Hallelujah

This American-only release was something of a catchall, drawing together tracks from the breakthrough Madchester, Rave On EP plus the WFL and U.K. Hallelujah remix singles. The result is a good balance between the rambling and shambling funk slop that made the band's name and the more dancefloor-oriented revamps that won the group even more attention. Steve Lillywhite's initial mix of "Hallelujah" serves up something of a Brit music classic, sneaking in Kirsty MacColl's voice around the chorus even while Ryder and company carry out another massive stomp and shake. The next three tracks make up the balance of the Madchester, Rave On cuts, with "Rave On" itself being the winner, with some distinctly Parliament-like backing vocal squiggles. Paul Oakenfold comes to the fore on the final three cuts, working with Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley on, respectively, "Hallelujah" and "Rave On." It's his solo mix of "W.F.L. (Think About the Future)," prominently sampling Jack Nicholson from the first Batman film, which does the trick -- a full-on rock/acid house classic that easily showed the way for Primal Scream and hordes of others in following years. ~ Ned Raggett