Quality Music: Cat. # QCDS 7062
Released 1994
Track List:
1. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Airplay Mix) (3:44)
2. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Club Mix) (6:09)
3. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Overworked Mix) (4:28)
4. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Welcome To The Terrordome Mix) (5:32)
5. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Paradise Garage Mix) (5:33)
6. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Mr. Gee’s Mix) (4:54)
(2010 Update:
I really don't know what it is, but every time spring rolls around, I get very, very fond of euro dance again. Must have something to do with all that sunshine coming back and stuff. Even this year I found myself pulling out all my old euro compilations at the beginning of March. I actually intended to have an honorary March Euro Review every year, but when a number of those CDs in my collection kept cropping up in Random Reviews, I saw little point in doing so.
I still don't know who "Hands Of Fate" are either...)
IN BRIEF: No no, no, no-no no... Oh, wait, wrong song.
Around this time last year I went on a euro dance kick and reviewed every 2 Unlimited single I own. In honor of that bit of zaniness, I’ve decided to do the same with every Maxx single I own.
Um... this is it. Don’t go breathing a sigh of relief all at once.
Really, Maxx only had two hits: No More and Get-A-Way. They might have had more but, like so many euro acts, only managed a single album before folding. Reasons for this remain a mystery.
Catching the peak of euro dance just as it was about to begin its slide, Maxx managed to stick out from the crowd with two main ingredients: ‘tinny’ production and a ragga rapper who was white (German specifically I hear). The latter was a quirky gimmick, probably done to catch some of the momentum of white ragga rappers Snow popularized, but really not the group’s calling card. Rather, the former of these attributes was a strange gimmick considering just how polished most euro was sounding in ‘94. Maxx, however, had a hollow, flat sound, allowing their fuzzy basslines to generate the momentum. It was pretty unique at the time, and would go on to be copied a great deal. Personally, I feel that sound kind of ruined the old euro style, as producers saw Maxx’s success as a way to cut corners and get away with flat rhythms. However, this group managed to pull it off on the strength of their melodies.
While Get-A-Way was the breakout, No More was a worthy follow-up and contains all the charm you’d expect from old euro. The bassline’s simple and effective, practically carrying the whole track since the main hook, a tuneless, bleepy thing, doesn’t quite have the muscle to stand out. And, as with all of the best euro, the chorus sung by Linda Meek is super catchy, never growing annoying. Even after six variations of No More on this single, the chorus never lost its charm. Plenty of additional elements - ranging from synths, strings, pianos, and assorted sounds - pad the song’s duration, remaining well in the background as to merely complement the main features.
Four remixes come on this single, most of which offer a variation of No More’s format to appeal to different crowds.
The Overworked Mix takes No More into more typical euro territory. With softer, stuttery synths carrying the lead, the bassline is relegated to support status instead. Everything plays out as before, although the rap is more audible.
Welcome To The Terrordome Mix attempts to give No More an edge with aggressive rhythms and a hook that sounds like sirens, and is even more tuneless than the original hook. Besides that, it’s the same song. Does it succeed in making No More edgier, though? Well, compared to most euro, sure, but the gabber kids would be laughing their asses off should they have heard this.
Probably the most intriguing mix on this single is the Paradise Garage Mix. Much like many of the tunes being played in that club around this time, the mix goes into more trancey territory with dreamy, airy melodies and backing arpeggios. Interspersed throughout the mix are low acid burbles that help generate some extra rhythmic momentum. By no means a classic, I could still see this mix finding its way into an old trance set as a worthy complement to the heavier hitters. The remix credits for this point to “Hands Of Fate”, and yes, they actually have quotations. Considering there’s no record of such a name other than this single, I wouldn’t be surprised if this mix was done by a prominent trance producer of the time, but decided to hide behind an untraceable psuedonym. It’d be interesting to find out who it was.
And finally, we have Mr. Gee’s Mix. Who is Mr. Gee? I don’t know. This is also the only place I’ve seen the name crop up, but since his remix isn’t all that interesting, I’m not too anxious to find out. It’s pretty much the same song, but with his own style thrown in. Two words: circus music.
That wraps up this review. If you are a fan of that classic euro style, this is still a worthy addition. Of course, that time is long since past. So, unless you’re an adamant collector of this kind of music, the only thing of extra interest would be the Paradise Garage Mix, as the other remixes stick to the original’s template far too much to warrant any non-fan’s attention.
Score: 6/10
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.
Released 1994
Track List:
1. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Airplay Mix) (3:44)
2. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Club Mix) (6:09)
3. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Overworked Mix) (4:28)
4. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Welcome To The Terrordome Mix) (5:32)
5. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Paradise Garage Mix) (5:33)
6. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Mr. Gee’s Mix) (4:54)
(2010 Update:
I really don't know what it is, but every time spring rolls around, I get very, very fond of euro dance again. Must have something to do with all that sunshine coming back and stuff. Even this year I found myself pulling out all my old euro compilations at the beginning of March. I actually intended to have an honorary March Euro Review every year, but when a number of those CDs in my collection kept cropping up in Random Reviews, I saw little point in doing so.
I still don't know who "Hands Of Fate" are either...)
IN BRIEF: No no, no, no-no no... Oh, wait, wrong song.
Around this time last year I went on a euro dance kick and reviewed every 2 Unlimited single I own. In honor of that bit of zaniness, I’ve decided to do the same with every Maxx single I own.
Um... this is it. Don’t go breathing a sigh of relief all at once.
Really, Maxx only had two hits: No More and Get-A-Way. They might have had more but, like so many euro acts, only managed a single album before folding. Reasons for this remain a mystery.
Catching the peak of euro dance just as it was about to begin its slide, Maxx managed to stick out from the crowd with two main ingredients: ‘tinny’ production and a ragga rapper who was white (German specifically I hear). The latter was a quirky gimmick, probably done to catch some of the momentum of white ragga rappers Snow popularized, but really not the group’s calling card. Rather, the former of these attributes was a strange gimmick considering just how polished most euro was sounding in ‘94. Maxx, however, had a hollow, flat sound, allowing their fuzzy basslines to generate the momentum. It was pretty unique at the time, and would go on to be copied a great deal. Personally, I feel that sound kind of ruined the old euro style, as producers saw Maxx’s success as a way to cut corners and get away with flat rhythms. However, this group managed to pull it off on the strength of their melodies.
While Get-A-Way was the breakout, No More was a worthy follow-up and contains all the charm you’d expect from old euro. The bassline’s simple and effective, practically carrying the whole track since the main hook, a tuneless, bleepy thing, doesn’t quite have the muscle to stand out. And, as with all of the best euro, the chorus sung by Linda Meek is super catchy, never growing annoying. Even after six variations of No More on this single, the chorus never lost its charm. Plenty of additional elements - ranging from synths, strings, pianos, and assorted sounds - pad the song’s duration, remaining well in the background as to merely complement the main features.
Four remixes come on this single, most of which offer a variation of No More’s format to appeal to different crowds.
The Overworked Mix takes No More into more typical euro territory. With softer, stuttery synths carrying the lead, the bassline is relegated to support status instead. Everything plays out as before, although the rap is more audible.
Welcome To The Terrordome Mix attempts to give No More an edge with aggressive rhythms and a hook that sounds like sirens, and is even more tuneless than the original hook. Besides that, it’s the same song. Does it succeed in making No More edgier, though? Well, compared to most euro, sure, but the gabber kids would be laughing their asses off should they have heard this.
Probably the most intriguing mix on this single is the Paradise Garage Mix. Much like many of the tunes being played in that club around this time, the mix goes into more trancey territory with dreamy, airy melodies and backing arpeggios. Interspersed throughout the mix are low acid burbles that help generate some extra rhythmic momentum. By no means a classic, I could still see this mix finding its way into an old trance set as a worthy complement to the heavier hitters. The remix credits for this point to “Hands Of Fate”, and yes, they actually have quotations. Considering there’s no record of such a name other than this single, I wouldn’t be surprised if this mix was done by a prominent trance producer of the time, but decided to hide behind an untraceable psuedonym. It’d be interesting to find out who it was.
And finally, we have Mr. Gee’s Mix. Who is Mr. Gee? I don’t know. This is also the only place I’ve seen the name crop up, but since his remix isn’t all that interesting, I’m not too anxious to find out. It’s pretty much the same song, but with his own style thrown in. Two words: circus music.
That wraps up this review. If you are a fan of that classic euro style, this is still a worthy addition. Of course, that time is long since past. So, unless you’re an adamant collector of this kind of music, the only thing of extra interest would be the Paradise Garage Mix, as the other remixes stick to the original’s template far too much to warrant any non-fan’s attention.
Score: 6/10
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.
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