Dannii Minogue's new comeback with a compilation... :(

I have just learned that Danni Minogue was going to come back with a brand new CD on 23rd of August, but it will only be with a new compilation album, This is it : the very best of, which will include only one single unreleased new track... :( Better than nothing I suppose but she's really a lazy people !! Her last studio albums is Neon nights from... 2003 ! Since then, she has only released compilations or revamped deluxe re-releases, or unreleased/demos compilations (Unleashed, The 1995 Sessions, The early years)... that I have all bought, and I will undoubtly buy this new one too, but come on, Dannii, make yourself a real recording deal with Warner for a full new studio album made of 100% hitsingle potential tracks and give it to us ASAP ! We need it... I Need it ! The whole world needs it !

This fourth Best of collection (The Singles in 1998, The Hits & Beyond in 2006, and Club Disco in 2007) covers all her carrier in chronological order and finishes with her duet with sister Kylie of 2008, The winner takes it all that appeared on the TV series Beautiful People soundtrack, and 'Coz you're beautiful, a new song penned with a spanish star in the making she coached on X-Factor. The CD version forgets 3 singles, This is the way, Get into you and Touch me like that to end at 21 tracks and it's a shame, especially the latter, which deserved its place over Show me the way to go if you ask me... But the digital version offers all 24 singles, except this tracklisting still forgets some singles : Love's on every corner, Everlasting night, Come and get it and I can't sleep at night as well as the two collaborations with Eurogroove... The cover artwork looks like it is in fact a low-budget compilation so I didn't expect to see hard licensing nor full completist tracklisting so all in all, it's not that bad I suppose !

Dannii Minogue's latest cash-in old material release

It's been some weeks since I have received and listened to Dannii Minogue's latest CD and I knew from the start I would post about it. There is no other reason than this one : The 1995 Sessions is pure pop at its best and I don't care it's a cash-in compilation for her fans of unreleased demos from 1994/1995 : it sounds so good and better than most of the music released nowadays !



Forget about the bad-looking silver cover or the atrocious name of the album, what's in store is a re-mastered collection of 12 demo recordings (+1 remix) Dannii intended for her third album back in 1995 after Get into you but that never got released because of a disagreement between her and MCA Records.
Strange enough is the list of collaborators on these songs as some of them had worked with sister Kylie around the same time (Rapino Brothers, Charlie Mole, One World) for her first DeConstruction album, but most of these were not included on the final CD...
I always find it a pain in the ass to think of all the recorded material those stars keep on studio tapes and unreleased while all fans would kill to get it to listen to. These could be used as B-Sides/bonus tracks or be compiled like Dannii does every two year on albums like Unleased or this one. Now I dream Kylie does the same too. But let's get back to The 1995 Sessions.

Free your love starts the tracklisting with ease as it is a winning anthem with strong chorus and melody and eurodance arrangements. It is the first of the two songs co-written and produced by the Rapino Brothers and its perfection leads the extended mix to be included to end the CD on track 13 too.
Next is another first of two collaborations but with the Ollie J/Rollover team this time. I mostly know their works for Bianca Kinane/Peter André and Skin deep sounds a lot more eurodance than their usual R&B influenced dance/pop. Oh how I like on this one the 90's sounding keyboards ! It reminds me of how much I miss this cheesy handbag (aka house/garage Loveland sound-a-like) nowadays. It makes me feel people of the 2000's will find it very dated too. But not me!
Love and affection follows and the sounds are even more struck in the 90's as it sounds like a Get into you reject, with a very poppy melody. This song is pure cheese, but very sweet, nearly PWL-ish. It has nice vocoderized singalongs too and more synthesized strings and piano that makes me think of M People classics too. This succession of good old days' anthems make me feel like I'm 15 years younger, dancing hands in the air at G-A-Y's Astoria Theatre again...
Let love into your life is another winner, produced by Tom Fredericks this time, and it shares the same dance energy and handbag arrangements of the previous tracks while uncredited backing vocalists add more house power to this song.
Next comes a song all Dannii fans know damn well for Everlasting night is one of her non-album singles, originally released in Australia in 1999 after a famous performance at the gay & lesbian aussy Pride march Mardi Gras 1999. The version included is the original version of it, produced by Mike Percy & Tim Lever, and I think their version, if less anthemic, sounds more orgasmic, with a chorus less repetitive too, than Ian Masterson & Trouser Enthusiasts' 1999 remix.
A soft intro seems to slow it down but it is only a teaser for the absolute brilliance of Crazy (for your love). This second (of three in a row) One World production is pop perfection to my ears and I can't get it out of my head. Of all the songs included on The 1995 Sessions, it's the one that I've picked up and included in my current iPod hits list. I think I like this one best because, in truth, it sounds like a post-PWL song sister Kylie could have recorded...
Take my time loving you keeps the hiNRG-etic beats and catchy poppy chorus and I'm glad Mike & Tim, for these sessions, have made it without the outrageous rock guitar that spoiled the original version of Get into you. They've only kept what made This is it fabulous.
Now it's time for the other Rapino Brothers track and it sounds like it could have been kept for the 1997 Girl album. Love in me is a little more laid-back, though still dance, than the previous tracks included. It has a nice sax or trumpet gimmick with a sleazy feelin' to the verses while the pre-chorus and chorus makes it more uplifting.
Exclusively keeps the BPM on the downside, or more on the R&B side of pop than on the eurodance one for sure. It sounds more like I remembered the Rollover productions sounded in fact. Not a track I'd love to listen to in repeat but it's nice enough and it only lasts 2'27 so it's only fair not to skip it ;).
The tempo keeps on slowing down with the two following Terry Ronald & Charlie Mole songs/productions. Love will find a way first, is reminiscent of the Soul II Soul beat and of Dannii's first album smooth tracks to me. It would have sounded out of place within the tracks that opened the CD but now, near the end, it's OK... Don't wanna leave you now then is a pure ballad, first of the album, only fingersnaps giving some rhythm to the song. Most of the time, that would mean boring to me, but thankfully for it, the chorus has a nice uplifting melody. That doesn't save this 4'47 song, though. This is not the Dannii I love.
Last before the remix is the original DNA produced version of Coconut, before it gor remixed as a bonus track on Girl. I've never been in love with this song, with its repetitive lyrics and melody and the production here really sounds like a rough demo of what it'd become two years further on. Dannii's vocals have never sounded so bad as in the highly pitched bits before the end : she sounds as if under helium !

In final, it is not a bad album, I adore the 7 first songs and would only pass on two near the end. But I do feel it could have been better... After all, it is a demos compilation so what's up with this poor tracklisting ? Where is the Love To Infinity produced Got this feeling ? They even could have included the Eurogroove collaborations of these times Rescue me and Boogie woogie for good measure. I feel Dannii has still got unreleased gemms on her side for next time... And I CAN'T WAIT !!!!


If, like me, you can't get enough of good ol' Dannii, another must-have is her latest re-issues, the deluxe editions of her first two albums.
If the Love and kisses doubleCD focuses on remixes and only adds the B-side Hallucination on the original tracklisting, the Get into you doubleCD enlists 4 bonuses to the original 13 tracks album, Feel's so good (a Steve 'Silk' Hurley production), Hold on, If you're in love and It's time to move on (This is it's Cassette B-Side), with a second CD full of remixes too. Only No secret (This is the way's B-Side) is missing...



Shall I finally say all three releases come with beautiful 24 pages deluxe booklets with lyrics and photos and THAT really makes a difference in these days of digital music ...You ought to buy these in CDs !

Welcome to Dannii Minogue’s Club Disco

November 2007 is Minogue Sisters' month !

Before Kylie releases her critics acclaimed new single 2 Hearts & album X,

Before Dannii releases her stunning new single with Jason Nevins Touch me like that,

Danni's old record companies are releasing 4 (FOUR ! QUATRE ! VIER ! QUATTRO !) albums ! .

- a re-release of her 1997 Girl album on a 2CD set including all unreleased tracks & remixes,

CD1
01. All I Wanna Do
02. Heaven Can Wait
03. So In Love With Yourself
04. Am I Dreaming?
05. Everybody Changes Underwater
06. Everything I Wanted
07. It It Moves – Dub It
08. Disremembrance
09. It's Amazing
10. Movin' Up (Extended Mix) *
11. Keep Up With The Good Times *
12. Someone New (Radio Edit) *
13. Coconut
14. All I Wanna Do (Trouser Enthusiasts Radio Edit) *
15. Everything I Wanted (Xenomania Radio Edit)
16. Disremembrance (Trouser Enthusiasts Radio Edit) *
CD2
01. All I Wanna Do (12" Extended Mix)
02. Everything I Wanted (Xenomania 12" Club Mix)
03. Heaven Can Wait (Trouser Enthusiasts Cloud Nine Mix)
04. Disremembrance (Full Orchestral 12" Mix) *
05. All I Wanna Do (Qattara's Club Mix)
06. Everything I Wanted (Jupiter 6 Soul Surround Mix)
07. Disremembrance (Twyce As Nyce 1:40AM Club Mix) *
08. Movin' Up (Getting Harder Mix) *
09. Keep Up With The Good Times (Xenomania 12" Mix) *
10. All I Wanna Do (Tiny Tim & The Mekon Dream Dub) *

- a re-release of her 2003 Neon Nights album on a 2CD set including all unreleased tracks & remixes just like the previous one,
CD1
01. Put The Needle On It
02. Creep
03. I Begin To Wonder
04. Hey! (So What)
05. For The Record
06. Mighty Fine
07. On The Loop
08. Push
09. Mystified
10. Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
11. Vibe On
12. A Piece Of Time
13. Who Do You Love Now? (Radio Edit)
14. Come And Get It (Radio Version) *
15. Nervous
16. Just Can't Give You Up *
17. Hide And Seek
18. Don't Wanna Lose This Groove (Radio Edit)
19. Est-Ce Que Tu M'Aimes Encore?
20. Goodbye Song
21. It Won't Work Out (Acoustic Version) *
CD2
01. Don't Wanna Lose This Groove (Extended Version)
02. Begin To Spin Me Round (Extended Version)
03. Who Do You Love Now? (Riva's Bora Bora Club Mix)
04. Put The Needle On It (Jason Nevins Freak Club Creation Mix)
05. Hide And Seek (Thriller Jill Original Extended Mix) *
06. Come And Get It (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix) *
07. Put The Needle On It (Tiga's Cookies Dub)
08. Creep (Jon Dixon Club Mix) *
09. I Begin To Wonder (Almighty Transensual Club Mix) *
10. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Vocal Mix)
11. Come And Get It (Sharam Jey Remix) *
12. Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jupiter Ace Speared Thru The Heart Mix) *

- a budget compilation Unleashed of unreleased songs & mixes,

01. All I Wanna Do (Innocent Girl Mix) *
02. Blame It On The Music *
03. Spend Your Love On Me *
04. Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jewels & Stone Radio Edit) *
05. Going Going Gone *
06. Everything I Wanted (Metro 7'' Mix)
07. Undeniable *
08. No Romeo *
09. Hide And Seek (Original Thriller Jill Version) *
10. Hurt In Love *
11. Who Do You Love Now? (Riva's Bora Bora Edit)
12. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Vocal Edit)
13. Come And Get It (Alternative Radio Cut) *
14. Begin To Spin Me Round (Radio Edit)
15. Love Me Like This *
16. Bad Weather *
17. Invitation *
18. It Won't Work Out (Ross Cullum Single Mix) *
19. (iTunes Bonus) Viva L'Amour *

- an album intended for release in 2006 Club Disco but shelved for her The Hits & beyond compilation by AATW Records and now available for download only, though most of it was made available on her best of or as singles' Bonus tracks

01. Feel Like I Do
02. Perfection (Extended Version)
03. You Won't Forget About Me
04. Love Fight
05. I'm Sorry *
06. Gone
07. So Under Pressure
08. Good Times (Remix)
09. Sunrise
10. He's The Greatest Dancer (LMC Radio Edit)
11. I Can't Sleep At Night
12. I Will Come To You *
13. I've Been Waiting For You
14. Round The World *
15. Do You Believe Me Now? (with Roger Sanchez) *
16. Xanadu *
17. You Won't Forget About Me (Afterlife Lounge Mix)
18. I Can't Sleep At Night (Afterlife Lounge Mix)

* all unreleased songs/mixes

Needless to say I've already bought my Club Disco and Unleashed albums and I'll save the remastered & expanded double CDs for later this month...
There are too many good CDs releases these days for my money in my pocket... (Kylie, Dannii, Celine Dion, BWO, Ari Gold, Peter Wilson, Melissa Mars, September, Worlds Apart, Alan Connor, Sugababes, Freemasons, Booty Luv, Jenifer, Roisin Murphy, E-Type, Britney Spears, Westlife, Jennifer Lopez, Boyz II Men, ...and there's still more to come with Madonna, Young Divas, Delta Goodrem, Jackie 'O', Florent Pagny, Seal, Spice Girls, Shayne Ward, Paul Oscal, Craig David, Girls Aloud, Ian Levine's Disco 2008, Da Buzz, Cyril, Colton Ford... !)