Inconsistant -- I expected more
DXR | San Francisco Bay Area | 08/28/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a CDM and Padilla fan from way back. I pre-ordered this CD as soon as I saw Jose's name on it. Frankly, listening to it was a puzzling experience. There are the trademark Ibiza sunset tunes here (like Electra's "Autumn Love", and Kraak & Smaak's "No Sun In The Sky"), mixed in with some excellent motion picture soundtrack theme songs (like Audio Deluxe's "60 Seconds" and Kargo's "Spirit Theme"). That's great, but it's the "filler" songs that disturb the flow, and make you wonder what Jose (or was it Warner UK?) was thinking.
Examples of the misfits are abundant, especially on CD2. There's no explaining how "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" by Saint Etienne, or Nouvelle Vague's "Teenage Kicks" made the cut here. Both annoying songs. Fortunately CD2 ends in a Padilla "grand slam" with the last 4 songs, including the beautiful "February In England" by Spacebats. But the damage to the senses was done. CD2 is an incoherent grab bag of songs, from Nina Simone's "Here Comes The Sun" (not even a remix!) to the dull and depressing "Speck of Gold" by Afterlife (Cathy Battistessa on downers). CD1, by comparisson, deserves 4 stars, with only "Loaded" by Primal Scream, and "Daydream In Blue" by iMonster weighing it down.
CD3 is even more confused than CD2. There are at least 3 songs here that seem as if they were included by mistake...some horrible mishap in the studio! There's just NO SIGN of the Jose Padilla we know and love in tired songs such as "Boys Don't cry" (Victor Malloy), "Would It Be Impossible" (The Superimposers), or "Circle of Clowns" (Cornucopia)....
On a positive note, the last NINE songs in a row on CD3 are perfection...like a completely different series...all beautiful, slow moving, filmatic songs that drift through your senses. Almost makes you forget the CDs previous sins.
Final word: I'm still disappointed at how rag-tag this compilation is. I truly love many of the songs here, but others are tired "throw aways" that don't belong. Some of them actually ruin the listening experience for me. Trying to please everybody (seems like that was what Padilla was trying to do) has compromised the integrity of this collection."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1