|
Now before all the immature bandwagon jumpers on this forum decide that they're going to start calling this cheese without looking at it objectively (I sense a Ligaya-syndrome coming on), I think we need to sit down and look at each track for what it is in itself, ignoring the fact that it's an edit (which is merely a reflection of the japanese audience), and considering its potential for being lifted from the album as an extended version. I don't think this album is Ferry's best work, not even close. Some of the tracks are cheesy. But Ferry is one of those rare producers who can produce something very good even when he's not at his best, and there are certainly some hidden gems on this album.
If you'd rather bash the album than try to appreciate those tracks which do have potential, so be it - you're only hurting yourself. But if you give the album a chance instead of listening to five to ten seconds of each track and deciding its too uplifting for your taste, I think most of you would find it worthwhile.
When I first hurriedly glanced over the album's tracks, I posted above "Kind of disappointing from what I've heard IMO, and I'm usually a big fan of Ferry's work. I do believe, however, that many of these tunes could be made very good by the right remixer." After thoroughly going through the album track by track, and taking notes as I was listening, I've changed my mind. I think it is actually a very good album. For my money, I'd buy this over any album released in 2002, except Astral Projection - Amen. That said, here is my full track by track review:
01. System F - Together [03:23]
The cheesy opening vocal isn't the best way to start things off, but the bassline is actually pretty deep, reminding me of Out of the Blue 2002. I really enjoyed how Ferry took a stab at including breaks in this album, and this track is no exception, the breaks are my favorite part of this track. The main melody is a bit simple for my tastes, and, yes, a slight bit on the cheesy side, but it does bring pretty good energy to the table, and I could see it being a floorfiller. This track is not the worst, but if the entire album was like this I'd be a bit disappointed.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 6/10
02. System F - The Sonnet [03:59]
Right from the start this track feels so much better than Together. I can see why some people might dislike this, thinking the main synth is cheesy or just plain annoying, but I really like it. It's probably the most unique tune on the album, and from a standpoint of originality, I think it rivals Solstice and Needlejuice. The sweeping synths at the beginning and in the middle are beautiful, and as I've already said, I'm really enjoying the main meldoy after listening to it a few times and just getting used to it. The bassline is the sole disappointing aspect of this track. It's just a bit too simple and not hard enough for my tastes. But frankly, I hardly noticed.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 10/10
03. Gouryella - Ligaya [03:28]
I loved Ligaya, and even though this is a very half-assed vocal version of it IMO, the track is still money in the bank as far as I'm concerned. Since this is not really original material, I'll skip my in depth evaluation.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 7/10
04. System F - Ignition, Sequence, Start [03:31]
This track has one of the better basslines on the album IMO, but I'm afraid it doesn't have one of the better melodies. I like the breaks, once again, but the lead synth sounds like "Atlantis (FC RMX)" gone bad. This track is really too much all over the place, and doesn't get you into any kind of rythm.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 6/10
05. System F - Dance Valley Theme 2001 [03:43]
Obviously, this is not new. Couldn't he have put the Out of the Blue 2002 edit from The Very Best of Ferry Corsten on here instead. Ah well, I never really cared for this one.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 4/10
06. System F - Deja Vu [03:55]
Up until now, we'd been hitting a rough spot in the album, but this track really helps out. A strong, energetic, bassline gets us off to a good start. Personally, though, I don't care much for the build up - it seems disorganized to me. Once the main melody actuall hits in full, though, it's a pretty good one. Very uplifting, but I wouldn't call it cheesy. Technically, this is one of the more complex tracks on the album, and it seems to pay off with the exception of the build up. In short, it has its flaws, but it's a just plain enjoyable tune.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 8/10
07. System F - Spaceman [03:21]
This track tears me in two, I love some of the spacey sounds Ferry used, and I think they work together well also. Additionally, the build up is very impressive. On the other hand, the vocals are just plain horrible, the main melody isn't really even as powerful as the build up, which comes as a bit of a disappointment, and the bassline is uninspiring. A dub would get a decent score. This does not.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 5/10
08. System F - Savannah [03:46]
A very different type of track. This one competes with The Sonnet for the originality award. I'm not a fan of the vocal samples. But I do like the other sound effects. The piano is stunningly beautiful. This is really an ambient track, and stands out on the album for that reason alone. Were it not for the vocals, I'd give it a 10/10. Not meant for the dancefloor, but a very enjoyable tune to play softly in the background.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 9/10
09. System F - Pegasus [03:19]
Woefully short, this is still one of the better tracks on the album. It doesn't really bother teasing you much, which is probably for the best given its general brevity. The bassline doesn't do much for me, but then again it's absent for almost half the track. The breakdown is long and wonderful for this one, and while the main meldoy itself doesn't quite measure up to some of Ferry's better works, I frankly think it beats the hell out of a lot of tracks being voted on in the music polls section right now.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 9/10
10. System F - Reaching Your Soul [04:36]
This one starts off with some weird sounds, including a nice atmosphereic synth that gets louder and louder building up to the start of the beat. The faint vocals are unnecessary, but fortunately not prominent. Rather than being blindly uplifting like most of the album, this track has a darker side to it as well. Listening to the album straight through, this track really grabs you and pulls you into it where most others fail to.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 10/10
11. System F - Devotion [04:21]
Not the most unique tune, this is classic System F style IMO. This is the kind of track I was expecting on this album, and I am not disappointed. A bouncy, energetic bassline is beautifully complemented by a harmonic melody and some prudently used sound effects. If this track were released as a single, I'd buy it.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 10/10
12. System F - Underwater [04:07]
Good atmospheric sounds in this one start us off on the right foot. The bassline then kicks in and sadly, we abandon our atmosphere in favor of energy, save a couple of brief returns. The bassline itself seems fairly nondescript. The melody is okay, but nothing special. I feel like this tune has a lot of wasted potential, but it's still wholly decent.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 7/10
13. System F - Solarize [04:51]
This track is like redemption for Ignition, Sequence, Start, which took the Atlantis remix's melody and butchered it. This track takes it to a whole new level, and as I loved that remix, I also love this one as well. But it's not just the main melody. Listen the the beautiful breakdown, for example. The breaks are great, and probably fit this track better than any of the others. This track is so very good. He should have just ended the album here.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 10/10
14. System F - Q-Rious [03:45]
But of course he had to cheese up the album a bit more first. Actually this track isn't that bad. But it's not my style of uplifting trance. The bassline sounds like a little hyperactive kid - you wish it would just settle down. The main meldoy is neither particularly entertaining, nor complex. And that little chime sound, or whatever you want to call it, is rather annoying IMO. Not a good track, but I guess you can't win them all.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 4/10
15. System F - Spread Your Wings [03:57]
Of course, just because you can't win them all doesn't mean you should kill yourself. This tune is a disgrace to Ferry Corsten's name. I can hardly stand to listen to it. It is pure rotten cheese, as much as I hate to say it. A dub might be decent, but you can hardly tell, since the melody is largely drowned out by the obnoxious vocals. There's not a single aspect of this track which I find redeeming. It's like a long bus ride sitting next to someone who has not bathed in a very, very long time: it's more than just unpleasant, it's an assault on your senses. If this was playing in a club, and you OD'd on something and died, it would be a mercy killing.
The Arbiter's Verdict: 1/10
Overall, this is a quality album with some very good tracks, some less than good tracks, and a very bad track. In my opinion, it's worth buying, and there are several tracks deserving of a full release. If you're a proghead, you're probably not going to appreciate this. But if you like uplifting trance, there are some fine specimens on this album. The average rating a single track receieved in my analysis was almost exactly a 7/10. But all albums have their ups and downs, and they ought to be judged primarily on the quality of their good material. As a result, I altered the raw overall rating to better reflect the quality of the album as a whole.
The Arbiter's Overall Verdict: 8/10
Regards,
Arbiter
|
