First Review of ”Remixed and Revisited”

First “Remixed and Revisited” review from Dotmusic‘s member “Riverwide“:

The cover is designed by Kevin Reagan and Bret Healey. The back cover has a shot of Madonna from the Gap ad, but from the waist down only. She’s in mid-swagger. The colour scheme used throughtout is a mixture of vile pinks and oranges.

1. Nothing Fails (Nevins Mix)
I quite like this mix. A very beefed-up, rocked-out version of “Nothing Fails” that still retains(more or less) the song structure and melody. It doesn’t scream “remix” either. 7/10

2. Love Profusion (Headcleaner Rock Mix)
Again, a heavier, rock version of the LP we know and…like. I love how they’ve lessened the repitition of “I got you under my skin”, and also how they’ve altered the rhythm of that line. They change the emphasis on words, so it almost sounds like a different recording. 8/10

3. Nobody Knows Me (Mount Sims Old School Mix)
Not a bad take on this track. Quite retro and 80s sounding. 7/10

4. American Life (Headcleanr Rock Mix)
Very disappointing. It sounds like it’s going to a fantastic mix initially, until you realise that the verses aren’t used. The rap is repeated twice and the chorus numerous times. I love the rock production on this, but if they’d used the entire track, it could’ve been incredible. A bit of a wasted opportunity. 5/10

5. The VMAs medley
Nice to hear this in top-notch sound quality. She’s still *very* off-key every single time she sings the word “everybody” though, and her vocals are pretty weak throughout. Nice to have I guess. 5/10

6. Into The Hollywood Groove (Passengerz Mix)
A lot of the original “Into The Groove” is used throughout this mix, and it’s all the better for it. Her new vocals still sound very thin though, especially compared to the original vocals. The difference is painfully obvious. 7/10

7. Your Honesty
Far better than “Freedom” or “Let Down Your Guard”, and better than some of the tracks on “Bedtime Stories”, but it’s not exactly what I’d call a “hidden gem”. Still, it’s a lot better than I expected given the pedigree(or lack of) of that that album. Very typical of the other tracks recorded at the time though. Clichéd lyrics, drum loop, weak vocals etc The verses are pretty strong though, and it’s quite catchy. During the bridge, she speaks some lines in French. All in all, it’s a bit of a pleasant surprise! 8/10

Thanks to Riverwide and Dotmusic.