Chillout Session 2003 Summer Collection, The - Various Artists

...got to have it1". Not chillout though. Hmmmm.
Fixed Income - DJ Shadow;The same artist who made the music on the recent o2 adverts(blood on the tracks, I think). Sounds very like orbitals' "the box", with lots of chimes etc. No lyrics here, but a good deal of base. This one definitely falls into the electronica category.
Private Road - Bent; "my life is a private road, no thoroughfare, no heavy load". Absolute ...
...rare mixes) and a nice chillout mix for when you come back in. Simple!

Conclusion:

I'd recommend this compilation. It has just enough rare mixes and non-album tracks to make it worthwhile, and enough well known tracks to make it sing-alongable(new word!). If you can get it at less than full price, go for it. Just be warned, it may not do exactly as it says on the tin!

Thanks for reading,
Grex
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I bought both the winter and the summer versions at the same time, and i must say, what a good decision! Listening to the Summer one before going out for the night gives you a nice jived up feeling, ready for the night ahead. Then put on the winter one when you come back in for some serious chillling out! There's not much to differentiate between the two, but here's my feelings on the summer one:

Price:

I managed to get this from amazon marketplace, total cost £5.49. Bargain! It seems to have gone up since then. Sorry 'bout that! I may not have bought it full price though, as it was an impulse buy.

Tracks:

I'm not going to do a track by track listing(you can get that on amazon!) because this collection is best listened to as one whole(usually as background music). Instead, i'll comment on my favourite tracks on here, and why:

CD1
Wild Wood - Paul Weller;Really nice, breathy mix. Very like the original, which is no bad thing.
All Possibilities - Badly Drawn Boy;I'm sure this one was on an advert somewhere! Anyway, nice lyrics, you can sing along if you like!
Love Life - Fatboy Slim Feat. Macy Gray;Personally, I think Macy Gray sounds like a helium addled half-strangulated muppet, however, this track's quite good. It's just a funky song "love life-i got to have it1". Not chillout though. Hmmmm.
Fixed Income - DJ Shadow;The same artist who made the music on the recent o2 adverts(blood on the tracks, I think). Sounds very like orbitals' "the box", with lots of chimes etc. No lyrics here, but a good deal of base. This one definitely falls into the electronica category.
Private Road - Bent; "my life is a private road, no thoroughfare, no heavy load". Absolute bliss. One of my favourite songs on the alubm, breathy female vocals, opera type choir in the background. Close your eyes to this one, and float away!
Hayling - FC Kahuna;I saw these guys live at the Glasgow Barrowlands supporting Air. Very good live, and this is my favourite track of theirs. Female vocal once again, very chilled out,(hey, there's a theme here!) and there's a nice bit of effects later on into the track too. Superb.

CD2
The Boys Of Summer - DJ Sammy (Soulside Remix);Well, we all know the track, but this is a pared down version of the one that was recently dominating the radio waves. This version concentrates mostly on the female vocal, moving the instrumental into the background. What spoils this is that, for some reason, the vocal distorts at some of the higher notes in the range, it's not my stereo, and not the female singer. Could it perhaps be poor production? Hmmm.
Eple - Röyksopp (Shakedown Remix);Well, I love Röyksopp, seen them live (great), and this track is them at their finest. The mix doesn't actually make many changes, and although the original, in my opinion, is better. Still, it is chilled. And very good it is,too!
Hot In Herre - Tiga Feat. Jake Shears;I saw the video for this one on "the box", and I was never sure if it was a wind up(video features a mad puppet doing a parody of Justin Timberlake). Anyway, this is pretty much the same version, and it's funky! Although, not what i'd term chillout, but a nice inclusion nonetheless.

Summary:

Well, the mos compilations do seem to vary in quality, seemingly at random. This one however, in general, is a goodie. Only thing is, there are some tracks which do not fall into "chillout", no matter how broadly you apply that term. What you could do, is select the tracks you want for chillout, and the ones you want for dancing, and program your stereo. That way, you'll have a funky pre-clubbing mix, (with some fairly eclectic and rare mixes) and a nice chillout mix for when you come back in. Simple!

Conclusion:

I'd recommend this compilation. It has just enough rare mixes and non-album tracks to make it worthwhile, and enough well known tracks to make it sing-alongable(new word!). If you can get it at less than full price, go for it. Just be warned, it may not do exactly as it says on the tin!

Thanks for reading,
Grex

 

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