Shut Up and Dance
How The East Was Won 1989-2009
Shut Up and Dance Presents: How The East Was Won 1989-2009 is a lot of music. It’s so much music, had Gilligan’s three-hour tour not gone awry, he’d still have almost half an hour to play on the way back. Then again, when a group with 20 years of history goes into “Let’s make a compilation” mode, not much else can be expected. The UK duo Philip ‘PJ’ Johnson and Carl ‘Smiley’ Hyman (better known as Shut Up and Dance)has put their catalogue on display- not only as artists, but as a label. With three discs to enjoy, there are definite “eras” illustrated throughout the collection. The first disc focuses on the hip-hop/house of old, channeled by the Ragga Twins, Nicolette and Shut Up and Dance themselves (among others, of course). Number two transitions into the mid-life time period— highlighting an increased use of electro sounds and faster beats per minute. Finally, the last disc brings the later years to the forefront, where hip-hop; trademark 90’s piano-heavy house; dub-tech; and quasi-drum and bass comes into play. There is a little something for everyone throughout the three and a half hours. “Autobiography of a Crackhead,” for example, is an interesting look at a subject hip-hop is all too familiar with. Not to mention there’s enough dance floor ammunition to destroy any underground cave the anti-groove Vietcong may be utilizing. “Sensation,” while nothing like the “Autobiography..” keeps things hot and heavy with a guitar sample that just can’t be beat. Since there is so much going on throughout …How The East Was Won, it may be hard for some listeners to feel like they are not being pulled and tugged in nearly every direction from one track to the next. For those who can ride the tide, it is easy to see the kind of impact Shut Up and Dance has had in the past and will, hopefully, continue to have in the future.
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