Dirty Vegas Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Trading their slick synth pop for guitar-based wistfulness, Dirty Vegas return after two mix albums with the entirely new One. There are hints of late-period New Order and Duran Duran on the album, and barely any of the electronic pings and pongs of the past. They're still dreamy and maudlin, and still not lyricists who will threaten Dylan, but the production is slick and hides the band's shortcomings. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Dirty Vegas, the smoothed-out trance trio with a commercial hit (literally), gets the mix-album treatment here, presumably in order to instill some underground cred into an act who desperately needs it. (The vast majority of dance producers spend years in the underground, making the success of Dirty Vegas rather suspect in certain circles.) Besides the fact that there are barely any tracks here not available on CD, A Night at the Tables is inoffensive enough, and a bit of a treat for those who liked the group's debut full-length of 2002. After opening with a pop track, a remix of Kylie Minogue's "Love at First Sight," the trio illustrates its house smarts with tracks from Murk men Oscar G and Ralph Falcon (the tribal "Dark Beat") and Chicago legend Frankie Knuckles ("Keep on Moving") and spin through lush, swirling trance more akin to their own style (Underworld's sublime "2 Months Off" and the Timo Maas mix of "See" by Starecase). The trio also find room for remixes of a pair of solid tracks from their LP, "Ghosts" and "I Should Know." Though the Dirty Vegas trio doubtless spends more time at the craps tables than with their turntables (Dimitri From Paris has nothing to worry about), A Night at the Tables displays an appreciable sense of dance culture and taste -- certainly much more than their own recordings. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Capitalizing on the nearly ubiquitous "Days Go By" (courtesy of a Mitsubishi auto advertisement), the Dirty Vegas trio released their self-titled debut in mid-2002. The album is largely made up of rocktronica, but just consider the band's crossover potential; it's conceivable this album could be accepted by fans of Paul Oakenfold, the Verve, and *NSYNC -- all at the same time. The beats are up-tempo, but the atmosphere is nocturnal; singer Steve Smith is detached but slightly confessional, poised midway from Richard Ashcroft to Justin Timberlake. The band opens up later on the album, with a few imaginative productions slanted either toward a very smooth version of classic acid house ("Throwing Shapes") or Urban Hymns-type ballads ("Candles"). ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
