Tracks:
01 - Got Put A Smile Upon Your Face
02 - Oh My God feat. Lily Allen
03 - Stop Me feat. Daniel Merriweather
04 - Toxic feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard
05 - Valerie feat. Amy Winehouse
06 - Apply Some Pressure feat. Paul Smith
07 - Inversion
08 - Pretty Green feat. Santo Gold
09 - Just feat. Phantom Planet
10 - Amy feat. Kenna
11 - The Only One I Know feay. Robbie Williams
12 - Diversion
13 - L.S.F. feat. Kasabian
14 - Outversion
With mash-up records being all the rage nowadays, Mark Ronson is having a stab at it with his new album "Version" and why not, as a producer he is on fire at the moment having produced the majority of Amy Winehouse's hit album "Back To Black," as well as tracks for Robbie Williams and Lily Allen. So here it is, Ronson's collection of pop and rock songs re-worked using a combination of soul and his own personal flair; culminating in a completely new take on each track, or at least that's the plan.
Don't get it twisted, "Version" isn't just an album of cover versions, well it is, but it’s more than that. It's Mark Ronson flipping tracks on their head so you have trouble remembering exactly who did the original song. It's Ronson showing how vivid his imagination is that he can create tracks you could never imagine after hearing the originals. It’s Ronson proving cover version albums don't have to be attempts to cash in from someone else’s success.
He may have been born into money, but you can't let yourself use that as a reason not to admire his creations. Ronson is a very talented DJ and producer. This time around there is considerably less rap than on his 2003 debut "Here Comes The Fuzz," which probably isn’t such a bad thing considering the album didn’t sell so well, not that it wasn't good though. Instead Ronson has concentrated on his most successful work - his recently production for Allen and Winehouse, his ear for good music and ability to add soul to anything and pretty much funk up the track.
While "Here Comes The Fuzz" was clearly a US targeted album, Ronson seems to be targeting his British fans with "Version," considering the amount of British artists appearing on the album and British alt-rock and punk tracks that have been recreated.
The album opens with Ronson's version of Coldplay's "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face," this time its a jazz filled soul instrumental, a relief for anyone who can't stand Coldplay's vocals. This is followed by one of the album's most surprising and successful re-workings - Kaiser Chief’s "Oh My God" performed by Lily Allen. On paper this might look like a complete nightmare, but it really isn't, with Ronson's beat and horns perfectly complementing Allen's vocals.
While "Stop Me" might be a pretty catchy version of The Smith's original and is clearly one of the most chartable tracks from the album, it seems quite amazing that Ronson’s protégé Daniel Merriweather has failed to grasp or convey any of the irony in the lyrics. Then there is Britney Spears' "Toxic" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, the album's only real Hip-Hop element. It sounds so far from the original you can hardly tell they are the same song, everyone wants to hear ODB rapping “ooo nigga I’m burning up” on a Britney Spears track.
Then there is another of the album's highlights, the amazing "Valerie" with Amy Winehouse, which offers a surprisingly less annoying and very jazzy version of The Zuton's original. Winehouse is on form on this Philly soul sounding remake, showing why she has one of the best voices out there.
There is very little to hate about this album, a lot of the track are funkier, more fun and a lot livelier than the originals, however, it isn't flawless. I can't for the life of me work out why Ronson has remade "Apply Some Pressure" and "L.S.F." with the same artists, it just doesn't seem worth the effort, considering there is little if any improvement over the original and in the case of Maximo Park, this version lacks all of the energy of the original. Then there is the "Pretty Green" track, which gets quite painful to listen to and there will no doubt be more than a few upset Jam fans after this irritating childish rendition.
The list of guest appearances on "Version" isn't surprising; most of them have either worked with Ronson or will be in the future. While you might expect them to just pass off a verse or some vocals in exchange for some of Ronson's production, they actually seemed to have put the effort in with quality offerings that perfectly compliment Ronson's musical vision.
While this is an outstandingly creative and unique album, a lot of the fun may be lost on anyone not familiar with the original versions of the songs, although they are so well put together they could, in those circumstances, be accepted as original songs anyway. At times it might seem like there is a little too much horn usage, but the overall quality, imagination and production of the album is quite remarkable and will make you forget any doubts you have. “Version” is one hell of a party album and it guaranteed to help make your summer.
Hot Tracks:
"Oh My God," "Toxic," "Valerie"
Verdict: 8.0/10
Artist: Mark Ronson