VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Annual 2003 America (Ministry Of Sound)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale


I'm not sure the dance club audience of 2003 will still be as impressed by the 2002 hits of artists like Mary J. Blige, Madhouse and Moby as this double CD set suggests, but whatever Ministry of Sound's Annual 2003 America lacks in predictive power it more than compensates for with high energy and an outstanding mix by DJ Sammy. As a veteran of the first disco era, I have to admit that it didn't really suck as much as we said at the time, but it wasn't as good as it should have been. Synths and sampling were in a fetal stage in those days, and as so often happens with new toys, they were too often abused to the breaking point. Today's DJs make better use of their tools, and a top turntablist like DJ Sammy can create beautiful new raiments from the pop music ragbag. That's certainly the case here. Some of these tracks are familiar to me in their original form, and those are invariably improved in this setting. Others are new to me, but are woven into the mix seamlessly.

I don't get out to dance clubs often, generally reserving my nights out for live music, so I depend on compilations like this to keep up and to provide the appropriate party background for nights in with friends. If this is indicative of what's happening in the clubs, though, it might be time to break out the white suit and hit the floor more often. Well, not the white suit, maybe, but hey, let's dance!

Track Lists:

Disc One: 110/Rapture * Daniel Bedingfield/Gotta Get Thru This * Mary J. Blige/Family Affair * Yasmeen/Blue Jeans * Karaja/She Moves (LaLaLa) * DB Boulevard/Point Of View * Raven Maize/Fascinated * Mad'House/Like A Prayer * Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Murder On The Dance Floor * Who Da Funk/Shiny Disco Balls * M-Factor/Mother (Are You Ready To Play?) * Amber/Yes * Res/They-Say Vision

Disc Two: Narcotic Thrust/Safe From Harm * 4 Strings/Take Me Away (Into The Night) * Divine Inspiration/The Way * Moby/We Are All Made Of Stars * Kosheen/Hide U * Matt Schwartz Presents Sholan/Can You Feel (What I'm Going Thru) * Tina Ann/In My Dreams * DJ Encore/Walking In The Sky * Ian Vandahl/Will I? * Dee Dee/Forever * Perpetuous Dreamer/The Sound Of Goodbye * DJ Tiesto/Flight 643 * Sasha/Wavy Gravy

© 2003 - Shaun Dale