[.ca] Back to Mine

What's this?:
Strange, strange album. Yes, it's a "Back to Mine" album, but its still an odd collection of tracks. The disc is all over the board. Truly, it sounds like a collection your 40-yr old uncle would put together. Yes, the songs, by themselves, are all classics in their own right. But do they flow here? Not really. Do they create a "vibe" that has anything remotely to do with Underworld. No. Buy this album if you want a decent mix tape of a wide range of musical styles - put together by Underworld. Don't buy it because you like Underworld music.

Great mixtape album by my favourite musicians:
Not as godlike as Underworld's own albums, but still a fine listen. Personally I enjoy B Movie and the techno tracks on side one.

Good collection of songs, wrong series?:
Isn't the whole premise of BACK TO MINE based on "turn the lights down, pour yourself a drink, and kick back.."? Where EBTG, Faithless, Groove Armada, and Nick Warren have brought us just that--an incredible mix of "kick back" music great from beginning to end, this is more like a mix tape a friend would make you. You listen to it once and then you find yourself skipping through the tracks to find a song that you like. And forget chilling to it--too jarring. I love Underworld.. and all in all, a great sample of their influences. It's not nearly as bad as Orbital's BTM effort, but still doesn't do the rest of the series justice.

Good Collection of Tracks. Not a Mix:
This is the CD to get so you can experience the myriad of influences Underworld draws from in their own music. They say within the liner notes, some tracks were just too good to alter and mix with the next. That is why I had to knock one star off this comilation, it doesn't have the flow from one track to the next until your into the middle of the CD. While I love Underworld's works without Darren Emerson, this CD makes me wonder what would have been if he we're still in the group. Would they have taken the chance to mix those key influential tracks?

A visit to the underworld:
What a cool album. Quirky and delightful, though there's some tracks ripe for the skippin'. This is what the Back to Mine series is about - getting back to inspiration and influence. This album does not disappoint.

• Gil Scott Heron - B-Movie
• TLC - Creep
• Doctor Octagon - Bear Witness
• Rave Signal - Horse Power
• Remy and Sven - Piano Power
• Fuse V LFO - Loop
• Toots and The Maytals - 54-46
• LTJ Bukem - Music
• Depeche Mode - Barrel of a Gun
• Aphex Twin - Didgeridoo
• Dead Prez - Hip Hop
• Ali Farka Toure - Machengoidi
• Tartit - Buloululba
• D’Angelo - Brown Sugar
• Gregory Isaacs - Public Eyes