All Things Deep - Reviews

Various - Super Breaks

Beat Goes Public has done music fans a huge favor by culling together some of the most sampled songs from their catalog and putting them out on this disc. It's a move sure to break the hearts of hardcore crate-diggers who revel in tracking down the original records, but for those of us who want the source material but are on a budget, it's a true blessing.

Among the classic breaks they've included are Linda Lyndell's "What A Man," the basis of Salt N Pepa's 1994 hit, the Emotions' immortal "Blind Alley," and "EVA" from Jean Jacques Perry. I believe all three were previously unavailable on compact disc. It's also great to see lesser-known talents like Syl Johnson and the Pazant Brothers get their due.

Some of the songs reveal their shortcomings when played at full length. The main guilty party here is a strange version of "Light My Fire," in which Jackie Wilson displays the poor choice of material that dogged his career. And for my money, Fatboy Slim got way more mileage from Camille Yarbrough's lazy "Take Yo' Praise" than the song deserved.

Besides the (mostly) great music, Dean Rudland comes correct with the liner notes, indicating the most famous use of each song along with discographical information. There are also some photos of the records, a nice touch considering the rarity of some of these songs.

Give it up to the Brits again for assembling a package with their customary class and taste for detail.

Released 1999 on Beat Goes Public

Selected Tracks:

The Emotions - Blind Alley
Pazant Brothers - Chick A Boom
Jean Jacques Perry - EVA
Syl Johnson - Different Strokes