Search - Bond (string quartet), Grant / Bond Crichton Stuart / Black, Trevor / Bond Crichton Stuart / Gray :: Remixed

Bond Remixed - For the diehard fans

shaure | Australia | 12/06/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"To state straight off - I love Bond, I think the four girls are extremely talented and their music style makes classical music accessible to everyone. That said, I found this remix albumn a bit of a let down. As an Australian, I had to import the CD and it really wasn't worth the money. The girls are good, no question, but to me the music was too techno, they lost their individual sound to an all encompassing boom box. The whole album had a feeling of sameness to it, there was no individuality to any of the songs, they all seemed to merge into one techno beat. Two of the new songs Homecoming & Atlanta (played one after another on the CD) sounded so familiar at first I checked my CD player to see if it was on repeat!So in closing, the CD is good for the die hard fans. But if you're new to Bond please choose either their Born or Shine albumn, this Remix CD is not a good representation of their sound. For those out there, who like me, won't see the CD in their stores for a few more months, wait it out, the extra cost involved in importing the CD is just not worth it."

Remixed not recommended for "re-listening".

B. Son | Denver | 07/26/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Bond has impressed critics with their somewhat controversial performances of classical-crossovers. From using trance beats to the sounds of African drums... there is no limit to how much and what they can do to enhance classical music that they play.



With Bond Remixed however; it is quite a drag to put it simply. The album is a total re-mix album, so think of it as a compilation of single re-mixes put together. But also, there are three original tracks by Bond: Homecoming, Atlanta, and Time. All three of these tracks rely a lot on synth sounds and trance beats. Which get boring after listening to all these re-mixes, but keeping in mind that it is a RE-MIX album after all... so although the originality of Bond's previous albums: Born and Shine are not there, it is because they are re-mixed.



One of my personal favorite tracks is Viva [Orion Mix], which for those who have the Bond Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD all should know (For those who do not know, it is an extra video on the DVD, a live performance of Viva). Though I would have to say it takes repetition of classical music to its red line. Another great track to listen to is Jingle Bell Rock [Pussy Galore Mix]. Great example of good trance, combined with classical sounds. Bobby D'Ambrosio's mix of Winter, originally named Wintersun, is interesting enough by creating a new intro into the song. The rest of the song is shorter with a different beat.



The rest of the tracks seemed to use the original songs, but just add a different beat, more bass, and more synth. It puts the name of "re-mix" to a shame. Besides Speed [Crash Club Mix] which adds more excitement to the song as it is called Speed, the listener is better off listening to the originals. The prime example of horrible remixing is Duel [Hectic Mix] and Bond on Bond [Hectic Mix] (It's funny how both of these songs were badly mixed by the same person). In Duel, Hectic makes the song more faster-paced and adds a synth sound to the beat, which has a deeper bass. The song relatively stays the same. As goes the same for the Bond on Bond mix, where there is only a different, harder dance beat added to the original song. Also, Shine [Dubshakra Mix], doesn't even sound different. After listening carefully, you will notice the very subtle addition of more tambourines. But it sounds exactly the same; I listened back and forth from the "mix" to the original on the "Shine" album, and could not really tell.



If you want re-mixed Bond songs, this is terrible album to try to find some. Re-mixes are supposed to be a variation of the original song, almost as if the mix was a whole new song. But these "re-mixes" are sad to listen to. I am ashamed for whoever compiled this horrible playlist of tracks. Also, the original tracks by Bond are not what Bond is noted for, as if they were rushed to do these tracks.



A lot of artists do a "filler" album. Bond may have used a re-mix album to give themselves a year off, either for time off recording, or to make more time to record their 4th album, "Classified". Most likely it was to give the girls some well-deserved time off after releasing "Born" and "Shine".



Any fan of Bond will most likely find this album oddly dissatisfying, leaving a caustic taste in the mouth, and a penetrating headache. I would not recommend this album, unless you are a die-hard fan. But please, if you are a first-time listener to Bond, listen to "Born" or "Shine".



*There is two videos that can be played on your computer however; a video of Fuego and Victory, are fun to watch. But they are from their other albums, Victory from "Born" and Fuego from "Shine".

"

Good remixes

Erica Anderson | 06/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I generally stay away from remix albums simply because it's tough to improve on an original. However, I'm a huge fan of techno music and these remixes are heavier fixed with the sound of the dancefloor than the original tracks are. As you can tell by some of the reviews, some people love this, and some hate it. I think the ones that hated this CD are not fans of modern dance music and miss the whole point of dance CDs to begin with, so you can't judge anything by what they say.
This is a great dance CD, period. For the more consertive use of dance beats, see any of Bonds other releases, but this one is definately for the club fans out there. Another killer dance CD I want to suggest is Mr.Deviant's "Techno Obsession" which mixes power rock with killer dance beats to create some very original dance music. Both CDs are great!"