AMG Review of Balance of the Force (Remixed)

John Bush
All Music Guide

The remix album that accompanied a brilliant debut, Balance of the Force Remixed features ten remixes of album tracks, four by the Mushroom Dive alias of Klaus Waldeck himself. (Though Waldeck's re-interpretations are uniformly solid, it's clear he took the right versions for the LP itself.) Meanwhile, Thievery Corporation alter "Defenceless" slightly (from R&B to lounge), Uptight turn "Slaapwagen" into a dubwise hip-hop track, and the Rocker's Hi-fi version of "Wake Up" is a spare percussion jam with echoing vocals. The 11th track here is a suitably sublime cover of the quintessentially knowing Bond theme "You Only Live Twice" (originally voiced by Nancy Sinatra) which only hints at the obligatory carpet of strings. Interesting for the already converted, but definitely a companion piece.