Mark Ronson: Dizzy Enough To Be Drunk, But Not Drunk (Free Records Available)
Nov 21, 2007
Words by Sean Moeller
Illustration by Jen Pagnini
Mark Ronson’s _Version_ has been out now for a considerable time, but the holidays bring forth the kind of festive attitude that gives the record a second life just as Ben Folds’ _Fear of Pop_ gave William Shatner’s _The Transformed Man_ new breath and then bred a new disc of odd, quirky coolness, _Has Been_. Until you’ve heard Captain Kirk go about listing the things he can and cannot "get behind," you’ve just barely lived - the truth, as they say, hurts. Ronson’s debut disc is a collection of mostly remixes of songs that used to be one way and are now enlisted to carry forth Ronson’s very particular stylistic shimmy. He puts the love on the crackly, snap-poppy parts of records that one could only originally own as vinyl circles. Not only that, but Ronson also wears his affinity for those genres that are suddenly conveniently hip thanks to his pals Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. He’s brought this movement of jazz standardization and reggae feeling into the mainstream and _Version_ is what he’s kept in his hip pocket. Takes on Britney Spears’ "Toxic" and The Zutons’ "Valerie" are - dare I say - vast improvements upon the originals and that’s really the best compliment you’re ever going to be able to give a "remix," though these are really built from new bricks and just stirred putty and mortar. These songs have been re-roofed and extreme home made over, leaving a resemblance that is just there in name and illusion. Hearing Dirt McGirt (a dedication of the record was made in the late Dirty’s name) go buckwild on a cameo on "Toxic" is the only piece we needed to accessorize Brit and her skin-toned, sparkly catsuit in the original. Ronson, with all of his special gifts of not rehashing, but reconstructing songs that never seemed to need improving on before, easily make a fella or bird woozy without any nog or corn wine. Immaculately, he’s designed a way to make you feel as dizzy as if you’d already sucked down three bottles of your choice year.
*We’ve got four copies of _Version_ to just hand out. Want one? We’re going to need you to just let us know you’re interested. Send a message to us at daytrotter@gmail.com with the subject line, "Ronson goodies" and give us your favorite Shatner line from _Has Been_. It might require some research. We’ll just be over here waiting.*
