It seems every year there' s a whole stack of new Christmas collections coming out for us the general public to purchase. Most of them are basically just rehashed and repackaged collections of the same old songs we've heard on previous years collections. Within that tall stack of CD's there's always a couple of fun gems that turn up. Which is the story with Merry Mixmas from Capitol Records. It's an excellent collection of Christmas Classics remixed by the hottest remix artists out there. Of course these tracks are all available on Capitols Christmas Cocktails CD collections volumes 1 - 3 in their original forms. This CD basically collects the best tracks from those CD's and offers them in the hot remixed format. The CD starts fairly slow with a Bent Remix of Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby. This remix sounds so good it doesn't really sound like a remix as it keeps the elements of the original track in this version and it feels like nothings really remixed or done to this track. It's a nice way to start a Christmas CD a slower paced track and build up to the more upbeat versions later on in the collection. Up next is a fun and lively remix of Nat King Cole's All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) by MJ Cole. I think MJ Cole has come up with an excellent remix of this classic track which utilizes all of the great vocals with an updated sound but keeping that great retro feel of the original version. Dean Martin's Baby It's Cold Outside remix by ARP is what follows next. Again with this remix it feels like the original version but there's that added extra beat that the original didn't have. It's quite nicely done by ARP. The Latin Project have done a wonderful remix of Ella Fitzgerald's Sleigh Ride by giving it a Latin mid-tempo vibe to it. Ella Fitzgerald's vocals sound so good within a remix as we've heard in the Verve Remixed series and this track is another winner as far as remixes of Ella Fitzgerald tracks go. Next up should be a whole collection of Ella's classics on one CD. What comes next is one of the better remixes on this collection. Santa Baby remixed by Alexkid & DJ Sleep and sung by the original Catwoman herself Eartha Kitt. This track actually feels like a remix which is what this collection is supposed to be a Christmas CD of remixes. The beatz, clicks and bass just move along with lovely Eartha's voice. That classic track is sung so perfectly by Miss Eartha Kitt. The remix still has elements of the original but it's quite good what Alexkid & DJ Sleep have done. Perfected it for the Remix Generation. Up next is a mellow chill remix of Lou Rawl's Have Yourself A Merry Christmas by awayTeam. It's a lovely track with fun electronic sounds and cute beats mixed in with his original vocals. Lena Horn's Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! remixed by Suedojazz fades up to full effect with the beats already in progress. Lena's vocals immediately start up and the jazzy reworked track takes full effect. This remix clocks in at two minutes and fifty five seconds and it's a groovy upbeat reworking of the original. Fun and to the point as it's quite short. Malibu have done a hip and quirky update to Billy May's Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo by adding the cute vocal snippets to the track. This version pretty much stays true to it's original form except for the added beats, vocals and record scratches by Malibu. Onto the next track we have Kay Starr's (Everybody's Waiting For) The Man With The Bag remixed by Thunderball. Thunderball are known for releasing loungy downbeat electronica and this track was the perfect choice for them to remix. The beats are loud and Kay's vocals complement them perfectly. Psapp's Lady Remix of I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm by Les Brown & Band is another quick and to the point remix of a classic Chrstmas tune. This version has the upbeat Big Band groove with the great female vocals. I like how they have incorporated the sounds of casino tables into the track. I think those sound effects work great with this track. Fatman Is Coming, Fatman Is Coming yell out the backing vocals in Johnny Mercer's Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town remixed by Q-Burns Abstract Message. The version has been given a big bouncy beat feel to the track and feels more like a remix rather an update to the original track. Nancy Wilson's upbeat reworking of The Christmas Waltz by awayTeam is quite different in feel compared to Lou Rawl's more relaxed and laidback reworking of Have Yourself A Merry Christmas. This track has the big beats and the cute Christmas feel and charm of yesteryear. Ursula 1000's remix of Julie London's I'd Like You For Christmas has been given the upbeat energy as the original is quite mellow and it's one of my favorites. Ursula 1000 is known for producing retro sounding loungy electronic music and this remix sure sounds like it's right up his alley. It's a hip swinging remix. The Merriest by June Christy remixed by Thunderball is another fun upbeat energetic remix of the wonderful track. It has the Big Band samples, the beautiful vocals of June Christies and Thunderballs excellent production and remix skills. This one of the better remixes on this set. Finally we are up to the last track on this collection and it's Vince Guaraldi Trio's Christmas Time Is Here remixed by Markus Enochson. This unfortunately is one of the weaker remixes and I was hoping this collection would close on a bang but it's unfortunately a bust! Overall Merry Mixmas is a fun CD. It has great classic Christmas tracks updated and remixed by top Electronic musicians and remixer's. Unfortunately most of the remixes don't really feel like remixes and they are quite short in length. I was hoping to totally fall in love with this collection like I have with other remix collections in the past for example like the Verve Remixed collection but this collection is 50 percent great and 50 percent just ok. |
