VARIOUS ARTISTS



Album Title: Mayfield Remixed: The Curtis Mayfield Collection
Producer(s): Various
Genre: R & B
Label/Catalog Number: Rhino/R2 79542
Source: Billboard.com
Originally Reviewed: March 16, 2005


Theme remix records, depending on what day of the week it is, are either a novel means by which to re-introduce classic grooves to a fresh generation or a quick cash-in that boils down the motif "house beats on old songs." Sometimes, they work magnificently; witness Madlib's access to the Blue Note catalog, which resulted in the impressive "Shades of Blue."

But this one bats around .300, which is good for baseball, bad for "Remixed," in which caramel-voiced crooner Mayfield is given a vaguely house-y update by the likes of Maurice Joshua, Louie Vega and Mixmaster Mike.

This is occasionally fun but mostly forgettable stuff, even on the classics such as Mike's spiffy but ultimately middling retooling of "Pusherman" and Vega's update of "Superfly." Grandmaster Flash hits better with his old-school-inflected "We're A Winner," which, like many tracks here, sports a fine groove but goes on too long.