A music fan and dancer from CA
07/10/2000
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I'm very disappointed in this cd. I had expected the same style of remixes of original artists as is in the Jive Bunny "The Album" (which is excellent and I highly recommend). This cd is distinctively not original artists more like some local band. Some of the mixes are not blended well either and even a couple of the same songs from this cd sounds poorly different than Jive Bunny "The Album"."
The closest thing to a definitive Greatest Hits album
Jon | Scotland | 03/21/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To coincide with the 10th anniversary of the original "Swing The Mood" club mix being released, the original Master Mixers got back together again (for the first time in eight years) to produce what's more-or-less a 'Greatest Hits' album. Not only is the listener treated to an album of high quality, we also get to witness just how far 'Jive Bunny' has progressed (musically) over the years. And no-one should be disappointed.Some listeners have been because several of Jive Bunny's early - and more successful - tracks have been remixed and are pale in comparison to the original versions. I am one of them. Still, because of the difficulty of obtaining licenses to release these megamixes, the Master Mixers were given no option but to create new versions by using uncredited - and in some cases mediocre - artists. Even so, lets review this album for what it is and not compare it with other Jive Bunny CDs."Hop Around The Clock" begins with the self-titled megamix featuring many classic rock n' roll tracks. In the same vein as the content of "Swing The Mood" and "That's What I Like", Jive Bunny takes us back to that golden era when popular music was still in it's infancy. However, you'd be wrong to think this is another 'back to the 50s' albums, as track two shows us a new side to the 'Bunny'. "Fun At The Flicks" is a megamix devoted to some of the BIGGEST movies since the 70s. Songs lifted from the soundtracks of such classic movies as, "Grease", "Saturday Night Fever", "Dirty Dancing", "The Full Monty" and "The Commitments" appear on this megamix, and some of the original artists sing too! "That's What I Like" is another alternative version, but with the exception of a new "Hawaii 5-0" sample being used (and it sounds suspiciously like the original t.v theme), it's the same as the 1989 original. However, and this is what I think most who don't like these 'remixes' fail to understand, this is the shortened 'radio edit'. "Glamtastic", a tribute to 70s Glam Rock follows. This is similar to "Do You Wanna Rock" from the first Jive Bunny album, but only better! "Swing The Sixties" is yet another lacklustre tribute to that great decade. (Why does Jive Bunny have such difficulty mixing 60s tracks?). But nothing can prepare us from the utterly shambolic "Hot Summer Salsa Medley". This is undeniably the WORST Jive Bunny track EVER recorded.At least the CD picks up with the next track, "Jive Bunny Goes To Motown". Marking a tribute to that wonderful record label, the success of this track led to an album being made - and if you have the slightest bit of interest in soul music, I highly recommend that to you. "Can Can You Party", Jive Bunny's last BIG British single, sees the Master Mixers move away from the 50s and more to the 70s. My only gripe is this is the 7" radio edit. "Disco Stomper", dedicated to those classic dance tracks from the mid-late 70s is guaranteed to get any party pumpin'! CD One concludes with the "Rock N'Roll Beethoven" medley, which in all fairness is best avoided.CD Two is my favourite disc. It begins with a remixed version of "Rock N Roll Party Mix" found on Jive Bunny's debut album. This was released in the UK in February 1990 under the title "That Sounds Good To Me". As a matter of interest, the Master Mixers heavily sampled John Belushi's, "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" on this megamix....a shameless promotion to tie-in with the re-release of the 'Blues Brothers' video! "Pop Back To The 70s" - my favourite track on the CD - is a fantastic, if not eclectic mix of 70's pop music. Highlight's include, "Baker Street", "Beautiful Sunday" and "Love Is In The Air". Why this was never released as a single, I'll never know. However, much like "Jive Bunny Goes To Motown", the success of this megamix led to it being created into an album."Crazy Party Dances" will appeal to young kids, but instantly forgettable for the more mature listener! The new version of "Swing The Mood" - which seems to have sparked so much controversy - is up next. Not as memorable as the original, but it's not as bad as some would lead you to believe. "Rock The Party" - another megamix turned into an album - is a very interesting track indeed. Imagine classic rock tracks backed with an electronic drum beat, and you have an idea what I mean. It sounds terrible, but is actually quite good (so is the album it turned into). There is a little gripe though: some of these 'artists' sound absolutely nothing like who they're supposed to be (ie: Axl Rose). Enjoyable though. Another mediocre 60s mix, "Party Animals" follows, although this is more a karaoke mix than anything else. "Lets Swing Again" - a poor attempt to re-create "Swing The Mood" - appears here which was Jive Bunny's last notable UK single release. You can't help but conjure up thoughts of summer when you hear "Reggae Holiday". I'm not really a fan of that music, but this is surprisingly good. "Mix Up The 80s" - the fourth megamix to be made into an album - is another megamix that should've been released as a single. And because I was involved in this megamix, I can't help but to praise it enough!! The 2.5 hour musical journey ends on a whimper with the instantly forgettable "Rock N Roller" medley (it's some guy pretending to be Jerry Lee Lewis....more like Jerry Lewis, but there you have it!).I'm surprised that so many have a low opinion of this compilation as it takes Jive Bunny away from the rock n' roll period (which in all honesty was becoming rather stale). Nevermind, this is probably Jive Bunny's last BIG album, and all I can say is if you're planning a party, but want to play something different, you can't go wrong buying "Hop Around The Clock"..."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1