Dig These Discs :: Forever Christmas, Orianthi, Soulsavers, Tina Turner, Schwayze
The delivery of lyrics can be one of the most crucial parts of song. When the wrong vocalist is given a song, it can spell disaster; in the right hands, even banal lyrics can spark to life. A legend like Tina Turner doesn’t have a typical vocal range, but has managed to carve out a place in history for herself. The Soulsavers duo creates music that allows them to swap singers in and out while still maintaining their vision. Orianthi is a rocker who is able to take pop music and give it an edge, while Shwayze says things that might be inappropriate, but does so in a way that makes it okay.
Forever Christmas
Two full CDs with all of the songs you grew up listening to and enjoying. What’s more, they’ve all been remixed--not once, but twice!--for the club’s dance floors. There are no silly songs about Frosty or Rudolph, because, let’s face it, dancing up on someone to those songs just would feel dirty. Due to their exclusion, however, some songs end up being repeated.
As you might expect, some songs lend themselves more to being dance remixed. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is an easy candidate--although this version, done by KlubKidz featuring Sam Solace, sounds like it’s trying a little too hard to mimic the gold standard set by Mariah Carey for the song rather than making it their own. Gareth Shortland does exactly that in his version of "Do They Know It’s Christmas."
Between the two CDs, it’s a toss-up between which offers the better versions--the original remixes, or those done by David Strong for the second disc. Regardless, as long as you have a soft spot for holiday music, you’ll be able to find something to dance the night away here.
Orianthi - Believe
Orianthi is an Australian singer and guitar player. She was scheduled to play guitar on the Michael Jackson comeback tour. The gig would have been a big boost for her professionally, serving as a prelude to the release of her new album, Believe. Demonstrating her guitar skills would have been the biggest sell as that is where her talent really lies, reminiscent to a second coming of Lita Ford.
Perhaps the singer knows this, as there are extended electric guitar sessions. The track "Highly Strung" is a three-minute jam session with her and a drummer.
For a majority of the album, Orianthi comes across as an angry, jaded, scorned woman. But she does show a softer side on songs like "Drive Away." However, for every glimpse at that side, there is an equally harder counterpart such as "Think Like a Man."
Orianthi looks and sounds like a pop tart. It’s not until you really listen that you her that it’s evident that she is more closely linked to Carlos Santana or Melissa Etheridge than Britney.
Soulsavers - Broken
It would be easy to mistake Soulsavers as either a Christian Rock band or death metal, based solely on their name and track listing with songs like "Death Bells." But the album is actually filled with melody-rich songs and even intricate instrumentals, like opening track "The Seventh Proof."
To bring their third album, Broken, to the masses, Soulsavers has enlisted a plethora of singing talent. Mark Lanegan is the primary vocalist, and helped with the songwriting, while Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Gibby Haynes of Butthole Surfers and Jason Pierce from Spaceman 3 also lend their talent to the album. Because Rich Machin and Ian Glover, the duo behind Soulsavers, are always in control, they are able to switch out vocalists and still maintain the same feel. They do a better job than Van Halen.
Tina Turner - Tina Live
Performing live in Holland, Tina Turner proves why she is an enduring icon unmatched by any other. For her live album, Turner trawls through her catalogue and pulls out a greatest hits set list.
Many of her signature songs are here, like "What’s Love Got To Do With It," "Private Dancer," and "Proud Mary." Her more recent work is mostly ingnored. One of the more interesting songs included is the Bond theme song, "Goldeneye."
Turner includes a handful of cover songs, taking the lead on songs by the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, and Robert Palmer. In each case she reworks the songs so as not to give off a carbon copy of the popular hits. The beginning of "Let’s Stay Together" is almost unrecognizable at first.
When purchasing Tina Live, you aren’t just getting the audio version; as with most live albums, a DVD of the complete concert is included. Songs appear on the DVD that don’t appear on the CD. While her voice has aged with her so that it doesn’t quite have the bite it used to, this live album proves that she still has it after all these year.
Shwayze - Let It Beat
For his second album, Let It Beat, the Malibu rapper-turned-MTV reality star continues the hijinx with mass-consumption friendly frat boy music. Along with partner in crime Cisco Adler, Shwayze keeps the focus almost strictly on girls and getting high. There isn’t much that you can be offended by because the comments are so over the top.
Much like his hit "Corona and Lime," it’s obvious that they are just having fun. From the cover art of a beach, to songs like "Get U Home," which is really self explanatory, fun is the tone. Shwayze won’t ever rival anyone as the best rapper in the world, but it doesn’t matter because that’s not his goal.
He does show a softer side on "Heart and Soul," which closes out the twelve-song set. Even after spending eleven songs talking about the "Dirty Little Girl," getting sentimental at the end doesn’t feel out of place--and that’s what makes for a great party, being able to mix things up seamlessly.
