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Ghettoblaster | 
 enlarge | Artist: Armand Van Helden
Label: Southern Fried
Category: Music
List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £1.25
You Save: £10.74 (90%)
New (16) Used (1) Collectible (1) from £1.25
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 35467
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
EAN: 5060065581598
ASIN: B000OYC1S6
Release Date: May 7, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Go Crazy - Helden, Armand Van & Majida | | • | Touch Your Toes - Helden, Armand Van & Fat Joe/BL | | • | I Want Your Soul - Van Helden, Armand | | • | NYC Beat - Van Helden, Armand | | • | Playing House - Helden, Armand Van & Kudu | | • | This Ain't Hollywood - Helden, Armand Van & Will 'Tha Wiz' Lemay | | • | Still In Love - Helden, Armand Van & Karmen | | • | Playmate - Helden, Armand Van & Roxy Cottontail/Lacole 'Tigga' Campbell | | • | Je T'aime - Helden, Armand Van & Nicole Roux | | • | To Be A Freak - Helden, Armand Van & George Llanes | | • | All Nite - Helden, Armand Van & La Roka | | • | Track Called Jack - Van Helden, Armand |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
"I don't want my music to be intelligent," explains Armand Van Helden. "I like making sex records." Hence, Ghettoblaster, the New York DJ's latest album of pumping beats, hip-house attitude, strobe-lit breakdowns and diva soul power. Van Helden's pretention-free attitude proves to be an unexpected boon, as for the most part, Ghettoblaster neatly skirts the perrenial problems that crop up when DJs turn their hand to artist albums. The few collaborations - mostly with low-key names, although rapper Fat Joe supplies the vocal hook to "Touch Your Toes" - are smooth and inobtrusive, and while there's a fair bit of variety here, Van Helden never succumbs to the urge to pull a slowie. Rather, the likes of "Go Crazy" and "NYC Beat" head straight to the dancefloor, pneumatic 4/4 numbers peppered with cheeky nods to "Planet Rock", "Pump Up The Jam", "Blue Monday", and "Music Sounds Better With You". That's not to say Armand Van Helden isn't without a few tricks of his own though - hear how "I Want Your Soul" cheekily simulates a smooth DJ mix, crossfader drifting from robust electro thud to soulful '80s diva disco. -- Louis Pattison
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 A poor body of work August 15, 2007
Tre Mendous (uk)
I would say this is his weakest album since his first one. This is extremely basic(and not good basic) 80s sounding music with 80s effects. His album Nympho is far superior to this. 2 future 4 u and killing puritans are also better albums than this.
Buy Nympho instead if you haven't got it.
 Armand Van Helden - Ghettoblaster July 17, 2007
C. Allen (UK)
Great great album. A return to form as far as i'm concerned.
With he's last album, i had huge anticipation, what with My My My, Hear My Name and Into Your Eyes, but Nympho for me was a big disappointment. Other then the singles, i thought it lacked substance.
But Ghettoblaster on the other hand, is a completely different kettle of fish, and has many great tracks on it. Not just a couple of lead singles.
There's no doubt this sounds very different to what's out there at the moment but that's part of the attraction to this album.
There are many highlights, but ones that stand out for me are Go Crazy, I Want Your Soul, A Track Called Jack plus current chart hit NYC Beat.
Highly recommended!
If you don't like it first time try it again but twice as loud June 20, 2007
M. T. Belton (Manchester)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Not a life changing record so maybe doesn't deserve 5 but it just makes me happy to listen to, I hope it really was made in a week or two so as it sounds. Uncomplicated and incredibly slick production from the man everyone in dance music wants to be. DJs will appreciate because every track is a floor filler, it shows why it is ultimately DJs themselves who make the most solid, well constructed tracks - crisp, massive bass, dynamics perfect for big sound systems and simple effective hooks and minimal melody. Some of it is a bit retro for European ears perhaps but I love it. Would love to play out tracks like Touch Your Toes in a club. Look forward to some happy feel good nights with a return to less 'serious' music to party out to, hope this trend continues and the only person who could do a better album with that philosophy is perhaps Todd Terry, here's hoping :)
It's retro done right - excellent album May 25, 2007
Mr. Stuart Bruce (Bristol, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Armand Van Helden has made an openly 'retro' album in which he revives dance music that really deserves the name 'old skool'- late 80s and early 90s Chicago house, NYC house, even rave and acid house. Everybody loves old skool.
It's so focussed on its grooves and proper house sounds that there's less emphasis on the big vocal than there was on his previous album "Nympho". You don't sing along as much with this album. As a result "Ghettoblaster" might contain fewer hit singles, but that doesn't mean it's not as good an album- in fact it's a little bit better.
It flows really well and it doesn't rely so heavily on big samples. Nowadays the "80s revival" is too full of people nicking other people's songs wholesale without thought, Van Helden on this album is recreating the sounds and the energy without having to just depend on the big-name samples, which is a good thing.
If you've heard the singles "Touch Your Toes" or "NYC Beat", they'll give you a good idea of the whole album.
"This Ain't Hollywood" with its full-on rave synth line is one of my favourites, as is the paired-down thumping of "Playmate". Last track "A Track Called Jack" is very reminiscent of Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk. If you've got a "best of Chicago house" CD in your collection you're fond of, then you should really like this.
Contrary to one of the other reviews, the single "My My My '06" is NOT on this album, unless you count the bonus DVD edition which Amazon doesn't stock.
I'm giving this 4 instead of 5 only because the album could have done with one or two more catchy vocals, but you might not agree.
Front loaded May 13, 2007
Curmudgeon (West Australia)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Surprisingly energetic 80s pastiche with lots of great anthems, mostly in the first half of the lp. The opener Go Crazy, I Want Your Soul and NYC Beat are guaranteed floor fillers, but the fact every track hits like an anthem means the album gets a little tedious over its course. Still, this is happy happy dance music that's more immediately satisfying than the new Groove Armada album.
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