No, I’m not starting this review telling you how I really tried to be unbiased and how I tried to really like this record, a statement that always is followed by a roasting. But, alas, I’ve assumed it already here that this may not be a great nor a good album. In fact, this is on the whole a disaster. The only remixer here that’s doing Curtis and the message of his songs justice is Ashley Beedle with his version of Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here (which originally appeared on the Soundtrack album to Short Eyes) and with a few deductions Little Louie Vega with his version of Superfly, although Curtis’ voice sounds a little pitched on this remix.
The world can really do without a four on the floor house mix of Move On Up. And Eric Kupper gets some fat bad points for this trash. Even worse is Grandmaster Flash’s hip hop version of We’re A Winner including a meaningless talking on the intro. Neither King Britt nor one of my favourite remixers/house producers Blaze deliver an inspiring version and they both lose some credibility for me with the rather hideous results. The horror continues with Maurice Joshua’s version of If There’s A Hell Below We’re All Gonna Go and horrible versions of We Got To Have Peace and People Get Ready that just sounds like Eddie Baez and Stonebridge thought “let’s just lay a house beat under Curtis vocals…why bother with the melody or the music’s message”. Mixmastermike doesn’t save anything, in fact his scratched electro version of Pusherman is the crappiest piece of a remix I have heard in a long time.
So what the hell was Rhino Records intention behind this? And why on earth did any of the remixers involved participated at all? Is it really all because of the money? There are a few things you just don’t do even if you have some money to waste. Or is it that major record labels (Rhino is part of the Warner Bros. empire) finally have run out of ideas or the need to discover new artists?
I wouldn’t be so annoyed about this project if Rhino had just released a simple 12″ with the two remixes of Ashley Beedle and Little Louie Vega, that would’ve been fine and there wouldn’t be a problem. But this is just lousy. If there’s A Hell Below, I’ve already been there while listening to this album. Better save your money and buy the original Curtis Mayfield albums!

Tracklisting of Mayfield : Remixed - The Curtis Mayfield Collection: 1. Superfly (Little Louie Vega EOL Mix)/ 2. Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here (Ashley Beedle Re-Edit)/ 3. Move On Up (Eric Kupper Vocal Mix)/ 4. We’re A Winner (Grandmaster Flash Remix)/ 5. Little Child Runnin’ Wild (King Britt Scuba Mix)/ 6. Freddie’s Dead (Blaze Roots DJ Mix)/ 7. If There’s A Hell Below We’re All Going to Go (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul Mix)/ 8. We Got to Have Peace (Eddie Baez Laid Back Mix)/ 9. People Get Ready (Stonebridge Club Remix)/ 10. Pusherman (MixMasterMike Pusher’s Nephew Mix) | released 2005 by Rhino Records

For more infos visit rhino.com.

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