Customer Reviews

Moby Songs: 1993-1998

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I found this CD to be pleasant, soothing, unobtrusive background music. I enjoyed "Play" and other of Moby's work; however, I found this CD to be to be the equivalent of sonic wallpaper - it's there, but it is meant to fade into the background.

Moby's "Songs" is basically a collection of some minor work from his stint with Elektra, and as such, is an album that should not have been made. Moby as an artist is overrated to begin with, so a trip into "Songs" is especially unnecessary.

To begin with, Songs opens with "First Cool Hive", a track that is very reminiscent of the most repetitive and irritating elevator music of Enigma, a band which has become nothing but the butt of jokes. There was some hope that the album would improve as "Go" and "Into The Blue", the two most tolerable tracks on the album came on, but they still offered very little for an appreciator of music to sink his or her teeth into. Things head back downwards as sappy, unoriginal tracks like "Anthem" and bad party music tracks like the despicable "I like to Score" and the weak "Feeling So Free" started playing from my stereo. Moby seems to be trying to serve boring and pretentious music to fans that haven't bothered to try the better Stereolab albums over Moby's predictable, one layered collection of songs. In fact, the whole album feels like shallow, predictable, and uninteresting music by a minor talent. That's to bad, because Moby at his best offers up some hypnotically catchy tracks, especially when a talented vocalist backs him up, but then again, Moby at his best is few and far between, and Moby at his worst dominates in Songs.

Those who like music that doesn't challenge them to listen can add a star, and if the purchaser of the album also wants no more than a nice piano segment or a little background music while they read can add an additional star. Those who seek originality and creativity in their music can take the last star away.

I hate techno, rave, dance music, etc...but I have found Moby's mobysongs quite interesting. I slip over the dancy, techno tracks and go to the ambient tracks. Here is where Moby connects. He is kind of like the modern version of Brian Eno with a pop flair. In fact, I wish he would become more Enoish and drop the dancy stuff altogether! Mobysongs is a good place to start for someone new to Moby like myself as is the similarly interesting (for the same reasons) Play. Give it a listen.

Actually I am close in rating this as 5 stars..but the problem is that "the other" Moby's masterpiece aside from GOD MOVING OVER THE FACE OF WATER, the poignantly delicious LOVE THEME ( from I Like to Score album) is nothing to be found.How on earth that Elektra conceived this compilation without consulting the essence in Moby's complex and soothing soundscape.
Guess they just wanna capitalize of compilations,ironically LOVE THEME is a real brilliant soundtrack-instrumentambient guitar string 1005 blissfull music,but as I have written,the producers miss the point.Well, they got me, because I bought this one.At least I got all the Moby albums...I mean ALL!!!
Waiting for Moby's next album... thank God ,he is already out of Elektra-racket.

I like this compilation. Don't get me wrong however it is more than apparent that Elektra Records (Moby's old label) was trying to cash in on the success of "Play". Moby didn't jump ship to V2, he got dropped by Elektra because his music was viewed as not being commercially viable. Egg on their faces. A lot of the songs on this album is found off Moby's classic "Everything is Wrong" cd which made him a name in the world of techno music. I particularly love the haunting melodies of "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters" and "When It's Cold I'd Like to Die". People who are only aware of "Play" might be surprised to hear that Moby's earlier music is different than they might have expected. what vocals there are are more delicate and fragile, in the Sarah Brightman sort of fashion. There is a more ambient texture to the music than the gospel and pop sounds on "Play". Now while this is a good compilation, I would strongly recommend going with "Everything is Wrong" over this cd while this comp is just another way for Elektra to earn an extra buck.

When I picked this up at a used music store for about six bucks, I had no idea that I would be listening to a near-perfect companion to Moby's masterpiece, "Play". "Songs 1993-1998" may be just a quickie compilation, but whoever put the track list together obviously thought long and hard about it. There are some really good pieces on this album and nearly all the tracks have their high points. Most notable are the dance tunes, "Move (You Make Me Feel So Good)" and "Feeling So Real". Other than those, don't expect another "Bodyrock" or "South Side". However, if you preferred "Porcelain" or the more laid-back tracks on the second half of "Play", there's much here to admire. I especially enjoyed the three tracks lifted from "Animal Rights", although none of them include the hard rock tracks that made the album so controversial. What we get instead is "Now I Let it Go", a violin piece reminiscent of the "October Sky" soundtrack, "Alone", a ten-minute epic (my only complaint is it's length), and "Living", a relaxing track that makes it the highlight of the album (and it's got one of the most abrupt endings I've ever heard). I also enjoyed the Mimi Goese tracks, "Into the Blue" and especially "When It's Cold I'd Like to Die". There's also "Novio", a track that wouldn't seem out-of-place on an Enya CD. Of course, there's his big hit, "Go", situated at the front of the disc. Overall, a worthy follow-up to "Play", at least until Moby's new album comes out May 2002...

First off conceptually this album is a horrible waste. You are much better of just buying a couple of the four albums represented here. Everything on here is easily available from elekra records.

Secondly everything on this album is utter [junk]. The upbeat old schooled songs aged horribly, and don't even compare to early prodigy. The chilled out Ambient tracks range from horribly repetitive to cliched ramblings that you could come up with playing with a couple keyboards. Seriously I mean a piano playing with rain? thats never been done before. Your better of getting a rain CD and playing it over some classical piano. Even when I find myself into a track just a bit.. it finds it self in a horrible never ending loop that doesn't change. Everything on here sounds like it should have come out before 94, since all the synths used are of the cheapest variety. None of this can be called "intelligent" in any way. Its a...collection of bad tachno.

"Songs" basically summarizes the New York DJ's efforts from 1993 to 1998, allowing listeners who are new to his music, or who might have first heard of his work through his 1999 VERY GOOD album album "Play", a chance to get exposed to his earlier work.

I would like to cover each of the songs real briefly, so it can be made evident how eclectic an artist Moby is:
1) First Cool Hive: You have heard it. Sounds a lot like some of the "Play" songs.
2) Go: first written by Moby in conjunction with David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti (long time scorer for Lynch's movies), has certain elements from Twin Peaks 'Laura Palmer's Theme.
3) Into The Blue: sweet Mimi Goese's voice accompanies Moby's music. Song #14 has Mimi Goese as well, and both rank among the best of the album.
4) Now I Let it Go: like a celtic melody, very quiet an soothing. I let it go as well...
5) Move (You Make Me Feel So Good): very dance-oriented tune. Most likely you've heard it on some disco floor.
6) I Like To Score: a very funky down-tempo guitar-driven tune, very contagious, very hard not to tap on the floor to it if your listening to it while sitting.
7) Anthem: a trance tune with some Gregorian chants/Opera voiced over.
8) Hymn: very sweet, piano-drive tune, very "Play"-like as well.
9) Feeling So Real: a very 'pop' techno tune. Not one of my favorites from the album, in all honesty.
10) God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters: one of Moby's most beautiful compositions. You've heard it, I'm sure. If you haven't you need to.
11) Alone: just feels like walking on your own through the middle of the desert... at night... a 10+ minute epic.
12) Novio: (boyfriend, in Spanish) another beautiful Moby tune, revisiting the Gregorian chants theme.
13) The Rain Falls & The Sky Shudders: one of those songs to sit down an listen to on a rainy afternoon. Actually has the sound of the rain in the background.
14) When It's Cold I'd Like To Die: Mimi Goese interpreting yet another beautiful tune with Moby's music.
15) Living: very optimistic tune with a guitar leading it into
16) Grace: Moby's closing statement for this compilation album says it all. Incredible song. Not hard to find some Brian Eno-like influences in it.

Whether your musical preferences are along the lines of dance music, new age, Gregorian chants, or just about anything, this album deserves room in your collection. It carries incredibly beautiful as well as vey contagious songs, that will make you respect Moby (as I now do), and most likely expand your collection to contain all his albums.

This CD is a compilation of Moby's four albums on the Elektra label. After listening to "mobysongs" numerous times on my CD player I have come to the following conclusions: 1) I like most of the longer ambient pieces on the CD ("Alone" a stand out here). They emanate a meditative, relaxing feeling that makes for great background music when I am cooking dinner or just sitting on my couch. 2) I like a couple of the shorter, more pop songy pieces ("Into the Blue" stands out here). Moby has a great sense of orchestration on these pieces. 3) I enjoy most of the layered trance pieces, most done with electric piano (a/la "God Moving..."). To me, this repetitive layering is the "moby sound." 4) Finally, I am not so fond of the techno, 140 beats per minute dance pieces. Songs such as "Move", "Anthem", and "Feeling So Real" come across as trite and above ground to me. It is the same feeling I get when listening to much of 1980s dance/techno music. All in all, I would say this CD has a few good moments, but that overall one would be better buying one of his individual CDs rather than the "mobysongs" compilation.

Are people ever going to get tired of these people who record the work of real musicians and add their own ... signature and pass it off as something creative? I guess it is further evidence that the de-evolution of the planet is in full swing.