R Kelly Remix City Volume 1 CD

As its title suggests, REMIX CITY VOLUME 1contains remixes of R. Kelly songs, including some of his best singles. "Ignition," for example, becomes a breezy slow jam with this mix, and the delicious Old School mix of "Bump N' Grind" practically commands listeners--no matter where they might be--to grab a warm body and start dancing with uncommon intimacy.
Though the remixes don't, at times, measure up to the original tracks, and Kelly's spoken commentary can come off as a bit unnecessary, there are some truly stellar moments here, like the beautiful, Marvin Gaye-esque "Step in the Name of Love." In addition to collecting some of his best tunes on one disc, REMIX CITY is also a fine place for the casual R. Kelly fan to get a thorough dose of his sultry, bedroom R&B.
A hardly essential (or even all that necessary) release cooked up in time for the holiday season, Remix City contains remixes originally released throughout R. Kelly's career, dating all the way back to his first album with Public Announcement. These alternate versions aren't often on the level of the originals, but a few that enjoyed extensive play on radio -- such as the great "Old School Mix" of "Bump n' Grind," replete with a sample from the Five Stairsteps' "O-o-h Child" and a then-timely Mad Cobra (!) quote -- will make the set ideal for collectors who don't have the resources to hunt down the singles. The best cut here, the seven-minute remix of "Step in the Name of Love," is the most joyous R&B song he or anyone else released in the early 2000s, but it appeared on both Chocolate Factory and The R. in R&B Collection. Ditto the "Ignition" remix. ~ Andy KellmanEntertainment Weekly (p.83) - "[P]retty addictive....There's plenty of choice hard-to-find tracks..." -- Grade: B