Paul Oakenfold
A Lively Mind

THE REVIEW

2006
After a four-year absence from the music scene (but not from the dancefloor, where he continues to achieve one success after another), Paul Oakenfold returns with the album ''A Lively Mind''. Unlike the previous ''Bunkka'' (2002), which had more than a few flaws and suffered from verbosity, ''A Lively Mind'' presents itself as an album primarily trance, with many rock influences and few electronic experiments as well as characterized by a very ''trendy'' sound and in line with the times.

From the initial ''Faster Kill Pussycat'' (featuring actress Brittany Murphy) to ''Sex 'n' Money'' (with the ubiquitous Pharrell Williams), passing through the pure trance of ''Amsterdam'' and ''Not Over'' to the dazzling ''Switch On'' and ''Set It Off'' (the latter featuring Grandmaster Flash, the famous '80s rapper and author of the unforgettable ''The Message''), it is evident that Paul is not only a great connoisseur of the dance/electronic scene but also a guy with undeniable compositional abilities, having pulled out of the hat an album capable of appealing not only to dancefloor fanatics but also to passionate music listeners (not just electronic).

What strikes most about this album is precisely how it has a commercial and 'chart' sound and at the same time an original one, never self-serving with tracks not just made 'to dance' but also to listen to with pleasure, crafted down to the smallest details and capable of staying in one's mind for a long time.

Recommended without a doubt to all electronic and dance music enthusiasts. For those who are not, unless you hate the genre, give Mr. Oakenfold a chance: it's worth it.