Search - Tobymac :: Renovating Diverse City (Dig)

If "Momentum" got one, than "Diverse City" should have one t

phenomenon101 | USA | 07/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A few years ago in 2001, the members of dc Talk decided to go solo, which had Toby Mckeehan (p.k.a. TobyMac) releasing his scarily popular debut album "Momentum". The popularity seemed to go over like a wave...suddenly, everyone was in love with it. The next year, it was decided that "RE:mix Momentum" would be released; an album with remixes of almost all the songs from "Momentum". Later in 2004, Toby returned with the absolutely brilliant "Welcome To Diverse City", which was getting rave reviews and huge popularity (it's even better than Momentum, if that's possible). After a while, many fans (including myself) automatically began to think, "so, what about "Diverse City" remixes?". Obviasly, our expectations have been heard, and here we have "Renovating Diverse City". Well, let's be ready to see the how the music has been managed...



The Slam (David Wyatt): To my surprise, I actually really like this! It's not as loud/heavy as the original, but it's very nice! It has some very nice background vocals and piano. I honestly NEVER would have thought "The Slam" could have fallen under the category of "almost beautiful", but I guess that's what remixes are about; being different.



Getaway Car (Chris Stevens): For some reason, I never was really a huge fan of this song. I didn't even like this remix at first, but now when I think about it, I like it a lot better than the original! In some places, it's a bit heavier than the original, and in other places, a bit smoother. Not a huge stand-out track, but good enough for me.



Catchafire (Matt Bronleewe): I have always been a major fan of this song. I was so sure that this remix was going to be awful (which tends to happen on a lot of my favorite songs), but I guess it's pretty good! It has more of a dancable beat, and it has cool background effects. In some places the beat begins to remind me of Gwen Stefani's hit single "Rich Girl".



Burn For You (Chris Stevens): Alright, I really love this! I love the background vocals and the new sounds. This remix gives the song a much more mysterious feel, but it's still brilliant! I recommend this one. Very excellent! The album is starting to get much better now! Yep, it's on!



Hey Now (David Wyatt): This one is pretty excellent, in my opinion! The sound is very fun and bright. It's becoming hard for me to decide if I prefer the remix or the original.



Gone (Tedd T): I was actually pretty afraid this one would turn out pretty bad, and I'm afraid I was right. It has more of a Hip-Hop/Reggae feel. The idea is nice, but it didn't seem to work out. It can't touch the original. This is the only let down after the album gets good. But anyway, try the original instead.



Diverse City (Tedd T): I already loved the original, but I love the remix much better! It's VERY fun and dancable. It has much more of an old disco feel. This is a perfect pick-up after the previous track was a bit of a let-down. As far as I can tell, the CD is on again! I may have to warn you that this song is very addictive!



Ill-M-I (Doubledutch): To tell the truth, I've never really liked this song. It was a bit to weird for my taste. But the remix has given it a much better sound and feel! I'm liking it a lot!



Phenomenon (Max Hsu): In my opinion, the original and the remix are almost equally good. I like the way they made this version a bit faster and a bit more rocked out. The bass sounds awesome, the guitars are way cool, and the background vocals sound great (they sound like they're done by Kierra Kiki Sheard). As cool as this one is, I still think the original is the most phenomenal (no pun intended).



Atmosphere (Victor "Pete" Oquendo): Well, this is kind of good, though I'm afraid it just can't touch the original. It's nice and all, but it just doesn't have that same "wow" effect. It's alright, but I highly recommend going for the original.



Burn For You (math remix - bonus track): This one sounds a bit more like the original. It's very good, and it turns the CD back on just in time for the end. However, I like the other remix just a little better.



So, did the songs find their way into the hands of the right remixers? Mostly yes, but just a little bit of no. I actually have enjoyed this album very much, and might even like to buy sometime. Here's my number 1 opinion: Not as good as "Welcome To Diverse City", but better than the "Momentum" remixes."

WOW!!!!

12/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i love this music!!! It has a very good beat, and good lyrics.

i want this CD!"