Search - Kings of Convenience :: Versus

Who wouldn't like this?

Kevin Bourrillion | Mtn View, CA, USA | 12/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I see I'm not the first person who was a little shall-we-say skeptical of the concept. I mean, really. Electronica remixes of acoustic folk lullabyes? Does it get any more gimmicky?Yea, all signs pointed to "save your money" on this one. But deep down I wanted to believe. I knew that a concept like this really could make for wonderful music, if only it was done right. With taste, with imagination, with respect for the source material -- I mean, it could be really good! Couldn't it?So, with a little trepidation, I purchased Versus. I bought it used, so as to limit my losses. And what do you know.It's better than I'd even hoped. My wife loves it too -- we even found that the baby will stop crying when we put it on. She just stares at the speakers with an expression halfway between awestruck and dumbstruck.We love it so much that we were hesitant to buy the original versions ("Quiet is the New Loud") until just recently. I figured they would seem empty to us. Wrong again. Blown away again. But that's a subject for a different review.I can go back and forth between this and QitNL without any of that jarring feeling -- you know, like when you hear an old song that your favorite band covered once, and you're so used to the cover that something always seems to be missing, and you can't stop noticing its absence? Well, none of that. It's like each of the artists brings such a new vision to their track that they created a whole new song altogether. Almost all of them, anyway.Maybe if I'd bought QitNL first it would be different. I don't know. I say, get this one first. It's a little more "hooky".There is a bit of repetition. Personally, I would have chosen just one of the "Failure" mixes; they're just too similar. Not so with the two versions of "Leaning Against The Wall." They're very different and both fantastic and both fit in well. And Four Tet coming back again at the end? Love it. Can't get enough of that one.Usually I try to explain "if blah blah, then you'll like this, and if blah blah blah, then you may not." But I don't really know what kind of music fan wouldn't like this disc. I don't know, your mother, maybe. If you see a one-star review ever show up here one day, your mother is suspect."

More innovative than the source

Chad A. Lauterbach | Los Angeles, CA USA | 01/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a day where there are so many good remixes of horrible songs, and horrible remixes of great songs, this album finally brings us a real treat. This is masterful; a piece that should be viewed as a model for what remixes of folk should look like. The artists on this disc recognized the essence and soul of the music it is derived from and the experience this creates is an even more passionate rendition of the same emotions of the first album. Taking the brilliant originals, recognizing the reason they exist as their own exceptional works, and reworking them to make those points even more prominent.Gold for the Price of Silver, Toxic Girl, and Weight of My Words are highlights for me. I hope this album is viewed as a model, and purchased in the same volume as the first album is. If you like Quiet is the New Loud, you must listen to this. If you like folk and electronic music this is a must own."

Lush

Chad A. Lauterbach | 01/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard a sound bite of "Gold for the Price of Silver" on NPR a couple weeks ago. Then I read that this album had "Beautiful songs for the post-club, chill-out crowd". So I bought it. Now I think the eject button on my car's CD player is worthless."