Paul Oakenfold

If your musical career began in underground clubs, it's safe to say you've jumped the shark when you release a compilation of your own remixes. Oakenfold's been filling large venues for years, but the distance from the dance floor has resulted in some serious distance from the very real talent he's displayed over the years. He starts with his track "Starry Eyed Surprise," which was used in a series of Diet Coke commercials. The big surprise is the nice segue to his remix of the Happy Mondays track "Step On." Make no mistake: There's some good work on this CD; his remixes on Justin Timberlake's "My Love" and "Sorry" by Madonna are solid, as is his work on "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas, from a Mitsubishi commercial. And his own work isn't bad, like "Faster Kill Pussycat" with Brittany Murphy. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save us from questionable remixes of the likes of U2 or Smashing Pumpkins. When taken in total, the right place for this CD is back in its case.