I'm sitting on the fence when it comes to mash-ups, the mixing of two songs to create a new and different tune. Too many mash-ups are just one song slapped onto another, which gets old pretty quick. The Double Black Album, which mixes Jay-Z and Metallica together, is one example of something that's a good idea for one track, but doesn't hold water for a whole album.
But there are a few mash-ups that are really well crafted, mixing many songs together or using the best attributes of two or more songs to create something that sounds completely new. Danger's Mouse's Gray Album (Jay-Z and the Beatles) is probably the best example, but the Who Boys (the Who and the Beach Boys in an hyperactive electronic stew) is another good one. Revolved, which mixes different Beatles tunes with a bunch of artists from the past 60 years, is pretty stunning. It throws everything from Glenn Miller, Portishead and Jimi Hendrix into the mix, with particular standouts being "Eleanor Ciccone," which takes the violins from "Eleanor Rigby" and Madonna's "Ray of Light" and changes both songs into a weird, haunting ballad. "You only live tomorrow," which mixes "You only Live Twice" and "Tomorrow never knows" is also pretty trippy.
But listen for yourself, the torrent is here.
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