Re-mix CDs suck.
OK, not all of them do.
But usually a disc that's full of re-mixed versions of hit songs and throw-away b-sides is a just a waste of time.
Re-mix discs are often crass commercialism at its worst. The band gets more mileage (and more royalties) out of its songs and you surrender more of your hard-earned greenbacks for lesser versions of the stuff you hear a few hundred times on the radio.
Or even worse, it's just an excuse to get another single out without an artist having to produce a whole album.
But Gorillaz isn't your usual band. And its new re-mix CD, G Sides, isn't your usual re-mix collection.
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That said, Gorillaz isn't even really a band, per se. It's the brainchild of Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett and Blur frontman Damon Albarn.
These two, along with rap producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura have created a kind of hipper, hyper Monkees for the new millenium.
Their collaborations with the likes of rapper Del the Funky Homosapien, Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz and others actually put more emphasis on the songs than a normal band might.
That said, G Sides is only half re-mixes. And the b-sides are as good as anything that made Gorillaz, the group's 2001 CD, the brilliant debut it was.
There are two versions of the hit "19-2000" and one version of mega hit "Clint Eastwood." But the second mix of "19-2000" (The "Wiseguys House of Wisdom re-mix" ) is a complete retake on the song.
This version scarcely resembles the original. Instead what you have is turns a feisty house version that instantly turns the room into a some hip disco. You can almost feel the vibe and taste the martinis.
Likewise, the new version of "Clint Eastwood," dubbed the "Phi Life Cypher" version, is so unlike the original that calling it Clint is almost a misnomer.
With all new raps from Life and Si Phili, the song's carnival-esque spaghetti western style is now soundtrack music for Tales from the Hood - with Dr. Dre smoking blunts and riding in the Mystery Machine with the Crypt Keeper and Scooby Doo at the wheel. Think "Dirty Harry" rather than "High Plains Drifter."
The re-mix of "Latin Simone," with English lyrics from Albarn (or his cartoon alter ego 2-D, if you wish) is the least effective. The original was better - come on, you can't top Ibrahim Ferrer's lithe vocals -but this version has charms of its own
B-sides like "The Sounder," "Faust," Ghost Train" and "Hip Albatross" are all worth having in one collection. In fact, they're all really good.
There's the pure hip hop of "The Sounder," then there's the neo-spiritual "Ghost Train," a song that comes across like T. Rex and Hendrix jamming with Trent Reznor and Mahalia Jackson under the watchful eye of George Clinton and his digital minions.
Even "Hip Albatross," with its "Day of the Dead" soundbytes, Casio keyboards and vaguely Eastern guitar line, is a near classic. You almost wonder why this didn't make the first CD.
So is the closer "12D3," a Beck-flavored minimalist, folk-tinged, acoustic alchemists wet dream.
G Sides isn't just a collection for Gorillaz fans who think 2-D would be cool to hang with or that Noodle is kinda cute and kicks much gorilla butt. It stands on its own.
If you're a Gorillaz fan, buy it. It's worth it.
If you're not already a member of the Gorillaz cult, G sides is still a good buy - and far better than most of the crap that's currently clogging the radio.
