FOALS - COLLECTED REWORKS VOL 3
Tammy shares her thoughts on the latest Foals release, Collected Reworks Vol. 3, and lets you know whether she thinks you should listen or not.
The final instalment in the trilogy; the dessert dish to the buffet of Foals flavour fusions. Vol 1. offered big names and bold reimaginations of classic tracks. Vol 2. extended on the flavour palette with its strong execution, generous showcases of technique and combinations of light and shade. Vol. 3 is the sweet finish drawing on from key ingredients of both its predecessors; big names, bold compositions, impeccable execution, and a hint of dramatic flair without being overpowering.
Drawing parallels to Vol 1., Vol 3. sees ‘My Number’ perched at the top, opening the album, and getting the royal treatment of three sonic massages. Total Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs takes on the full body, coming in at a lengthy 7.10 minutes with long leads, a light and airy softness to the chorus build and a heavily exercised level of restrain. Paul Woolford opts for a much fruitful version carried by bouncing chords whilst Trophy Wife takes it down, heavy in both texture and drama.
That drama was also expected on the remix presented by the co-writer for the end credit music on the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, Pop Will Eat Itself rocker, Clint Mansell. Taking on ‘Give It All’, which appears as the ending credit to Collected Reworks, Mansell certainly delivers a cinematic scope. An eerie piano accompaniment with fragile pulses push ‘Give It All’ into a new realm, taking on not only a new sound but stirring new meaning. It’s haunting and it’s heavenly, almost to be expected from the man who scored the dark psychological cult classic, Requiem For A Dream. On the other end of the spectrum triple Norwegian-Grammy award winning DJ and dance world warrior, Lindstrøm, barrelled down the beat boardwalk, opting for the classic club concoction; 8.40 minutes of hard claps, deep pulses and space strobes mixed over the key melodic ‘oh’’s from the original.
Joe Corti, Supermayer, Kieren Hebden, Diskjokke and Voyeur all lend their talent to tracks like ‘Balloons’, ‘Olympic Airways’, and ‘Bad Habit’ for fun renditions, and Mount Kimbie, Tomos and Koreless fill out the rest of the album with dreamy takes on ‘Spanish Sahara’, ‘Into The Surf’ and ‘Late Night’ respectively.
It has been said before, but it needs to be said again; the point of a remix album is to show alternatives to perfectly crafted compositions, which, in comparison, generally fall flat and are pointless. Who listens to a remix version of a song over the original? Kids of the 90’s understand the frustration of buying a single CD for their favourite tune and, instead of getting B-side unreleased bangers, being met with unnecessary versions of the winning track.
In the case of Foals Collected Reworks Vol 3. and as a trilogy package, the artists tackling the already superb songs did an admirable job, offering their own craftsmanship and artist interpretation, and at times even heightening elements for optimal impact. Whilst it can be appreciated as a celebration of Foals and is a great listen overall, it is highly doubtable that anyone will revisit this compilation again thereafter the initial listen.
Tammy Walters
★★★★☆