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My review of 76 based on a fairly quick listen. I'll use the full range of marks so keep in mind a score of 5 is average and anything above is good to excellent:
1. Prodemium 2:06
Fairly typical intro but I'm glad he included it as it sets the tone nicely. Atmospheric strings and surreal effects combine with subtle chanting and then it's a gentle transition into Precious. 6/10
2. Precious 6:59
As the remnants of Prodemium fade a bassline makes its presence felt and soon after the kick enters and several layers of percussion begin weaving their way in. Before long the hint of a melody teases the listener and the beat gives way to a break that builds smoothly into a driving, understated trancer somewhat reminiscent of some earlier Fire & Ice work. A second, shorter break ensues and the main theme enters again before dropping off sharply as the layers untangle themselves. 6/10
3. Yet Another Day 5:25
Back in familiar territory now as Yet Another Day makes an early appearance after undergoing the butcher's knife. Measuring not much more than five minutes it all seems to happen too quickly but once the track breaks its essence is not lost. No need to say more although I'd have perhaps preferred a slightly longer mix. 5/10
4. Burned With Desire 5:45
Justine Suissa on vox here for the first of her two songs. The feel shifts considerably with a summery, beachlike atmosphere and cascading piano melodies before a slow breakbeat enters alongside a vocal which is half-spoken in places. Needless to say the pace has dropped. Incorporating slow pieces into a trance album is nothing new but Armin and Justine do it well here. 7/10
5. Blue Fear 2003 7:33
Nothing new here either as the updated Blue Fear starts slowly with piano over soothing pads. The respite is brief as a thumping kick and freshened bassline hit us. This is not an extensive makeover however and much of the original is retained including the squeaky, swirling melody. If you liked this before you'll probably like it now; myself I'd have rathered a less dated-sounding lead riff. 4/10
6. From The Heart 7:31
Teaming up with fellow Dutchman Ferry Corsten, hypnotising synths and subtle strings are laid down over a stuttering breakbeat as we make our way forward. Less than two minutes in these elements give way to a pulsating bassline which is noticeably Corsten-influenced. As melody lines drift in, however, the result is a Steve Helstrip-esque backing with a rather unique lead that escapes description. A male spoken vocal introduces the track title and leads into a calm break. A guitar melody teases before a giant, sweeping synth takes us over the edge into a gorgeous, Balearic trancer which could easily fill ten minutes; instead the breakbeat returns to close the track and we are left wanting more! 8/10
7. Never Wanted This 4:53
More guitar in the intro to this second Justine Suissa collaboration. A short, poppy, breakbeat half-ballad which fails to live up to the standard set by Burned With Desire. The melody also smacks of Yet Another Day; we are left with a somewhat unoriginal, unemotional piece which fails to maintain any of the energy set by From The Heart. 3/10
8. Astronauts 5:38
Getting straight to business here with a firm kick and deep, melodic bassline complemented by an increasing number of layered synths. Two minutes in a short break ensues whereby a mid-paced trancer is unveiled with understated melodies and slightly strange percussion. Steady if not particularly impressive. 6/10
9. Stay 5:10
Featuring Krezip this opens in similar fashion to the previous track save for a somewhat groovier bassline. Female vocals enter shortly in another seemingly pop-influenced track which breaks midway before building into a trancier affair which never really goes anywhere and is let down by average vocals. 4/10
10. Wait For You (Song For The Ocean) 7:10
Back into pure trance territory with this one, and it's a welcome change after the last few mediocre tracks. Typical Armin sounds drift in alongside a half-chanted vocal. It could easily pass for a Perpetuous Dreamer production. Continuing to build as bells chime throughout. Smooth trancer that is deceptive in its power but hits hard nonetheless. Has an otherworldly feel to it and is second to none but From The Heart. 8/10
11. Sunburn 6:17
Considering the nature of the album I'm surprised Armin didn't opt for the vocal mix of Sunburn, which is present in its original form, albeit edited. The shortened length is not really a problem as it was earlier with Yet Another Day and the six-odd minutes is enough for the track to develop. Opinion is, of course, largely divided on its inherent quality. 5/10
12. Communication 4:16
I tend to disagree with slapping harshly edited cuts of old classics on new albums as I feel it breaks up the flow. Communication is certainly worthy of being included as it sounds fresh enough today but when reduced to little more than four minutes it suffers. Having said that the track is great indeed and manages to overcome this somewhat. 6/10
13. Slipstream 7:09
Another big collaboration with L-Vee to finish off the album. Starts in basic fashion and it's obvious Airwave has laid his hands on this one. A couple of melodies drift in and the pace quickens up to the third minute mark where a surreal choir synth backs a more typical sweeping lead that builds without great flair into an uplifting trancer. Soon after another melody is added and it breaks again before we're back in full trance territory. Less obvious in its power than Sunspot the feel is very smooth and meshes well with the rest of the album material. Easy on the ears if not ground-breaking. 7/10
Overall
The album is a bit of a mixed bag but in the end it seems there are enough high points to make up for the lows. On the positive side, the new material is thoughtfully produced and there's a wide enough range of styles to appeal to various tastes. The majority of the tracks are long enough so as not to hinder the experience and, while not all superb, none are so poor that one feels the urge to skip ahead. And, individual taste aside, it's likely any listener will consider at least two or three of the 13 tracks as really superb efforts. Unfortunately, Armin couldn't resist the temptation to cut up his older works and slap them in as filler. Also, the level of consistency is not as high as one would perhaps expect. Regardless, a solid outing from the Dutchman but one is left wondering what could have been... Try before you buy; worth the purchase if you like his sound and don't mind a few edits. 6/10
Last edited by starglider on Jun-15-2003 at 04:37
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<-- for you :P 
) hehe, I think this tune isn't armin worthy it is boring and well I don't like it. Its the worst tune of the cd followed by the next one, the collaboration with Krezip. The instrumental part of that tune is great but the vocals don't seem to fit in. Song for the ocean makes up for these two weak tunes, the vocal are perfectly sung by Victoria Horn and give me goosebumps all over! Awesome tune! Well whats left to say about sunburn? I think its nice in a club but I dont think I would have put in on this cd, however it makes this album diverse. Sunburn is followed up by armins best production ever; communication. Too bad it is only a radio edit but still the best track of the cd! The last tune was made together with L-vee, the tune is great and you can certainly hear l-vee's sound in it.
