The Rebirth Of Cool Series

MINE

This collection remains so good, it's one I have no problem dragging out again and again.  But it's difficult to say exactly what it is.  Acid jazz?  Ambient? Trip-hop?  All of these and more.

The rendition of My Favourite Things (yes, from The Sound of Music) by Ronny Jordan was for many years the theme music to a show I did on community radio.  That's on Volume Three - which I had to re-buy after leaving it in the radio studio one time and having it walk away.  And because of that, I saw Ronny Jordan perform in a small Sydney venue - one of the best jazz guitar performances I've ever seen.

I bought the first album in this collection because it was in the Staff Recommended section of a small music shop I frequented.  And then the rest followed because I couldn't imagine not buying them, the first was so good.  My personal favourite is Phive, but any and all of them are top-notch.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

The Rebirth Of Cool series is one Mine introduced into our collection when we got married. And while I'd heard of it and certainly heard tracks from many of the artists, this compilation series was never really on my radar.

But I'm so glad Mine, in all her infinite wisdom, which I do mean sincerely, had the good taste to purchase the collection because of all the compilations we have (and aside from our perennial favourite, Dusted, and some of the wonderful freebies we've scored from magazines like Mojo and Q over the years) this is by far the best.  But which of the five is top of the list starts fights in our house (okay, it doesn't start fights and if it did, well, I'm a wimp and Mine would probably win all the time).

I really like the first one.  But this is not taking anything away from any of the collections, although I will say this for the compilers: they cast their nets wide for some of these tracks.  But therein is the secret to a good compilation, I believe.  A good compilation has the ability to draw the punter in with a few recognisable names but include damn fine tracks by bands most of us have never heard of and probably will never hear of again.

So, while I could mention names you, dear readers, would recognise, the bombastic part of me wants to name bands you won't know.  Thankfully, I like to think I'm beyond such pretension...  Or maybe saying I'm not means I am...

Erm...

Regardless, there is so much ground to cover if I start naming names, this might well turn into the longest piece I've done for this blog.  But instead, I'll leave it to you to find out for yourselves.  Believe me, it's worth the trouble.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP