AA.VV.
"London Booted", A Bastardpop Tribute To The Clash

There is truly a lot going on here. I'll start immediately. Tribute compilations are usually mediocre, unless they manage to stand out for some particular reason. Well... here on one side, we have "London Calling," one of the most influential albums of all time, and on the other, we have 25 underground DJs from the London scene who, almost as if it were a competition, choose a track from said album and completely transform it.

The basic idea was to create a sort of contest among the DJs, giving them the opportunity to remix, add samples, remove bases, reintegrate them, and so on. Practically, a DJ's chance to have fun. The result of these experiments is "London Booted." And what a result, ladies and gentlemen, before debating the correctness of making covers or remixes of famous songs, let me say that this product is interesting and its strength lies in the fact that the remixes in question are very personally interpreted and above all, are anything but commercial or radio-friendly. The remixes range from Drum n' Bass to Hip-Hop, Dub, Funky, BreakBeat, Downtempo, and Hardcore (that club stuff, yes that Hardcore... !!!!). And that's how we find Dunproofin' with a strongly drum n' bass track "Bubba's Got A Brand New Cadillac" (Bubba Sparxx vs the Clash). Or, we have an extremely dark and strongly electronic version almost reminiscent of Marilyn Manson of "Train In Vain" by Fault Side named "Histerya In Vain." Another piece worth noting is "Funky Guns Of Brixton" by Lazy Tramp, where on the base of Strummer & Co. an MC kicks off at full throttle with his voice and makes an already memorable song even more beautiful. Here, the parts sung by the MC intertwine wonderfully with the original vocals of the great Joe Strummer (RIP). "Revolution Rock" becomes a 55-second dub-heavy track with a distant voice that greatly resembles Bono. "Four Horseman" is expertly deconstructed and reconstructed by 10,000 Spons making it as Electric and Electronic as you can get. For Hip-Hop lovers, Eazy E raps greatly over "Lover's Rock." You'll be amazed by the skill with which these DJs reinvent tracks (those from "London Calling") that as rhythmic bases seem designed to be redone in Hip-Hop rather than Dance style. One of the most beautiful tracks is by Jimmy James who transforms "The Card-Cheat" into "This Girl Wants A Cheat" using the original's piano line and remixing it with, believe it or not, Christina Aguilera!!! (Unbelievable but the result is excellent, trust me). Another very entertaining track is "KOKA KOLA" by cry. on. my. console, which becomes a purely techno-trance-Hardcore track. Miss Frenchie transforms "Wrong 'em Boyo" into an extremely raunchy (due to the lyrics) "Fuck 'em Boyo." Peaches vs The Clash. McSleazy transforms "Lost In The Supermarket" into a Dark and hypnotic "Lost Souls In The Supermarket" worthy of Trent Reznor at his best. Instamatic covers and mixes together with "Hey Ya" by Outkast "Spanish Bombs" which becomes "Spanish Bombs Over Baghdad." If you think that Madonna might not fit with the Clash, you're mistaken and this is evidenced by "The Power Of Revolution Can't Fail" by Eve Massacre. Agent Lovelette (great name right!!?!!?) mixes Missy Elliot with "Jimmy Jazz." The result is a syncopated Hip-Hop track that is sure to engage.

In conclusion, highly recommended album for several reasons: The Clash, the beautiful versions within the compilation, and not least, the ability to download the entire compilation to contribute to a "Future Forest" association for the reforestation of the Isle of Skye, which was (and is) a project to which Joe Strummer gave his significant contribution. Final note, if you visit the link found in the review today, you'll be redirected to the HMV page for purchasing the compilation on vinyl. I suggest using "Google" and taking some time to catch this gem. (I'm reviewing it today but I've had it for about a year already, and I just downloaded it. I'm not sure, but I think with a little patience, you might find it too if you're interested). Mauri.