Beyond

I have no idea what the conceptual idea was behind the bonus disc of Commodore’s cover versions. Adding anything to the originals is really difficult. Most people will know the 5 tunes as part of our everyday audio tapestry in shops, radio and clubs. But it’s 2015/16 and maybe it's a safe commercial endeavour to rerecord some classics without adding anything to it. Artistically these versions are pointless. If you do not make a big change to the arrangements but re-record them with a bunch of Italian studio musicians with one guy (guitarist David Florio) providing back ground vocals instead of a bunch of soul singers and then add cheap synths instead of real strings and horns, you are not going to achieve much but disappointment.No disrespect to Mario Biondi himself (he’s trying hard…) but several of the tracks made me think of Silvio Berlusconi’s time as a cruise ship singer.“Nightshift" is a soulless and rushed cover band job you will hear in better hotel bars."Three Times A Lady” is overshadowed by cheap effects, synthesised keyboard vocals instead of background vocals and an annoying Little Drummer Boy pattern (including keyboard horns).“Easy” gets off to a difficult start as Mario’s deep voice struggles to evoke the same feeling that Lionel Ritchie did. My first thought was “it’s a demo…!” At least this is a totally new arrangement, but it doesn’t work: the drum programming and keyboards of Massimo Greco are just plain bad. Everybody knows the tune for the background vocals and they are just plain wrong here."Brick House” starts off with drums like the original: 16 bars on the One and funky and then after the horn stabs it’s on the Two and Four and whitewashed.“Lady (You Bring Me Up)” wants to groove like Daft Punk with Nile Rodgers but is just daft funk.Unless you find this Special Edition cheaper than the normal album (I did), do not bother buying it.As for the normal album….Mario Biondo’s been on the scene for over a decade now and after his fantastic releases on Schema records has seemingly been trying to find a different route to more of a mass market. His releases on Italian labels Tattica and Halidon were doomed to go unnoticed on the international scene but the quality of his output became a bit of a mixed bag on some of the Sony releases. After “Mario Christmas” in 2013 (which I didn’t bother checking out…) he’s back in 2015 with “Beyond" and I am wondering whether the record company put a gun to his head and said “it’s pop market success now or never!"“Open Up Your Eyes” opens the album with a gimmicky intro announcing ab Air France flight (in English!?!?), then Mario's signature voice before a rather average R&B rhythm track kicks in. It’s not bad, but for me the combination does not work as it has in the past when his voice was oozing class above more jazzy backgrounds.“All Of My Life" starts with a pleasant groove, but strange instrumentation (accordion?), a poppy chorus and back ground vocals as well as a weak rap drag it down. Again, Mario’s voice seems wasted against this instrumental.“Love Is A Temple” has a better match of voice and tune but the track is going further towards pop territory and does nothing for me; neither does the ballad “All I Want Is You”.However, we have not hit the bottom yet: “I chose You” is truly awful boy-band material written by Natalia Hajjara, Aaron Cowan and J. Warner. An absolute disgrace for a singer like Mario Biondi. Unbelievably bad.“You Can’t Stop The Love Between Us” is pop funk with a stolen intro from…. arrrgh, I can’t remember which break beat they ripped off. Somebody please put a comment under this review and help me out. Anyway, it all remains trivial and mundane and becomes irritating with its two spoken / rapped females verses in French by Italian singer Lola Leghaly who does not even sound like she speaks French very often...“Blind” is a bit better in production and delivery but still far from decent recent retro-groove producers like Cool Million who actually know how to do this right.“Come Down" wants to aim for a Bruno Mars stomper, but it is missing the catchy hook and the ballsy delivery. The simple, verging on stupid harmony structure make it another weak song writing effort by Natalia Hajjara, Aaron Cowan this time together with C. Brown.Surprise, surprise, “Heart Of Stone” is a cover of a 2010 song by UK artist Jonathan Jeremiah. I think the original is not particularly well know and (in my opinion) not worth checking out. This cover is certainly better. It is noticeable from the opening chord and the soulful background vocals as well as the brassy rhythm track. Finally a good track!!! It’s not stellar but a highlight of the album and the explanation is not difficult to find: It’s the Dap-Kings delivering all music with two proper soul sisters on background vocals. Check out the album by The Dapettes AKA Saun & Starr.“Fly Away” is a good slow-jam that makes better use of Mario’s deep voice over a decent soul groove. It would have been nice to give the Flugelhorn a bit more prominence or even a solo and it would have certainly benefitted from better production of the drum track and the synths. Maybe a job for a talented remixer?“Another Kind Of Love” written by Mario together with JP Maunick of Incognito fame makes a nod to Cameo’s Candy in the rhythm guitar groove and the synth sprinkles. Not bad if you like that 80s feel.“Over The World” is again a pop tune; it’s heavily borrowing from something I can not put my finger on as I do not know enough pop music by name.“Where Does The Money Go” is a bit of a “Yikes!” moment: the two bar drum intro made me expect a “Superstition” rip off, but instead it becomes a pop/schunkel reggae tune. This might work on German radio, but, gee, Mario, what were you thinking…?So, my ultimate verdict, actually, my plea: Mario Biondi, go back to your old Schema mates from a decade ago. Work with the High Five Quintet, let Nicola Conte remix your stuff for the dance floor, go to London and work with Incognito’s Bluey or go to Brooklyn and work with Bosco Mann and the Daptone crew on a whole album. Whatever you do, get rid of your current production crew and Never Ever let Natalia Hajjara and Aaron Cowan write another song for you.Edit and PS: To get an idea of the level of musician's talent wasted on this record, please go to YouTube and check out bassist Federico Malaman playing the composition "MALADEY" together with 19year old Indian prodigy Mohini Dey...

The greatest Italian soul singer why he isn't better known in the UK does my head in BUY IT and anything else just check the tracks some of the more Italian focused songs I'm not to keen on but if only 1/2 on the album then BUY IT

Delivery was fine, this album is different from Mario's previous albums, it is okay, but definitely not as good as Legends of Soul or Sun.

Good but not as good as I have expected on base of previous recordings. One single step to far away from mainstream jazz

Totally different, just love the album, cannot stop playing, has me dancing round the kitchen. Well done Mario !

Present

I love it. With every minute more and more.It's the best Mario's album!

A cracking album, containing up tempo beats and soulfull slowlys