The Remixes - Carey, Mariah (CD 2003)

This is a sad day for me? Do you guys know why? Well, this is my last Mariah Carey review... :( I know, it's sad, isn't it? As Much as I delayed this, I knew I had to review it someday and someday just finally came. While Mariah is coming out with a new album this fall, I won't be reviewing any Mariah Carey albums until her new album is released. Although, I will review some of her DVD's and things of that nature so be on the lookout for that.
To begin with, this album (or should I say compilation) was too much to review so some tracks are going to go in the garbage, alrighty? ALRIGHTY THEN!

TRACK LISTING: DISK 1
1.My All(Morales MY club mix) 7:09
2.Heartbreaker/If you should ever be Lonely (Junior's Heartbreaker Club Mix) 10:17
3.Fly Away(Buterfly Reprise-Fly Away Club Mix) 9:49
4.Anytime you need a Friend(C&C Club Version) 10:53
5.Fantasy (Def Club Mix) 11:15
6.Honey (Classic Mix) 8:06
7.Dreamlover (Def Club Mix) 10:44
8.Emotions (12" Club Mix) 5:50
9.Through the Rain (HQ2 Radio Edit) 4:08

My All (Morales MY Club Mix)
Starting with some hard patted drums and some sparkling synthesizers in the background, you'd think it was a disco tune! Luckily, it's not, as Mariah starts singing and the beat becomes less dense and more simple. Basically, it's an upbeat version of BUTTERFLY's "My All," only adding a four minute section to it, making the song longer than seven minutes! It's pretty nice to dance to but like always, Mariah ruins the mood with the damn background singers, creating more of a gospel kind of sound. Although, the last two minutes of the song is at its best, where all you hear is the nice produced beat and Mariah repeating: "I'd give my All."

Heartbreaker/If you should ever be Lonely (Junior's Heartbreaker Club Mix)
While more than ten damn minutes, this mix track is much more better than the previous. Some synthesizers, the infamous gospel feel, and of course, Mariah! The song may lose its touch halfway through so once it does, I suggest just skipping it and going onto the next mix THE REMIXES has to offer.

Fly Away(Butterfly Reprise-Fly Away Club Mix)
Almost ten minutes long, "Fly Away(Butterfly Reprise)" from BUTTERFLY was finally remixed, just as I wanted it to be. While starting off boring because a kind of banjo and drums is all you hear, the synthesizers finally kick in after about one minute and thirty seconds, with Mariah's soft voice crooning over it. The gospel feel from the orginal is still there but to a minimum. The original synthesizers from the orginal is also here, starting after three minutes but the lyrics begin near the four minute mark, leaving the song is dead silence (with only the beat playing) until Mariah discovers here nails are fine and she has to start singing! The signature whistle note is soothing, finally heard on the forefront (Unlike the orginal).

Anytime you need a Friend (C&C Club Version)
The original version on MUSIC BOX had a bit of gospel vibe at the chorus, remember? Well, on the C&C Club Version, this is even more so. Starting with a gospel-like chord with the background singers at the beginning, Mariah breaks in, giving yet another great vocal performance. It takes a minute for the beat to pick up the pace but when it does, prepare for some drum banging and sparkling synthesizers foreshadowing them, with Mariah belting the hell out of the song.

Fantasy (Def Club Mix)
Prepare yourself. This remixed version of DAYDREAM's "Fantasy" is not as catchy or fun as the original remix featuring O.D.B. While the siren sound and the echoing drum may attract some into actually listening to the mix, once the lyrics start, you will be very much misleaded. By all means, skip this one. The one's before it were much more enjoyable. And it's longer than ten minutes!!! You get the point, don't you?

Honey (Classic Mix)
I loved BUTTERFLY's "Honey." Especially the video, mainly because it showed Mariah's sexy persona. While the Bad Boy remix was much more enjoyable than the original, this version isn't. The song may sound like a clone of the "My All" remix or the "Fantasy" remix (not the one with O.D.B.) but that's not the case. The song is long, lasting only a bit less than eight minutes but once the lyrics start, the gospel feel and Mariah's belting starts and the synthesizers still being heard in the background. Meanwhile, the word "Honey" is repeated more than fifty times here so be prepared to get REALLY annoyed.

Garbage
Dreamlover (Def Club Mix)
Emotions (12" Club Mix)
Through the Rain HQ2 Radio Edit)

TRACK LISTING: DISK 2
1.Fantasy (remix) featuring O.D.B. 4:52
2.Always be my Baby (Mr.Dupri Mix) featuring Da Brat & Xscape 4:40
3.My All/Stay Awhile (So So Def Remix) featuring Lord Tariw & Peter Gunz 4:44
4.Thank God I Found You/Make it Last Forever (remix) featuring Joe & Nas 5:09
5.Breakdown feat. Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone 4:45
6.Honey (So So Def Mix) featuring Da Brat & JD 5:12
7.Loverboy (remix) featuring Ludacris, Shawna, Da Brat & Twenty II 4:30
8.Heartbreaker (remix) featuring Da Brat & Missy Elliott 4:37
9.SweetHeart w/ JD 4:22
10.CryBaby featuring Snoop Dogg 5:20
11.Miss You featuring Jadakiss 5:09
12.The One (So So Def Mix) featuring Bone Crusher 4:38
13.I Know what you Want w/Busta Rhymes featuring Flipmode Squad 4:11

First off, let's throw the non-remixes in the garbage since we've heard it all before. "Breakdown" on BUTTERFLY and "CryBaby" on RAINBOW and so on. (Excludes "Miss You")

Garbage
"Breakdown" from BUTTERFLY
"SweetHeart" from #1's
"CryBaby" from RAINBOW

To start with, the remix of "Fantasy" featuring O.D.B. was already put on the #1's compilation. Although, this is a remix so of course I'm going to have to exclude it from the garbage! The same goes for "Loverboy" remix, which we all saw on t.v. or if you bothered to buy Mariah Carey's GLITTER (which I thought was great). "Heartbreaker" remix also goes with this set of remixes we've heard before, as it was on the original copy of RAINBOW. No point in explaining these loads of remixes, right?

Okay, so let's start with "Always be my Baby" remix, which was mixed by the one and only, Jermaine Dupri! Some soft drums, some sparkling synthesizers, and a hip-hop feel into the mix and you get this!!! And what's also a change here is that the first voice you hear isn't Jermaine or Mariah but it's Da Brat's. While money has nothing to do with the song (As Da Bray says in the beginning), the song still works as a great piece of hip-hop flavored remix at the close of 1995. The catchy "Do Do Do's" are still there so nothing is really different, except for the different beat and featured guets. The latin strings aren't really present so if you want something TOTALLY different, look here then.

Next up is my favorite remix of all time and it's called "My All/Stay Awhile" and it features Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. At the beginning, Mariah says:

"I told you if Jermaine likes it
THEN I LIKE IT"

And the song goes from there, starting with a hip-hop flavored cut with little synthesizers here and there polishing up the rough but nicely produced beats. The song is relatively catchy and the featured guests make this an even more better experience. So if you don't like featured guests or pure hip-hop, you shouldn't have bought this album. TO HELL WITH IT! You shouldn't have been a Mariah Carey fan in the first place! The background singers do hold back, thankfully, so don't expect any gospel like attributes here.

The next set of remixes are the "Thank God I Found You" remix featuring Joe & Nas and the "Honey" mix featuring Da Brat and JD. The first is "Thank God I Found You/Make it Last Forever" and while it starts soft with a beautifully touched synthesizer that sounds like some sparkling magic effect in an RPG game, don't be misleaded by it because soon enough, a midtempo hip-hop track covers the rest of the song. With Joe's and Mariah's voice blending together nicely and Nas's surprisingly effectionate rap cameo's, "Thank God I Found You/Make it Last Forever" is a nice cut, decent enough to make you want to take a couple of listens before the night ends.
As for the "Honey" mix, which features Da Brat and JD, let's just say it's waaaaaaayyyyyyyyy better than the remix that was on Disk 1. The first thing you hear is some drums, some synthesizers kicking in with JD rapping alongside Da Brat for a mere ten seconds. Mariah's vocals are top notch here, and while the chorus may sound a bit dated, the hip-hop beat covering over the childish synthesizers makes this yet another decent remix in Mariah's belt.

Next up is a track originally recorded for CHARMBRACELET but only released in Japan, if I'm correct. Just like "My All/Stay Awhile, Mariah says the same phone line saying:

"If Jermaine likes it
Then I like it"

Right after, a hip-hop mid-tempo beat strikes in, making this the best beat out of the bunch so far. While Mariah may not sound as heartbroken as the lyrics state, she does sound a bit misguided in her vocals, changing her structure to the low and to the high without thinking and as a result, it doesn't make any emotional or musical sense. Although, Jadakiss's cameo is what saved this track and without him, this track would have been one hell of a boring track! Ths time, the rapper was actually needed.
Speaking of CHARMBRACELET, there was a track on that album that stood out to me and it was called "The One." The guitar break in the middle of the song was the best part and while I did hear there was going to be a remixed version, I wasn't excited. When I hear great songs get turned into remixes, that's usually a saying that they're going to change into bad mixes. There are some exceptions ("Fantasy" or "Thank God I Found You") but "The One" remix is not an exception. While the beginning sounds promising, a hip-hop voice repeating itself and then changing into a slow hip-hop tempo cut, Mariah's vocals sound extremely wanned here. The song is also sooooooo slow compared to the original and to heck with it, this should have been just a ballad!!!! "The One's" remix is a pointless remix.

In conlusion, THE REMIXES wasn't such an enjoyable ride as I though it was. The last track, "I Know what you Want" with Busta Rhymes and the FlipMode Squad, was a great ending for the track, mainly because the compilation did need something catchy and incredibly addicting to listen to. While Mariah may not be center staged as she was on all the other remixes, at least here she finds herself comfortable and not so diva-like. The synthesizers in the song is beautifully done alongside the hip-hip flavor Busta Rhymes is know for and without this, THE REMIXES would have gotten a 2 out of 5. But instead, THE REMIXES gets a 3 out of 5.

Let's backtrack

Garbage
Dreamlover (Def Club Mix)
Emotions (12" Club Mix)
Through the Rain HQ2 Radio Edit)
The One (So So Def Mix) featuring Bone Crusher
Breakdown fron BUTTERFLY
SweetHeart from #1's
CryBaby from RAINBOW

Other Remixes
Fantasy featuring O.D.B.
Loverboy featuring Ludacris, Shawna, Da Brat & Twenty II
Heartbreaker featuring Da Brat & Missy Elliott

GREAT MUSIC TO LISTEN TO:
When you wanna pass the time