CASTLE MUSIC

Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five - The Greatest Mixes

Groundbreaking stuff both lyrically and in style, from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five starting with the sophomoric haunting remix of 'White Lines' by Cutmaster Swift and Pogo, the haunting remix perfectly captures the hard hitting lyrics.

'Step off' Extended Mix with the familiar up to the floor Chaka Khan intro and 'For the love of money' sample. This is the popular end of early hip hop but still excellent it is. The recurrent theme of realism and knowledge and feel of the street in 'Drug Wars', 'Pump me up' Extended Mix with it's near go-go beat out of DC.

The Message Part 2 given a speedier remix by Richie Rich, 'Freestyle' features a faster delivery style by Melle Mell.

'New York New York' Extended Mix and 'Beat Street Breakdown' Extended capture the New York lifestyle of break culture, graffiti and hip hop beats.

'The Message' of course one of the, if not the, most familiar hip hop cuts, and this electro, bass-y Cutting Edge Old Skool Mix adds more to it.

'The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the wheels of steel' Extended - again this was groundbreaking as a multi sampled collage of top sounds - Cut Faster - Good times indeed. 'Black Man' darker but again full of street realism.

And bring the groove up to date and to the clubs the 'White Lines' Davidson Ospina's Club Mix, which kinda works, but not really on the strength of the remix but on the strength and popularity of the song itself.

Excellent sleeve notes again which is becoming a hallmark of these Castle Music reissues.

What I like about this album is that each track tells a story which picks up the style and feel of the time, particularly the New York scene. Today the words would probably be deemed too weak but still there is a certain kind of sensationalism and realism evident. The beats and scratching and sampling ease in and out over a, usually, clear conscience lyric, which like a good comedian (but this ain't funny), simply observes and tells it like it is.