Clubland Vol.3 - Various Artists

...volume three in the acclaimed Clubland series hit the shelves just in time for this peak sales period. I stumbled across volume one of the Clubland series almost entirely by mistake, but I was so impressed with it that I bought Clubland 2 before it was released commercially (see my Vinyl Exchange review to find out how) and the same thing happened with volume three. The law of diminishing returns must surely mean that volume three is not as good ...
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Clubland 3 follows a very similar formula to the first two albums, so if you liked volumes one and two then you should find volume three just as satisfying. The sound of the music is as commercial as you can get – there is nothing particularly sophisticated about any of the tunes here. Once again, the record company has resisted the temptation to employ a DJ to mix the tunes into continuous play, so each track is played back to ... more

The summer is a perfect time to release a compilation album, particularly for all those sweaty clubbers in and out of Ibiza, Ayia Napa and the like. It was no real surprise therefore to find that volume three in the acclaimed Clubland series hit the shelves just in time for this peak sales period. I stumbled across volume one of the Clubland series almost entirely by mistake, but I was so impressed with it that I bought Clubland 2 before it was released commercially (see my Vinyl Exchange review to find out how) and the same thing happened with volume three. The law of diminishing returns must surely mean that volume three is not as good as the two former volumes. Not from where I’m sitting.

Clubland 3 follows a very similar formula to the first two albums, so if you liked volumes one and two then you should find volume three just as satisfying. The sound of the music is as commercial as you can get – there is nothing particularly sophisticated about any of the tunes here. Once again, the record company has resisted the temptation to employ a DJ to mix the tunes into continuous play, so each track is played back to back. There are a few extended or alternative mixes, but most of the versions included here are the radio versions. This is good from the point of view that you will be familiar with the version included, but it does mean that some of the better tunes leave you wanting more. One of the reasons that I like this series so much is that the standard of the tracks is largely consistent throughout. Volume three contains 41 tracks and although there are one or two that have me reaching for the skip button, the listening experience is generally uplifting, energetic and pleasing throughout.

Volume three’s critics will be the same people who criticised volumes one and two. The sound here is probably far too commercial for many tastes. Both discs play rather like a download of a Galaxy FM radio play list and many of the big underground tunes of the summer will be missing here. The sound also has a tendency to be rather one-sided. You’d certainly have to like trance and hard house to really enjoy this album (although disc two does contain some slightly mellower house music.) None of these things matter to me however. My tastes in club music are utterly commercial and shamelessly limited – I gave up with the Ministry of Sound compilations many years ago. With the Ministry of Sound compilations, so much of the music was not to my taste that I would normally find a fifteen-minute section I liked and keep playing that over and over again. With Clubland 3 I just find myself playing the whole thing over and over again. My only other criticism would be that the album doesn't have a particular flow - the tracks are arranged without any apparent logic or order, so a fairly fast track will be followed by a more mellow one. As an overall listening experience, the whole thing therefore feels slightly random.

One thing that I have noticed about this series as time has progressed is that the music is generally getting gayer. Both this album and the last contain a number of quite cheese-tastic cover versions of old songs, generally to rather camp effect. The most memorable example of this is Karen Parry’s cover version of Flashdance, which could have been taken straight off the soundtrack to Queer as Folk. (It’s probably worth pointing out that a lot of gay people wouldn’t be seen dead dancing to a song like that, but after a few beers everything seems such a blur, you know.) A far better cover version is the Aurora version of Tazmin Archer’s Sleeping Satellite. Naimee Coleman’s gorgeous vocals work superbly and demonstrate that trance cover versions can have some credibility, although the Rob Searle mix probably helps this considerably. Other covers include If You Leave Me Now by The System, All Out of Love by The Foundation and Dub Be Good To Me by Revelation.

The old hands from volumes one and two are also back again. Scooter’s latest single, The Night gets pride of place as the opener on disc two. Kelly Llorena features twice, once on her solo single Fantasy and once as the vocalist on N-Trance’s Destiny. Flip and Fill are also back rather sneakily with Field of Dreams, which was on one of the previous volumes, although the version included here has been mixed about a bit.

Clubland 3 contains a good selection of music that listeners will previously have heard in the charts, although there don’t seem to be as many huge-selling songs here. The original version of Oliver Cheatham’s Get Down Saturday Night is stuck on the end of disc two, but fans of the single version will probably be disappointed with the weedy version used here. Equally out of place is Move Your Feet by Junior Senior, which was surely included here only for commercial value – a song could not feel less at home than this one does. DJ Sammy is once again notable in his absence – despite having released both Sunlight and Boys of Summer since the last album was released, neither is included here probably due to the fact that Data Records is still trying to promote the original artist’s album. If you are looking for a compilation of all the chart hits then you might be better off looking for one of the Now Dance series instead. The appeal of Clubland 3 for me is discovering new tunes or re-discovering records that you’ve previously heard in the clubs.

As it would be impractical (and very time-consuming) to review all 41 tracks, I’ll once again try and stick to giving a run down of my favourite tracks. With volume three, it’s harder than ever because there are so many songs here that I really like, but I’ll do my best.

PLUMMET – DAMAGED

The standout song of the album, the year and probably the decade – I love this song more than words can say. Damaged features a gorgeous, haunting female vocal over a pounding trance arrangement that just leaves me wanting more. Sadly, the album only features the three-minute radio version, but I guess you can’t have everything.

XTM & DJ CHUCKY – FLY ON THE WINGS OF LOVE

Currently riding high in the singles chart, XTM’s song threatens to become this year’s DJ Sammy. The ingredients are simple enough. Simply take one high-pitched synthesised female vocal, add to a relentless “pan pipe” instrumental backing and then play at about 800 beats per minute. It won’t win awards, but it is a bit of a crowd pleaser.

BIMBO JONES – COME AND FLY WITH ME

The flying theme continues with the (dreadfully named) Bimbo Jones and her uplifting anthem. Come and Fly with Me has a slightly harder sound than XTM’s tune but it is just as addictive. Come and Fly with Me has this infuriating chorus that you just can’t get out of your head. It REALLY reminds me of another, slightly older tune – all suggestions are welcomed.

NAZENE – THE LOVER WHO ROCKS YOU (ALL NIGHT)

Oh dear – the raging queer in me is coming out again. This tune reminds me of the sort of thing that was doing the rounds when I first come out back in 1989. Charged with hormones, huge vocals and a pounding beat, this is like a trip down memory lane for anyone who used to enjoy Trade in the 1980s. Why I can almost remember that blonde bloke in his ripped jeans all over again….

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get next to you, so I can be the lover who rocks you all night.”

Quite.

SCOOTER – THE NIGHT

Scooter have been around for years, but they’ve only started selling loads of records in the UK over the last year or so. The Night is not that far removed from their previous material, but I love the spooky synthesised vocal that leads the record. I’m not sure where the vocal is lifted from but it works superbly – I’d just get rid of the bloke that keeps shouting over the music.

Clubland 3 is not going to win any awards for credibility, nor will it win fans over to this genre of music. It has more limitations than a relationship with Janine Butcher and at times is almost cringeworthy, but it’s great fun and great value too. I’m just counting the weeks until volume four.

Recommended

(I got my copy from Vinyl Exchange for £8.99 – best price elsewhere seems to be around £12.99.)

Track listing:

Disc One

1. N Trance - Destiny
2. XTM - Fly on the Wings of Love
3. Flip and Fill - Field of Dreams
4. Love Inc - Broken Bones
5. Jurgen Vries - The Wilderness
6. Voodoo & Serano - Overload
7. Plummet - Damaged
8. Michael Woods - If U Want Me
9. Iio - At The End
10. Bimbo Jones - Come And Fly With Me
11. Karen Parry - Flashdance
12. Piano Pirates - Make It On My Own
13. Lucy Carr - This is Goodbye
14. Proximity - Hold On
15. Force Four - Self Control
16. XXX - You Are My Music
17. Nazene - The Lover Who Rocks You
18. Big Ang - It's Over Now
19. Friday Night Posse - Take U There
20. Warp Brothers - Going Insane

Disc Two

1. Scooter - The Night
2. Ultrabeat - Pretty Green Eyes
3. The Foundation - All Out of Love
4. Kelly Llorenna - Fantasy
5. The System - If You Leave Me Now
6. Dallas Superstars - Helium
7. Kira - I'll Be Your Angel
8. Astral - Now And Forever
9. Jessy - Look At Me Now
10. Aurora - Sleeping Satellite
11. Revelation - Just Be Dub To Me
12. In-Grid - Tu Es Foutu
13. Laze - Steppin Out
14. Sonique - Can't Make Up My Mind
15. ATB - I Don't Wanna Stop
16. Dutch - My Time
17. Jason Nevins - I'm In Heaven
18. Saffron Hill - My Love Is Always
19. Kurtis Mantronix - How Did You Know
20. Oliver Cheatham - Get Down Saturday Night
21. Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
 

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