Even Better Than the Real Thing

When I began combing through my collection for my most-loved remixes, I realized that a host of them had become the de facto version of the song that you and I know and love — somehow, the second stab at these tunes was universally a step up (next week I promise a list of the originals so you can appreciate the transformation yourselves). Here, then, is a list of remixes so good that they’ve supplanted the original mixes in my library:

1. Primal Scream, “Higher Than The Sun”
   I loved the Stones-y vibe Jimmy Miller imparted to Screamadelica, but the album’s highlight for me was definitely this song, a psychedelic headphone masterpiece. I knew The Orb produced the track, but I didn’t know that it was a remix until I picked up a CD single for Vanishing Point’s “Burning Wheel” and found “Higher Than The Sun (Original)” as a b-side. The original mix is fine — it’s still a good song — but it sounds small compared to The Orb’s spacey, high-flying dub symphony.
2. Manic Street Preachers, “So Why So Sad (Avalanches Remix)”
   The first single from Know Your Enemy, the Manics’ follow-up to the gigantically successful This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, was a total curveball: “So Why So Sad” is decidedly non-Britrock with its wall-of-sound production and retro, echoing jingle-bell percussion. All the ingredients to the song were fine and dandy to me, but somehow the song didn’t sound right — its effect was oddly antiseptic. Leave it to Aussie sample addicts The Avalanches to fix what’s broke: their remix warms the song up by deftly layering in complex vocal samples, magnifying a beautiful slide guitar riff, and bringing the beat to the fore.
3. Cornershop, “Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim Remix)”
   This is really the song that inspired me to toss this theme into the mix: Cornershop’s sleepy original is a fine song that got no further than #60 on the British singles charts in 1997. Norman Cook got his hot hands on it, sped it the heck up, added a big beat rhythm track, and took it straight to #1 the following year.
4. U2, “Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)”
   Okay, admission time: yes, I own a copy of the Tomb Raider soundtrack. I’m an obsessive/compulsive NIN fan, and I had to get “Deep” into my iTunes library. I was also a big fan of U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and this new mix of live fave “Elevation” was a draw. The concept of “U2 remix” had me a little skeptical, but the execution is excellent — Paul Leary (of Butthole Surfers fame) doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but he takes parts of the arrangement and tweaks them to hell: the guitars are cranked up to eleven, and the drums have a harder crack to them. After hearing this version, I find myself skipping the original when it pops up on shuffle because it just feels toothless.
5. Alabama 3, “Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)”
   The Sopranos wouldn’t have been as compelling without the Chosen One Mix of “Woke Up This Morning”: it strips the song of The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love’s distracting narrative ramble, refocuses it on Larry Love’s impossibly deep vocals, adds a dash of gospel choir to the chorus, and makes you feel the throbbing, rolling bassline in your fillings. Ominous stuff.
6. Björk, “All Is Full Of Love”
   The “All Is Full Of Love” that closes Homogenic is not the one that’s become the de facto version of the song. The album cut is a very atmospheric, near-ambient song that’s driven by Björk’s voice, but the one most familiar to folks is this one, a mix of the song that was made famous by Chris Cunningham’s award-winning robots-in-love music video. Björk reworked the track with Mark “Spike” Stent, adding a slow, sensual beat; eastern-flavored lute/zither flourishes; and synth-heavy strings. The result is instantly more memorable than the album cut, and this version is the one popping up in concert and on greatest hits collections.

Download: Primal Scream, “Higher Than The Sun” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Manic Street Preachers, “So Why So Sad (Avalanches Remix)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Cornershop, “Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim Remix)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: U2, “Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Alabama 3, “Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Björk, “All Is Full Of Love” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)