Mark Ronson - 'Version' reviewed
by Chris Marshall
Issue date: 4/24/07 Section: Mosaic
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Mark Ronson
Columbia
Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)
With a resume that includes producing tracks for Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera and critical darling Amy Winehouse, there are high expectations for Mark Ronson and his second album, "Version." Conceptually, "Version" is unique - an all-covers album from a diverse stable of artists, remixed by Ronson to pay tribute to his '60s funk and R&B influences. The result is mixed, with the good songs sounding great at the expense of the bad ones.
The clear highlights of "Version" are "Valerie (featuring Amy Winehouse)" and "Just (featuring Phantom Planet)." Ronson's previous work with Winehouse has been heralded as a throwback to the best of Motown, and it continues here. Over layered-horn sections, Winehouse makes an upbeat break-up song even more exciting. With "Just," Ronson manages to take a minimal Radiohead song and turns it into a ska-reggae fusion that Thom Yorke could have never imagined.
"Version" sees Mark Ronson reinvent some of yesterday's hits, with variable success.
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