Kylie Minogue

Boombox

(Astralwerks)

Record Review by Joe Cortez

Just when you thought it was safe to stop dancing and go back about your business along comes yet another Kylie Minogue compilation. No mere greatest hits package serving to remind Americans yet again what they've been missing out on for the past two decades (give or take), Boombox is an international release that features remixes of some of Minogue's biggest club hits and little known gems from the past nine years of her sometimes uneven yet never boring career.

The remixes on Boombox were performed by some of the more popular names in the world of beats (or so I'm told). I imagine the names that will immediately catch the attention of most are Chemical Brothers ("Slow") and Fischerspooner ("Come Into My World"). Most impressive here is the consistency found throughout the disc, especially considering the range of "eras" covered in this release. Never one to settle down, Minogue's albums during the period represented here showcase the Australian pop star at her most successful and diverse.

That said, Boombox is an odd beast. Minogue neophytes are better served by the countless hits compilations already on the market or the full albums themselves while hardcore fans will likely have most, if not all, of the tracks in this collection. Providing further frustration is the omission of Greg Kurstin's dreamy remix of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head." Perhaps the most notable track on this disc and best reason to add it to your collection is the now infamous "bootleg" New Order mash up "Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head."

Still, it's hard to deny the quality of the songs on this disc and purely infectious nature of this collection. While fans have already made their voices heard with respect to the fact that there's nothing necessarily new to be found here, I can't imagine anyone considering picking this up being disappointed by what they're getting. Not quite a must have, Boombox still manages to still be fun excursion into the world of pop music's most important natural resource.