surge from raw punk to heavy rock, keeping the listener firmly teetering on their toes waiting expectantly between the short tracks.
And the tracks are short.
The entire debut album is over in 28 minutes with the shortest track just 10 seconds long.
Despite the unusual composition of the album, Give Blood is definitely worth adding to your record collection and is released in Britain by Rough Trade Records on July 7.
Amanda Diamond
 GORILLAZ
Feel Good Inc
The single Feel Good Inc is a tantalising taste of what can be expected from the eagerly awaited second album by cartoon band Gorillaz.
When Blur’s Damon Albarn released his first hip-hop album under this animated disguise he was criticised for lacking musical integrity or substance.
But after selling 6million copies and being nominated for six Brit Awards the critics were silenced.
Now the four-year wait for the band’s second offering is over as Demon Days hits the record stores.
Before the album though came the first single — a suitably catchy hip-hop tune with a deep base-line.
Feel Good Inc features a funky rap by De La Soul and paves the way for what is expected to be a superb second offering from the four cartoon characters that make up Gorillaz — 2D (vocals and keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (guitars) and Russel Hobbs (drums and percussion).
Amanda Diamond |
