Music Is My Weapon

Politics of Dancing 2 is a return to form for Paul Van Dyke. Ever since he mesmerized us with his first Politics of Dancing, the clubbing world has been waiting patiently for him to strike back, and this set is what we've been waiting for. The first CD's selection of music is masterful. It does take you on a journey that is sunny and optimistic and prepares you to go to the "other side" of CD 2. The mixing is excellent too. The CD starts off with a soothing melody and I was ecstatic when the tempo starts to change at 3:15 mts and by 3:58 mts, you know this CD is a class apart. Words cannot describe the feeling, its indeed Van Dykes best of the best. The second CD, as many have pointed out, has a vibe similar to the first Politics of Dancing CD. However, between the two of them, I prefer the first because its so unlike Paul Van Dyke.

Even though it doesn't say so in the liner notes, I am pretty sure that PVD had a hand in re-editing just about every track on here, just like Politics 1, because nothing is listed as a remix version, yet most tracks vary from their original form. Most of the tracks are fine, including his twist on Adrenalin, which is great in any form, however there are a few duds, and on disc 1, he destroys an otherwise classic bit of melodic vocal trance: The Unknown by White Water featuring Melinda Gareh. The original is pure bliss with a incredible melody that glides through and carries the vocals, but by changing that, he made it into a very dull track. But no matter, this set is everything you would expect from Van Dyke. Not as good as his lives sets, in my oppinion, but it's the next best thing you can get from popularized recordings.