Chris Sheppard – Pirate Radio Sessions Volume 2

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I own this one.. somewhere.. but haven’t been able to dig it up out of my many boxes of CDs.  Lost in the ether, I suppose, like so many fondly remembered but never again found albums.  I can’t thank “Kevin” enough for so generously supplying me with this top-notch quality rip for the purpose of sharing publicly.

Volume 2 had the very toughest of acts to follow.  Whereas Chris Sheppard’s Pirate Radio Sessions Volume 1 was such an ambitious microcosm encapsulating a diverse decade of house music, this album was much more tightly focused with a narrower and more cohesive spectrum.  I think this represented too great of a shift for me, as I had very high hopes that this series would continue exhibiting this diversity.  As such, I never got into this CD.

Listening to it again a decade later I have a lot more appreciation for it.  Although the release dates of the songs are consistently current, there’s still an assorted but samey mix of house, club anthems, and trance.  The mixing is unquestionably a lot tighter and a bit more like a DJ set than the first album (though with some obvious studio edits), and this was a concept completely lost on me at the tender age of 16 when this CD came out.  Whereas the first album was a history lesson, this one is firmly improsoned in 1994.  Fluxland.. nuff said, right?

I share this with you all in the hopes that the nostalgia will be meaningful to you.  Me, I didn’t start attending clubs and raves for another couple of years so my memories are of being a goody two-shoes in high school, still only familiarizing myself with electronic music and soaking up as much as I could like an insatiable sponge.  Although this period made an enormous impression on me and on my musical tastes for the rest of my life, even back then I still had an opinion of songs that were harmonically and technically impressive versus simplistic and derivative ones, and much of this album falls into the latter description. (though the production quality of The Real Thing by Tony Dibart is very impressive)

I know I’m missing a piece of the puzzle, though.  Had I been there in person watching Shep spin at RPM perhaps I might have found some hidden significance, an underlying theme or charm, or otherwise fond memories of crowd reactions or of having heard some of these songs in context, perhaps then I would be singing a different tune here today.  Alas, in a year where I was opening my mind to the likes of Acen, L.A. Style, 808 State, Moby, Bassheads, and Nine Inch Nails, these vapid club anthems were everpresent but soon forgotten.

Anyway, that’s enough sour grapes for now.  What are your memories of this era?  What was it like basking in the glory of Chris Sheppard, Toronto superstar and poster child for Canadian dance culture?  What did I miss?

P.s., that Junior Vasquez track at the end is a real slammer!!

1       Hope   –        Tree Frog      4:34
2     Maxx  –      Get-A-Way (Original Mix)     3:34
3     Quench  –      Dreams     3:04
4     XL  –      Fluxland     3:09
5     Ramp  –      Rock The Discotek     3:52
6     2 Minds  –      We’ve Got Ya     2:25
7     Mellow Mellow  –      One 4 Love     6:17
8     Sonic Surfers  –      Don’t Give It Up     3:48
9     R.M. Project  –      Rock To The Beat     3:39
10     Tony Di Bart  –      The Real Thing (If I Can’t Have You)     4:25
11     Reel 2 Real  –      Go On Move (Judge Jules & Michael Scream Up Remix)     4:58
Remix – Jules & Skins
12     Liberty City  –      If You Really Love Somebody (Original Mix)     2:37
13     Funky Green Dogs  –      High Up     2:39
14     Legion Of Boom  –      Reach For Me     2:45
Featuring – Sonja
15     Direct 2 Disc  –      Back Stab     3:40
Vocals – Crystal Waters
16     Junior Vasquez  –      X (Sound Factory Mix)     5:41