Goomusic Collection 2004-2008 New + Best Selection (2CD + Karaoke DVD) DVD Region All

The best remixes among the five are "Hanami (Big Band Version)" (Disc 2 - Track 2) and "Rolls. Royce (Blues Version)" (Disc 2 - Track 3). For "Hanami", the new breezy big band arrangement gives the song a fresh makeover that effectively maintains the energy of the original. While the "Rolls. Royce." remix is actually closer to lounge in style than blues (as the title tries to suggest), HOCC's quiet vocal and the jazzy piano accompaniment works with the composition. However, the new remix also loses much of the emotion of the original version. As for the other remixes, the new Brit Rock arrangement for "Glamorous (Marching Version)" (Disc 2 - Track 1) loses the glamour that made the original song what it was, while the bombastic "You're the 80's (Disco Version)" is barely recognizable after given a post-millennium update. Lastly, "Brightness Club" (Disc 2 - Track 5) doesn't exactly need a minimalist version featuring only a piano accompaniment, but we get one here anyway. Stick to the original version (Disc 1 - Track 5) instead.

Goo Music Collection also offers four new tracks from HOCC. First is the much-touted duet "Sword and Snow" (Disc 1 - Track 1), featuring Sammi Cheng and written as the theme song for a 2007 video game convention. Co-written and co-produced by HOCC, the song is best described as a power waltz, combining a strong electronic arrangement with a composition of the latter genre. However, HOCC's voice is far more suitable for the song, and it dominates throughout the track, with Sammi relegated to vocal accompaniment.

Next is the Edmond Tsang-penned "Synchronized Swimming" (Track 2). The gentle ballad has an affecting melody and the usual solid vocal from HOCC. However, the song moves too quickly from the second verse on, perfunctorily moving from one section to another without giving any room for the composition to breathe. The resulting product gives off the feeling that the song is simply included as the obligatory ballad for the karaoke crowd. Faring better is "Kaleidoscope" (Disc 1 - Track 4), a rare electronic song written by singer-songwriter Pong Nan that succeeds with both the composition and the kinetic arrangement by Veegay (of Hong Kong music collective People Mountain People Sea). Lastly, "Montreal" (Disc 1 - Track 4), written by fellow young artist Endy Chow, is the more effective ballad among the new songs with its gentle composition and touching autobiographical lyrics by Wyman Wong (HOCC lived in Montreal for 8 years).

The compilation also features songs from the most successful stage of HOCC's musical career thus far, including "Out in the Open" (Disc 1 - Track 8) and "If There is no Accident" (Disc 2 - Track 12) from the album Glamorous. However, unlike "You're the 80s", which appear in both the original (Disc 1 - Track 10) and remix versions, the original version of "Glamorous" is sorely missing here. Goo Music Collection also includes songs from Butterfly Lovers, the stage musical that was undoubtedly the biggest project of HOCC's career and featured two of HOCC's biggest hits ("Becoming Butterfly" and "Rolls. Royce."). The collection even includes non-radio plugs such as "The Flowery Romance" (Disc 1 - Track 11) and "Full Circle" (Disc 2 - Track 13), showing that Goo Music Collection is not just a mandatory compilation slapped together by a record company committee. All in all, the compilation not only serves a way for new fans to catch up on HOCC's music; it also gives enough incentives such as the new tracks and interesting "remakes" for loyal fans to buy in. Most of all, Goo Music Collection is an effective portfolio to prove that HOCC is one of the most versatile musicians working in Hong Kong music today.

Recommended tracks: "Synchronized Swimming" (Disc 1 - Track 2), "Kaleidoscope" (Disc 1 - Track 3), "Montreal" (Disc 1 - Track 4), "Out in the Open" (Disc 1 - Track 8), "You're the 80's" (Disc 1 - Track 10), "Grain (Wooden Heart Mix)" (Disc 1 - Track 14), "Rolls. Royce" (Disc 1 - Track 15), "Hanami (Big Band Version)" (Disc 2 - Track 2), "I Wish I Can Let You Go" (Disc 2 - Track 7), "Becoming Butterfly" (Disc 2 - Track 11), "If There's no Accident" (Disc 2 - Track 12)

by Kevin Ma