Danny Tenaglia Albums (8)
'Global Underground: Athens'
Release Date 7/18/2000
Tracks 24
Label Boxed
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Until Danny Tenaglia's first entry arrived in late 1999, the long-running Global Underground series suffered from homogeneity. All the featured DJs had been from the U.K. -- Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, John Digweed, Nick Warren -- and all spun, for the most part, progressive house and trance. This is precisely why Tenaglia's Athens album sounded so refreshing upon its release. Tenaglia was the first American DJ in the series and also the first to spin what is generally thought of as an American style, house and techno rather than progressive -- even if he seems to favor European producers like Thomas Krome, Jesper Dahlback, and Cari Lekebusch over their Chicago and Detroit contemporaries. In particular, the first set showcases precisely why Tenaglia is widely considered to be the best of the best and why he was the first American chosen for the series. The set drifts from one style to the next -- from minimal techno to house, back to minimal techno and then onto electro -- encompassing seemingly every style except progressive. You have to marvel at the way Tenaglia mixes these disparate styles so seamlessly together and throws in tracks like Miss Kitten's "Frank Sinatra" just for fun. However, the second set is a huge disappointment, especially following the eclectic and daring first set. Tenaglia starts off with Tilt's "Seduction of Orpheus" and never drifts too far from that song's ominous progressive motifs. The highlight of this second set comes when he drops his own "Music Is the Answer" halfway through the set before quickly moving back into dull progressive territory. Tenaglia's at his best when he's spinning like Tenaglia (an eclectic track selection and daring mixes) and not in the Euro style that's so synonymous with the Global Underground series (epic, lumbering progressive tracks that require little to no mixing). You get one disc of the former and one of the latter, making this somewhat of a frustrating listen -- it's satisfying but not as satisfying as it should be. Nonetheless, it's one of Tenaglia's better mix albums and surely one of the more interesting Global Underground entries. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Global Underground: London'
Release Date 5/23/2000
Tracks 24
Label Boxed
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With his second volume in the Global Underground series (recorded at the superclub Heaven in Leicester Square) Danny Tenaglia proved himself a master mixer of all things house, from the most sensual, funky American disco to minimalist nu-house of a distinctly European variety. Tenaglia begins with a few tracks of tribal-house, exemplified by the sweet electric piano and vocal scatting on Roy Davis, Jr.'s excellent "Watch Them Come" (as Men From the Nile). From there, he grows ever more techno-oriented and minimal, spinning through cathartic dancefloor workouts like "In and Out of My Life" by ATFC and "Definition of House" by Minimal Funk IV, before ending the stellar first disc back in tribal territory with Nathan Hawks' "Back to the Q." The second disc finds Tenaglia blending Paradise Garage-inspired house with the trance sounds more familiar to regular Global Underground listeners with an effect much less powerful than on the first disc. Still, Global Underground: London is an excellent mix, definitely the best in the series so far as well as a standout concerning Tenaglia's output. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a spate of increasingly generic mix albums released during the late '90s, the DMC label spun the idea in an interesting new direction. The world's leading DJs, beginning with Danny Tenaglia, compiled collections of their favorite downtempo tracks suitable for chill-out rooms, late-night apartment parties, and all those long, tedious drives to and from clubs. Tenaglia's volume includes downbeat house tracks from some excellent producers, including Herbert, the Gentle People, Outside, and Bang the Party. Tenaglia also shows his age (that's a good thing) with a few tracks from older names -- Roy Ayers ("Running Away"), Sergio Mendes ("One Note Samba/Spanish Flea"), CeCe Peniston ("Keep on Walkin"), and Yello ("To the Sea"). The vibes are laidback and just right, proving Tenaglia knows his way around living rooms just as well as dancefloors. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With a host of productions that push all the right buttons for fans of mainstream house, Tourism sounds like a record made by a DJ who's been in the business for over a decade. By recruiting a wide range of vocalists (Teena Marie, Liz Torres, Jo-Jo America) and relying on a similarly varied list of styles (from garage to house to even industrial of a sort), Tenaglia makes Tourism just as enjoyable as one of his mix sets at Twilo or the Tunnel. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Danny Tenaglia's Gag Me with a Tune is an infectious dance-mix album that segues a number of well-known club hits -- including Cevin Fisher's "The Way We Used To," Mike Dunn's "We Kan Never Be Satisfied" and Cassanova's Revenge's "Banji Dance" -- and features vocals by dance divas like Shay Jones, Judy Albanese, and Daphne, who starred in the Broadway hit Rent. All of the source material was released on Maxi Records, and the album is a testament not only to Tenaglia's talents as a DJ, but Maxi's innovative roster of artists. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
