Mobysongs: The Best Of Moby 1993-1998 CD

Personnel: Moby (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion, programming); Nicole Zaray, Mimi Goese, Rozz Morehead, Kochie Banton, Carole Sylvan (vocals); Hahn Rowe (violin).
Audio Mixer: Moby.
Recording information: Current Sounds, New York, NY (05/1997-06/1997); Moby's Studio (05/1997-06/1997); Soundtrack Studios (05/1997-06/1997).
When Play became a breakout hit in 1999, Elektra readied a basic trainer for listeners new to Moby's practically trademarked style of down-tempo house baroque. Ranging from the Move EP, his major-label debut, to the soundtrack-inspired I Like to Score, Songs 1993-1998 trawls the back catalog to pluck tracks on the same atmospheric level as Play classics like "Porcelain" or "South Side." Many of these tracks -- especially ones from Everything Is Wrong and Animal Rights -- sound much better in this format, divorced from the rock flame-outs that often surrounded them on the original albums. And though the version of his classic "Go" is actually a re-recording from 1998, it's a solid update that retains much of the original but never sounds like a pointless remake. Songs 1993-1998 also spotlights Moby's continuing excellence in a number of genres, including a few of his Hi-NRG house singles from the mid-'90s ("Feeling So Real," "Move"), as well as his frequently beautiful ambient excursions ("God Moving Over the Face of the Waters," "The Rain Falls and the Sky Shudders"). It's a shame that the compilation completely skips his seminal early productions ("Drop a Beat," "Next Is the E") and a few rarities would've been nice for collectors, but Songs 1993-1998 will satisfy fans of Play waiting for a new album. ~ John Bush
Five years may not seem like such a long time, but in the career of electronica innovator Moby, it's time enough to have traversed a wide range of styles, as documented on this anthology. The various facets of the eclectic Moby's vision are explored here, from the straight-up club beats of "Go" to the elegant, balladic strains of "Into the Blue," where former Hugo Largo chanteuse Mimi Goese lends a hand.
Moby gets '70s retro-funky, complete with wah-wah guitar, on "I Like to Score," while semi-classical piano ostinatos and orchestral washes set the tone for the regal "Hymn." Breathless breakbeats propel the highly danceable "Feeling so Real," and the influence of Philip Glass-style minimalism is felt strongly on "God Moving Over the Face Of the Waters." What becomes apparent over the course of MOBYSONGS is that whether Moby is delving into techno, ambient, funk, or anything else, it's his distinctive structural sensibilities that provide a common thread.Entertainment Weekly (8/4/00, p.86) - "If PLAY made you curious about Moby's back catalog, this set is the place to start....The net effect is Moby as the best kind of prog-techno-guru..." - Rating: A