"I originally had purchased this as an import single and was not too impressed. The single had two versions of the song and a b-side I didn't care for. This release in the US includes the same songs and some excellent extras to boot, all for less money. There are 4 versions for the title track included which is a techno/trance version of the original song "A Forest" by The Cure. This time the vocal have been re-recorded specifically for this track. The first two versions of the song are very similar, a radio edit and an extended version. The next two tracks are remixes as well, just as enjoyable as the original song but different enough to justify their includion on this CD. The following 3 tracks are B&J b-sides, one is from the original single which I did not care for. The other two are very good examples of what makes trace techno great music. I highly recommend this CD."
Blank & Jones With Robert Smith of The Cure, Imagine That!
The Spastic Fantastic Mighty House | Waltham, Massachusetts, United States, Planet Eart | 07/10/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Funny as this may sound, but a trance single with the vocals of The Cure's Robert Smith actually turned out great! I've never expected anything like this! This must have been one riskae experiment for the German DJ duo Blank & Jones, and the outcome turned out sweet! "A Forest" became an excellent single! Tracks on the EP include the radio edit (referred to as the "Short Cut") and the full length Original Mix. Both tracks are masterpieces! There's also the Vegas Cossmo Remix, a darker remix with the composition from the piano in the default mixes done by synthesizers making it sound like a theme song to some UFO sighting. Other tracks include "Summer Sun," an okay nine and a half minute long club mix, "Flaming June" (this is not a cover up to BT's "FJ"), and "A Night To Remember." I like the vocals in "A Night To Remember." They're dark and monsterish. The EP also comes with a DVD featuring the "A Forest" music video and an interview with Piet Blank, Jaspa Jones, and Robert Smith. Overall, this EP is great! I salute those three guys on their effort. What a sweet single."
Not what i hoped for
D. Cleklinski | new milford, CT. United States | 02/24/2004
(1 out of 5 stars)
"blank and jones just simply did a bad job with robert smith on this. the original versions and the remixes are flat and boring. i won't blame robert on this, his vocals are obviously fine. blank and jones are just not up on whats good these days. their music sounds like something from the 1995 club scene. just nothing original, i have heard it too many times in the past to think this song is some stand out amazing track. if they did this track in 1995, then i would be impressed. so much more could have been done here. if robert smith collaborated with Gabriel & Dresden or Hybrid or even Paul van Dyk, this track would have been something worth playing. even though i am a cure fan (for 18 years now) i don't consider this to be worth adding to my collection."
Generic & uninspired... too bad for such a great song
Kilgore Orangestroke | Scottsdale, AZ | 11/30/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I remember hearing hype about this collaboration a while ago and then nothing... now that I've bought it and heard it, I know why. It's a fairly bland interpretation of the song (Mixed Up's is more creative, driving, and overall, a stronger remix). I agree with the person that said this might have moved on the dance floor back in 95, but today it just sounds flat. I think that maybe B & J didn't want to to step on any toes and unfortunately didn't take the song to any new direction. Basically it's a rough draft that should have served as a sketch pad for something better - there are some definite inklings of interesting ideas in the various mixes but nothing that's carried to fruition. I'm a steady fan of both The Cure and the electronica scene so I'm always open to new ideas & collaborations... but this is kinda forgettable. Get a sample of the song and you'll pretty much get the idea. I'm kinda bummed that I didn't do that myself first. On a positive note, it has given me some ideas to just remix this song myself - and that's always a bonus..."