If you really like their song, Dare, than you'll like this. The rest of the remixes are ok.
November 2, 2008I absolutely love this CD. It's very mellow mixed with some reggae with a dash of hip hop. It is exactly what i need to relax to. The music of the Gorillaz has always been a favorite of mine, but D-Sides has some of their mixes along with a few new songs that are really good as well.
September 3, 2008 |  | I Like This Album Over Demon Days Any Day |  |
Being a Gorillaz fan since 2001, I scarf up any chance to hear new material from the "band". Seeing as the project may move away from music and into feature film, I thought we might not get another proper full-length from this lot. When I heard Danger Mouse was producing the 2nd album, I thought they couldn't have chosen a better producer, then I heard Demon Days. Although the reviews were better than the first album, most of it left me flat. I felt they had moved too far way from their hip hop/electronic/reggae/punk roots to something that sounded too generic. While there were standout singles Like Feel Good Inc, DARE, and El Manana, there was too much filler for my taste. Once the singles for Demon Days started appearing on iTunes, I had the chance to hear the stellar lineup of B-sides that were recorded during those sessions. Many of them were better than the tracks that made the album, so I bought the ones available, and "acquired" the rest to burn on a compilation. Then D-Sides showed up, with all those tracks and a few more mastered, normalized, and in much better sound quality than the digital releases. This should have been the 2nd album, IMO, along with Feel Good & El Manana, it would have almost been the perfect Gorillaz album. I love the sound Albarn has cultivated, with said hip hop, punk, and dub roots that make Gorillaz such a unique sound. The remix disc has some excellent cuts as well, the DFA remix of DARE, and Stanton Warriors' mix of Feel Good are my favs. Overall, an excellent long-player, and a worthy final chapter in Gorillaz' sound, if indeed that's what it is.
August 23, 2008 | | I wish I could say it was better... | |
I've been a staunch Gorillaz fan since the first album, and have loved (and purchased) nearly everything they've put out. In my opinion, Demon days was the best album of 2005. That being said, this collection of B-sides is really below the bar that was set by its predecessor. A few of the new tracks are pretty catchy, the demo version of 'Don't Get Lost In Heaven" especially, but for the most part it's all fluff. The remixes are even more unremarkable, and in some cases just downright annoying. Though it's nice that they're giving you 13 new tracks on top of the 9 remixes, this album isn't song for song as worth your money as the B-side collection (G-Sides) that followed the first album, even though it only contained a handful of new songs. Even for hardcore Gorillaz fans, D-Sides is really a stretch, and should be purchased only by those concerned with completing their CD library.
February 27, 2008 | | Decent, but not for the faint of heart | |
I downloaded this album (sans remixes) when it came out, and to be honest, I'm still not sure what to think. Don't get me wrong, I'd buy it all over again, but the compilation is definitely a mixed bag. The first disc is strongest at the start, with "People," "Hong Kong," "Highway (Under Construction)," and "Rockit" emerging as the real gems. From "Bill Murray" on, the tracks descend into a more experimental and dissonant style. None of the songs are bad per se, but if you're feeling a bit irate to begin with, some of these tunes will grind your nerves till you foam at the mouth and pound the "next" button on your player with reckless abandon. The only track that I feel could have been omitted is "Murdoc is God." Seriously, the shrieking guitar riffs sound like someone choking an army of harpies. "Stop the Dams" closes out the disc nicely, though, with a great accompaniment that showcases Albarn's haunting vocals.
Despite all its faults, D-Sides is a decent album (the first disc anyway. Can't really say much about the second as I haven't listened to it - but really, what's the point of remixing a Gorillaz song?) Don't buy it if you're just a casual listener - this is for true fans who don't mind slogging through a bit of musical muck to get a peak at what makes this phenomenal group tick.
January 13, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
