It’s been a while since we’ve written anything about music, and it’s time to fix it. Moreover, I have accumulated a certain number of relatively rare records that I am eager to share with you, my readers. And I’ll probably start small.
The Elvis vs. 13 Cats record is a very modest sight: an envelope completely white on both sides, only a small part of which is occupied by a description of the contents of this disc, and a small black-and-white picture of Elvis Presley.
It follows from what has been written that we are waiting for two remixes of the track That’s Alright (Mama) performed by the King, and if you look closely, you can also see the inscription Remixed by Danny B. Harvey under each of the tracks – that’s all that can be said about the songs waiting for us. But that’s enough, isn’t it? Two options for a great Elvis song from the same Danny B. Harvey, who visited 13 Cats, The Rockats, and The Head Cat – this is a man of legend! Albeit very much… niche.
To be honest, I was still a little worried when buying this CD, because the Discogs website lists Electronic as the genre, “File Under: Dance/Electronica” is also marked on the envelope, and even the vinyl itself has “File Under: Electro/Boot” on both sides. But after getting the record in my hands and listening to it, I can say the following: in my opinion, the genre is indicated incorrectly. Fans of trance and techno of the first half of the two thousandths would certainly have been disappointed to buy this CD, but fans of classic rock and roll will not disappoint. By the way, the vinyl itself looks much more spectacular than the envelope in which it is stored: bright, pink, with cute red and white streaks, unusually thick and pleasantly heavy – it’s a pleasure just to hold it in your hands.
On the A-side, we are waiting for a performance with an extremely unusually tuned guitar: very… The sharp sound with the constantly changing key sounds extremely specific, and the rhythm of this very garage-sounding instrument is set by clear drum beats and a deep and melodic bass line familiar to every rock’n’roll fan. I can’t even really think of anything to compare this remix to – I can’t think of any similar tracks. Alley Cat Mix sounds extremely peculiar, and perhaps there will be about as many people who will like it as there are opponents of such treatment of the immortal standard. But personally, I still liked this remix.: The neat bass line creates that contrast with the crazy guitar playing, which I personally found enjoyable.
Side B, it seems to me, is the reason why the Discogs album was classified as electronic: for the first twenty seconds, a completely electronic part plays, performed in the style of the old school – you would never expect to hear such a sound on a DISC from 2004. Nevertheless, this part plays the role of a rhythm section here: after the twentieth second, the guitar enters, and the track turns into full-fledged rock, certainly not pulling on electronics in any way. The 9 Lives Mix sounds much more familiar than the first one: similar tracks with synthesizers in the background could quite be heard in the 70s and 80s. For example, Harlem Shuffle performed by The Rolling Stones comes to mind – that track also relied heavily on electronic sounds.
I won’t be able to say which of the remixes I liked the most, but if you rate this record as a whole on a five-point scale, then it deserves a four for one reason only: there are only two tracks on it. Of course, I understand everything, but I still want more. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to start my vinyl listening session with this bright pink disc, and I hope you enjoyed what you heard too.
2. That’s Alright (Mama) (9 Lives Mix)
Download Elvis vs. 13 Cats (2004) (mp3, 51 Mb)
