Remix City, Vol. 1 – R. Kelly

A hardly essential (or even all that necessary) release cooked up in time for the holiday season, Remix City contains remixes originally released throughout R. Kelly's career, dating all the way back to his first album with Public Announcement. These alternate versions aren't often on the level of the originals, but a few that enjoyed extensive play on radio -- such as the great "Old School Mix" of "Bump n' Grind," replete with a sample from the Five Stairsteps' "O-o-h Child" and a then-timely Mad Cobra (!) quote -- will make the set ideal for collectors who don't have the resources to hunt down the singles. The best cut here, the seven-minute remix of "Step in the Name of Love," is the most joyous R&B song he or anyone else released in the early 2000s, but it appeared on both Chocolate Factory and The R. in R&B Collection. Ditto the "Ignition" remix. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide