Celebrating ten years of putting the big beat smackdown to the dancefloor,
Off the Wall collects the best of Wall of Sound's sweaty, fun, and hip releases. Since the label launched the careers of
Röyksopp,
the Propellerheads, and
les Rythmes Digitales, there's plenty of great music to pick from. Disc one collects the big tunes, unmixed. Killer cuts like "Eple," "Start the Commotion," and "What's Going On" show how quick the label could turn cutting-edge dance music into massive hits, and it's nearly overwhelming to listen to it all back to back. Legends like
Nik Kershaw,
Roxanne Shanté, and
Mos Def join the party but
Neneh Cherry beats them all on her slinky version of
Guns n' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine," with
Akasha. Disc two ups the ante by featuring remixes by everyone from
Ashley Beedle to
Groove Armada.
Alex Gifford from
the Propellerheads does an excellent job of blending the second disc into a loud and crazy mix CD that's worth the price alone.
–
David Jeffries, Rovi