THIEVERY CORPORATION
Versions
ESL Music/Caroline
· A fairly comprehensive look at the Washington D.C. dub-a-delic lounge lizards’ re-mix work from the last eight years.
One thing made clear upon opening the psychedelic art deco package for Versions is that esthetics remain the most important consideration for the Thievery Corporation boys. Maybe their past with the secret service trained them to put emphasis on superficial outwards appearances, but for all the beauty and depth of feeling in their productions, there’s not much meat in most of their output. As a result, their marijuana-and-martini musical motif tends to come off only slightly stirred and rarely shaken.
Since they’re often only as strong as their source material, Versions does a good job showing off Thievery Corporation’s skills at thick ’n’ sticky dubification. Take, for example, their reworks of Ustad Sultan Khan’s "Tarana," Astrid Gilberto’s ethereal "Who Needs Forever" or the melancholic de-cheesification of "Herb Alpert" by Lemon Tree for evidence. Their own straight-ahead dub compositions "Originality" and "Revolution Solution" shine brightest, which should come as no surprise since dub is definitely their forte. They also have a killer knack for Latin sounds and will samba you softly all the way to nirvana with Bebel Gilberto on "Cada Beijo."
However, most Indo-Asian-flavoured tracks have the feel of ethnomusicological tourism – especially the ho-hum job done on "Beloved" by Anoushka Shankar and their self-penned snoozer "Shiva." Even their capable remixing of "Khalgi Stomp" can’t attenuate Transglobal Underground’s innate try-hard prescription for pastiche. A few unfortunate appearances drag down the proceedings and Nouvell Vague’s cover of P.I.L.’s "This is Not a Love Song," Sarah McLachlan’s "Dirty Little Secret" and "Strange Days" by The Doors suck. Mainly for the completist fan or the neophyte, Versions is worthwhile for those who don’t already own over half the tracks on previous compilations.
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