Search - Jive Bunny :: Can Can You Party

A passable release, but pale in comparison to "The Album".

Jon | Scotland | 03/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This US-only Jive Bunny release contains three megamixes lifted from the second (UK) Master Mixers album, "It's Party Time" which can be found in the zShops section of Amazon. What's also interesting is that one of the other megamixes isn't actually a Jive Bunny track at all, whereas the remaining two have also been lifted from other albums. So really, what you have is a mini 'best of' album.The CD begins with "Can Can You Party", originally released in August 1990, and Jive Bunny's final worthwhile (UK) single (reaching the top five). This, it has to be said, isn't the 7" radio edit or the original album version. Instead, it's a very passable remix. "Can Can You Party" is an eclectic mix of rock n' roll themed tracks from the 50s right up until the British rock n' roll revival of the 1970s. Produced and mixed in the same vein as "Swing The Mood" and "That's What I Like", "Can Can You Party" is a throw-back to the days when a Jive Bunny single release almost guaranteed chart success. And it just happens to be the best megamix found on this particular album. (Track Rating: 4/5)Track Two, "Here We Go Again", also comes from the "Its Party Time" album. Later remixed and repackaged as "Over To You John" (a charity single released in March 1991), this megamix focuses on the 60s - a particular musical era that the Mix Masters seem to have difficult with. Considering all the great songs that decade produced, the Mix Masters had to go with tracks like "Wooly Bully" by Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs! This only proved that sometimes the Mix Masters could push the novelty factor just a little too far. An extremely mediocre megamix. (Track Rating: 2/5)Track Three, "Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame" is an edited version of a full-length album released in 1992 - the original Mix Masters final Jive Bunny production for almost six years. Fans of Jive Bunny - and not just those who only like the first album - will be disappointed with this megamix. I've often wondered why "Swing The Mood" was so successful, and I'm sure that can be explained by the way those classic rock n' roll tracks were mixed together using modern-day technology. "Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame" on the other hand, lets the music do the talking, and the mixing qualities are kept to a minimum. It's sad to say, but old 50s rock n' roll tracks just aren't as appealing this way, and it makes this megamix... (Track Rating: 2/5)Track Four, "The Juke Box Story", first apeared on the 1994 "Best Of Jive Bunny" CD - which is surprising because (back then) it was a 'new' track! Mixed and produced much similar to "Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame", this megamix is slightly better as the Mix Masters have opted for a more high-profile style of modern-day mixing, which ultimately breathes new life into those old classics. The samples used come from the 50s, an era the Mix Masters seem comfortable with, and is an excellent party track - but pale in comparison to "Swing The Mood" and other early Jive Bunny megamixes. (Track Rating: 3.5/5)Track Five, "The Chuck Berry Medley", isn't actually a Jive Bunny track at all. This was produced by the Mix Masters for an album released by Prism UK Records in 1992 called "Party Megamix". But in all other aspects, it is a typical Jive Bunny track. As the title suggests, it's a tribute to Chuck Berry - and it's Chuck really singing on this megamix! Much better than the god-awful Little Richard megamix found on the "Its Part Time" CD, and I'm sure Chuck Berry fans will love this. (Track Rating: 2.5/5)The final track on "Can Can You Party" is another example of the Master Mixers pushing the novelty factor too far. "The Roaring Twenties" pays homeage to the music from (you've guessed it!) the 1920s - and it just doesn't work. The songs are too old fashioned to capture your attention, and it's a medley performed by a genuine barber shop quartet rather than it being a mix of old 78s (remember them!). This is definitely one to play your great grandparents! (Track Rating: 1/5)This is a worthwhile purchase for Jive Bunny fans living outside the US as it offers something different. For US fans, I'd recommend you check out the zShops for "Its Party Time" and "Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame".Jon."