It was only a matter of time before somebody realised that what applied to the 80s can be equally well shared over early 90s 12″ records, and with a stack of good mixes to choose from Universal have made a good start. There are some strange choices for sure, but they serve to show how the 12″ mix changed almost beyond recognition in the period. The three discs can be divided into indie, dance and soul, and so a cracking start – with the Stereo MCs’ title track and the Chemical Brothers’ mix of ‘Open Up’, turns into something distinctly odd by the time Kula Shaker’s ‘Tattva’ and James’ ‘Come Home’, in Andy Weatherall guise, bring up the rear. The dance CD can’t lose with Felix’ Don’t You Wan’t Me in original guise, while M People’s ‘How Can I Love You More’ remains their best track by some distance. Driza Bone’s ‘Real Love’ is perhaps the coolest cut from the soul selection, though Tricky and Omar run it close. A good collection of the well known and the barely heard in recent times, this is a good document of the 1990s, and hopefully the start of a series to rival examinations of previous decades.
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
