Reviews by Chris Abbott |
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Displaying Reviews 1 - 30 out of 119 |
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The Last Ninja - The Palace (In Game) - arranged by SHEN LONReview by Chris Abbott, 22/03/2018 Not a huge fan of the brick-wall-compressed sound here, but I guess that's more personal taste. This remix does a lot right: the tune is right, and it has spirit and atmosphere. Starts off owing a bit to Instant Remedy's version of the same tune, but then goes of on its own journey. |
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Shockway Rider - arranged by GrospixelsReview by Chris Abbott, 22/03/2018 FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! |
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Spellbound (Rob Hubbard Remake) - arranged by WombleMCReview by Chris Abbott, 07/01/2017 Terrible sounds. Also, suspiciously reminiscent of my old XG MIDI file which has been on the Internet for about 20 years now. |
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Supremacy - arranged by MRTReview by Chris Abbott, 18/05/2016 I agree with Boz, because it mixes lots of my favourite things… but I'm a lot less inclined to be harsh on the violins because this reminds me of a Test-card piece from the mid-80s which did the same thing. It would be churlish of me to deny this a red smiley. |
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Storm Warrior sub. 2 - arranged by MRTReview by Chris Abbott, 29/08/2015 Not a great start, a bit mechanical, but makes up for it later. Takes quite a while to get to the melodic point, but quite impressed by the solo put over Mark's wonderful but slightly repetitive original. There's a number of ways the dynamism in this could have been improved, but it's still a musically intelligent attempt, and had some great moments, especially in the second half. |
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Bombo - arranged by Johan AnderssonReview by Chris Abbott, 20/02/2015 If I was going to suggest one change, it could start quieter, and end quieter, and there's a missed opportunity to go absolutely huge-ass-power-ballad in the middle. |
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Deflektor (Deflektions of My Life) - arranged by Mutherpluckin' BReview by Chris Abbott, 21/10/2009 Very faithful to the spirit of the original, though it's got a lot of competition in the Deyo stakes! Sounds very live! I'm giving a red for sheer effort, plus it sounds like a lot of fun at the recording |
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Fred Gray Medley - arranged by Jogeir LiljedahlReview by Chris Abbott, 07/10/2009 Sounds likeTony Banks does Fred Gray, which is a good thing in my book. Bonus marks for doing new stuff! Moving to the Mutants in the middle, there's some really nice restructuring and noodling which got me smiling. The move to the solo bit is very nice, though the lead could do with slightly more staccato to give the melody a bit more bite. I love the solo bits upward bits, just the right amount of delay. Then it turns Genesisagain… circa 1979 (without Mike Rutherford, unfortunately). And then.. West Bank? Didn't see that coming… lovely old school Amiga and delay feel… some nice arpeggios, but struggles slightly against the repetitive nature of the source material to stay focussed (or is that just me?). I don't think I would have stayed focussed on this tune for that long without building to something more… Really nice ending to wrap it up nicely. Overall, very red-worthy: old school and proud of it. |
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Turrican II Loader (LManic Mix) - arranged by LManReview by Chris Abbott, 11/02/2006 Addictive and tasteful. And that's just Pepsi Max. The tune is great as well!Indeed, Maximum power output is acquired in sense of comparitive ease by LMan and his not-at-all motley crue. |
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Big Benn - arranged by Bart KlepkaReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 A megamix of many Benn pieces, from Ark Pandora through Last Ninja. A suitably frenetic intro is joined by a strange piano lead to complement a straight dance rhythm. The main piece is taken forward by Ben's SID burbles, but in this case, the cover would have been better suited by having a sharper and more stabby replacement for these: the burbles aren't segregated enough to suggest the necessary madness, and just don't feel punchy enough. At 1:48 the tune seems to go a bit Pete Tong melodically, but since it's 720, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, since that's got some odd chords in it. When Bombo kicks in, the whole thing begins to sound like Robert Miles (as if it didn't already!). Some pads float about to add width to this section, which work well enough. The main problem with the megamix is that the necessity for a constant beat and sound means the individual parts have to be bent and shaped to fit: a process which mangles some more than others. Ben's Last Ninja Wilderness tune loses its Swing-type beat, for instance. Much the same happened on Chris Huelsbeck's 'Giana Sisters Megamix", which was disappointing for me as a fan of the individual pieces, because none of the parts had the atmosphere of the original. So, this cover, while technically very well done (I'd argue with the lead in the Last Ninja section though) falls victim to its own structure and ends up less satisfying to Ben fans as a result. Efficient but strangely unsatisfying. |
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Bruce Lee (Psycho Mix) - arranged by Bart KlepkaReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 'You have offended my family… '. True! Hey, he's got a drum machine and a synth! And they can be linked up!!! Wow!!!!!!!! OK, sarcasm alert. It's SID and drums time. It's hard, it's nasty, my bum remains unmoved. Bruce Lee just isn't the tune to do this to with any effect. At 1 minute the tune stops being horrible and starts being detuned and horrible. Then it returns to abysmal. Not my cup of tea at all, though some of the later basslines and breaks show some rhythmic skill. It's still vomit-inducing though. Almost redeemed by the clever use of Bruce Lee samples in the middle, it could have worked if it wasn't so damned harsh! Urgh. Chris hell. |
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Last Ninja 2 (Into the Ninja Hood) - arranged by Bart KlepkaReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 'It's the music: can't you feel it in your soul? '. Well, kinda, I guess. Very strange slurp-drums make this sinister sounding cover sound trippy, but the beginning doesn't quite work: the triangle lead is out of place for what's trying to do (doesn't quite convey the funkiness that the rest of the piece is aiming for). Once again, clever use of samples and breaks, but the whole track is very repetitive. To some that may be just what the Doctor ordered, of course, since Bart seems to be mostly centred on the commercial dance sound. Quality stuff, but a bit too repetitive for me. You might disagree! . |
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Last Ninja 1+2 (Jungle Ressurection) - arranged by Bart KlepkaReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Oooh, spooky. Some nice atmosphere for the first 20 seconds gives way to a really nasty drum set which the tune could well do without. It's like two different tunes are being played here. At 1:00 a slower breakbeat comes in to lend the piece some badly needed coherence, but this tune stops and starts in a way that severely unsettles the listener (that would be me!). Somewhere in the world, there's a piece of video action from a copshow that suits this piece. It's one of those pieces of art that makes no sense because there's no coherence, unless another consistent element is added (in this case, that would be video footage). Towards the end, it sounds like Fat Boy Slim. An audio experience in dire need of some stable video. |
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Operation Wolf (Tune 5) - arranged by Marcus Hoffrén offlineReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 SID, echoes, filters, drums. If you like that, you'll like this (as long as you're a Jon Dunn fan). The original tune has some unpleasant bits though. Not a great advancement over SID + drums, but more subtle at least. |
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Zoids (Chopper Zoid mix) - arranged by MixerReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Zoids/Ancestors. A majestic tune which stomps its way into our hearts. How can you ruin it? Simple, you speed the tune up by a factor of 2, then add organ stabs. It trivialises the tune, and it's impossible for me to take it seriously. |
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Ninja - arranged by PacoReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 One of Rob's more overlooked pieces, this is a fairly straight cover. Nice gong, some breathy synths. The challenge comes when the Rob bass/drum thing comes in. In this case, nothing much happens to make you funk up. The drum section doesn't have any drive, and the bass is heavy and leaden. In the second part the bass works better because it's up and octave. All in all, a nice version of the SID. It won't knock your socks off, but they may get just a teensy bit dented, and later in the tune the synths sound really 80s, with some nice replication of the SID bending. A cover which gets better as it goes on, this one is worth the download. |
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Gyroscope (Smooth Mix) - arranged by MistaDistahReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 When MistaDistah says 'Smooth Mix', he's not kidding. A hollow whistle/bell instrument combines with razor smooth bass and choir to build up in the middle of the tune to organised chaos. Then a breakbeat and some guitar come in for the repeat of this relatively simple tune. Nicely done, relaxing and inoffensive. With a slightly more breathy choir, it can easily be imagined coming out of hi-fi speakers. Great download. |
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Last Ninja 3 (Old School Sonny Chiba Remix) - arranged by MistaDistahReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Puzzling vocal sample at the beginning gives way to hard breakbeat and SID from Reyn Ouwehand's LN3 title. Miscellaneous instruments and portions that are out of harmony with the original SID follow, and then the tune takes on its own two-chord tune, with more miscellaneous SFX coming along. Some nice Vangelis bell sounds in places don't really make up for this. This really doesn't have much in common with the SID apart from using the beginning of it as a sample. Puzzling and offputting. |
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Wizball Song 2 (Orchestral Bouncy Remix) - arranged by MistaDistahReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 The words 'flatter to deceive' apply to this remix, which is an interesting take on the SID. Elements from the SID, orchestral hits, a hip-hop style brush breakbeat all combine. Sounds interesting, and is for about a minute. Then you realise that nothing else is going to happen that's more interesting: OK, the drums develop into a more standard house pattern, but that's about it. This is most definitely a case of 'I've just bought a sample CD and I'm going to use it'. Some nice ascending orchestral chords at 1:30 onwards make me think I've been a bit harsh, since some of them are quite epic. The SID is almost optional here though, and the piece doesn't quite know where it's going. On balance, the world is better for this piece existing, so I recommend a download. don't expect anything more from Wizball than the paint mixing noises though. Download it if you're in an experimental mood. |
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Lightforce (Existenz Mix) - arranged by MistaDistahReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 'You didn't get here in time! My game is dead. You murdered my game! ' What does this have to do with Lightforce? -bing- who answered 'nothing'? You're correct!! But what of the rest of the cover. Odd chord stabs on what sounds like a murdered banjo don't inspire confidence. At 0:30 the Lightforce riff strikes up, accompanied by an ascending (and quite painful) siren type sound. When a drum fill strikes up, you expect a breakbeat to kick in, but all you get is a wooden kick/snare combination. All in all, a painful cover to listen to. The nice pads are generally overlaid by an overuse of filter resonance which overshadows any pleasant feelings you get from this, the lead is pretty boring, the bass isn't a patch on the SID, and there's an irritating typing noise throughout. Lightforce is difficult to make unpalatable if you get the tune right, but this one manages to make it audibly annoying. Plus the whole thing seems to have been lifted from my MIDI file, as witnessed by the single note riff at 6:30 and elsewhere throughout the tune, which in my MIDI file were orchestral stabs. Way to make my MIDI file crap, Mista. Extremely irritating. Plus marks off for cribbing my MIDI file without credit. |
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Delta - arranged by octave sounds offlineReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 A Delta cover that on the surface appears to do the right things: there's the dance breakbeat, the lead is correct, and it's all there structurally. Problem 1 is that the bass doesn't get the most important bit right: that bass run down in the fourth phrase of the verse. If a cover gets that right, it's home free. This doesn't. It's important because the soul of the piece is in this section: it's the first technical test of how well an arranger has understood the piece. Problem 2 is the lead instruments are undynamic, sluggish and generally over-reverbed (hey, sounds like Back in Time 1, hehehehe), and just don't caress the ear like they should. Lead instruments should be pleasant to listen to, not a chore. If you can overlook the accuracy problem, not a bad download. |
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Dizasterblaster - arranged by Max Levin offlineReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 A surprising choice for a tune cover (and a tune I've never heard before). It's a standard Lazy-Jones style romp with New-Order-esque chords (normal Cm, Eb, Bb, Cm stuff). Not a rich source of creative material. As such, this cover (which attempts to dancify it up) does the best it can with the material: dancey bass, fast beat, pianoey house style lead. It doesn't do anything wrong, but equally people are not going to dance in the streets to this: the rhythm is not quite dancey enough, the bass instrument conflicts with the bass drum, and the whole thing sounds too cute to move a dance floor. It's possible to do a better cover of this in the same style (better arrangement, better samples), but frankly I can't see why anyone would bother. It's a cute tune, and should be left that way. |
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Arkanoid Intro (Longer RnB Version) - arranged by MistaDistahReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 This is a cover which, for me, took some time while listening to it to establish its identity. There are some distinct Dr Who moments, along with a general efficient and satisfying treatment of the tune. A lot of the original spaciousness in Martin's tune is initially lost, and the breakbeat performing the drums isn't as apocalyptic as you'd expect. So the cover takes time to grow. But towards the middle and end, it finally persuades you. Repeated listening is a necessity, but a rewarding one. The start could still be more persuasive though, especially the bass, which is too light and hollow. There's also a disturbing drop of one or two bars which makes the chords sound wrong at about 0:42. Initially it sounds like the tune is wrong, but then you realise it's merely repeated too early. 1:22 is when the cover becomes memorable. Well worth your listening ear. |
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Thrust (found on c-tape) - arranged by MixerReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Wow, does this sound like a cop show from the 70s (which is weird, because it should be sounding like electropop from the 80s). After 0:25, it gets very 1981. This must be an early cover, because it's definitely an approximation of the backing and the tune. It works, because it captures the feel of the tune well, as simple as that. However, tune timing gets changed, the backing is slightly different, the bass isn't 100%, and generally the piece feels performed rather than sequenced, although not so obviously performed as PPOT. The SID SFX are noticeable by their absence, though some organ slides put some of the feel back in. Surprisingly agreeable. |
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Great Giana Rastas - arranged by MakkeReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Sometimes a tune is covered so strangely that it becomes a work of art in itself. Makke's Great Giana Rastas is one of them. While obviously based on the Great Giana sisters theme, it's really a song about Giana, with Makke singing the lyrics, and a very persuasive reggae beat. Giving this marks would not be the right thing to do: it's a coherent original track in its own right, which is well worth a download. What I will do is (a) say that I'm not 100% keen on those lyrics, and (b) say that overall I'd give it an 7 for entertainment value. I'm not sure I'd listen to it regularly, but creative jumps like this make for a much more interesting C64 scene, and long may it continue. |
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Mustang Monty - arranged by MakkeReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 The start of this is from Auf Monty, the riff done with synths rather than bell-types. The bass follows the unfiltered SID version (i. e. it's wrong) and generally it reminds me an awful lot of LaLa's XM. The tune is correct, the drums are occasionally messy in the fills… plus the bass doesn't always behave like the SID, which is offputting. Later on the tune switches to Monty on the Run, complete with irritating wrong notes and generally isn't very satisfying at all. Disappointing for fans of the original. Two disappointing renditions. |
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Ode to my C64 (Hammerfist) - arranged by MakkeReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 In this tune, the point is not what is covered (Hammerfist), it's a complete song devoted to the C64 in Depeche Mode stylee. And it's brilliant executed. Just download it! |
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Starforce Fighter - arranged by MakkeReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 A little reminiscent of Parallax, this MP3 has a very wide sound until the drums kick in, when it becomes boxy and too reverbed. There are some nice ideas here, but the overall sound quality lets it down. Better production would have added two marks overall. A good cover let down by its sound. |
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Chimera - arranged by BozReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Hey, there's SID in them thar tune. Essentially this one is a hyped up SID in XM (no small achievement, I guess). 100% accurate, with some nice extra tracks and SFX doing the business. Although the swirls lack some of the fluidity of the SID (mostly because Rob didn't retrigger the ADSR envelope when he was doing them, whereas here Boz is forced to use individual notes), the whole cover hangs together and conveys the SID nicely. Not the ultimate Chimera cover, but satisfying and accurate, and therefore soul-satisfying. And it must have been a BUGGER to do those swirls. A soul-satisfying treatment of one of Rob's more unusual tunes. |
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Comic Bakery - arranged by BozReview by Chris Abbott, 23/01/2003 Very accurate version of Galway's classic: painstaking recreation of every pitch bend and vibrato. Fairly nice breakbeat, possibly the piano-type sound could have been more synthy. Follows the original accurately, with occasional well-placed additions. Any deficiences in this cover are again in the XM format: yes, it's been overshadowed by Instant Remedy and Danko, but it's a good cover of a classic song. Overshadowed by better produced covers, but still delivers the goods. |
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