|
MARK RONSON Version (Sony BMG) |
 YOU might not have heard of Mark Ronson, but that's because he generally prefers working behind the scenes not because he's bad at what he does. Far from it -- he's the turntablist/producer responsible for two of last year's best Britpop releases, albums from Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse, and Version is one of this year's most easily recommendable records. It's quite a departure from his debut solo release, which featured rap and rock stars lending vocals to his own compositions. This time around, Ronson has assembled an eclectic, all-star cast of musicians that breathe new life into relatively modern British pop/rock. The Daptone Horns lend themselves well to Coldplay's God Put a Smile on Your Face, while lily Allen turns Oh My God from a Kaiser Chiefs album into something that wouldn't sound out of place on her own next album. Amy Winehouse's delicious turn on Valerie (originally by The Zutons) is probably the standout, but there's also Toxic -- Ronson's metamorphosis of this number is jaw-drop- ping, as he turns a dire Britney bop into a dark treacly track that's immediately arresting. likewise, Phantom Planet more than does justice to Radiohead's Just, while Kasabian helps out with vocals on their own song, L.S.F. Sure, there are missteps - in particular, the atrocious Pretty Green (originally by The jam, covered by Santo Gold) - but Ronson' production of most numbers has the album magnificently seguing from song to song on a bed of horns and luxuriant beats, making the familiar fresher than it ever has been. |
|
|
