Just received the CD on Sat. morning - totally outstanding, especially the Sanxion track. Someone swiped my Zzap64 audio tape years ago...

(INC Press) -- Who is Chris Abbott? And who gave him the balls and vision to create a landmark CD where classic Commodore 64 tunes gets transformed into brilliant, awe inspiring reproductions?

Of course I am speaking about the highly anticipated C64 inspired CD named "Back In Time". The making of this CD has been known to the public for nearly a year now, and the greater the anticipation, the greater the expectations. The expectation was this: now 10 or more years later from their creation, shouldn't it be possible to reproduce classic C64 tunes on professional equipment making them sound ... well, you know... WOW!?

Possible, yes. Unfortunately, many people have tried to do such and they have only fallen flat on their faces (Mod/XM composers are who I am primarily referring to here). Only Chris Huelsbeck's C64 based Rainbow Arts tribute CD and a rare Mod/XM here and there have made any improvements to C64 music. Huelsbeck's CD was so successful that it actually had to go into a second printing. Strangely enough, other old C64 musicians still haven't put two and two together to understand that there are people out there who would really like to hear this old music again!

Enter Chris Abbott. Abbott, as a C64 music fan, realized the absolute gold mine of old C64 tunes and the idea of modernizing them. Quite honestly, C64 fans have been begging, if not screaming, for such a project for quite sometime. Even during the C64's prime, Hubbard released the Thalamusic tape with "Zzap! 64" which rocked the C64 world. If it was so obvious that such a project was in high demand, what the hell took so damn long?!

I believe that the main problem is that everyone was waiting for the original artists to create CDs based on their old works. After inquiring about such a project from many of the great composers, most reply by either stating that they are much too busy or that they feel there wouldn't be enough sales to support the project. This has lead me to one conclusion: musicians have a tendency to grossly undervalue their past work.

Knowing that these old musicians were not going to get the job done, Abbott set out to create the CD himself. You see, Abbott is not only a C64 fan, but he is also a musician -- a smart musician I might add. Knowing the mentality of these old musicians, he decided to simply ask for their help instead of asking for them to complete an entire CD. This move may have been the key to the success of the CD as both Hubbard and Huelsbeck agreed to help. Furthermore, Abbott used the right channels. That is, he thoroughly researched copyright laws, contacted game companies and composers, etc. ensuring that the CD would be 100% legal. Lastly, and most importantly,

Abbott spent two years on this CD pouring as much quality into it as humanly possible. For example, professional equipment was used for this project and much feedback was received from the C64 music fan base. Rest assured that this CD is not simply someone dumping Mods and XM's on to an audio CD. What's on the CD? Here is a song by song review (in order that they appear on the CD):

#01 - Delta 97 (Hubbard & Abbott)

Fabulous! Delta is perhaps one of the most popular C64 tunes covered in the Mod/XM world. Sadly, so many people manage to screw this tune up. Not this time. This is _the_ best Delta I have ever heard! The screaming of the electronic trumpets is glorious! It is about God damn time that Hubbard crawled out of his cave and made some music.

#02 - Rambo: First Blood Part 2 (Abbott)

This famous Rambo loading tune starts off with some less than impressive Morse code sounds. A better choice would have been some real Morse code sounds. Thankfully, the tune really starts to heat up right after the beginning. The echoing female chorus in the background gives this tune a heavenly sound.

#03 - Sanxion (Abbott)

Let me say that when I first heard this tune on the CD that I was expecting to hear Hubbard's own Thalamusic from "Zzap! 64". For nostalgic reasons, it would have been thrilling to have that version on CD. But as I listened to Abbott's version (*gulp!*), I have to say that I prefer his more precise cover of Sanxion compared to Hubbard's Thalamusic. So I applaud Abbott's decision to re-create this tune. Unlike Hubbard's Jarre-meets-Pink Floyd version of Sanxion, the classic whining-screaming sound of Sanxion is beautifully done in this version!

#04 - Thing on a Spring (Abbott)

Chris Abbott has received some feedback from SID fans who have mentioned that they do not really care for Hubbard's original SID from this game. I should note that I too am not a big fan of this Hubbard classic. My opinion is that it suits the game well, but as a stand alone tune, it is only "okay". If you are a "Thing on a Spring" fan, however, Abbott's version will not let you down.

#05 - Parallax (Abbott)

The start of this tune does not seem to hit the notes right compared to the original. Furthermore, there should be no background noise during those starting notes! That is what makes the start of Parallax so interesting -- it is building a climax. Just like Galway's version, Abbott's version gets better the further you get into the tune. The saving grace of Parallax, the most overrated SID in the world, is the ending which is borrowed from Jarre. I was impressed on how well Abbott handled this cherished part of the tune.

#06 - Auf Wiedersehen Monty (Abbott & G. Priarone)

Ahhhhh! The start of this tune fails miserably compared to the original SID. This classic SID really has two captivating parts -- (1) the haunting beginning and (2) the splendid guitar solo later in the tune. As with Abbott's Rambo, the only bad part is the start. The rest of the tune is fast and furious just like the original. And what about the guitar solo? Let's just say that you will wonder aloud if that is Eddie van Halen playing... :)

#07 - Mutants (Abbott & Waz)

Imagine Jan Hammer (Miami Vice fame) performing Fred Gray's Mutants then you will be able to predict how this tune sounds. Sometimes artists tinker or alter original songs in hopes of creating something magical. This is truly one of those rare cases where such tinkering has paid off. The mystic flutes with the familiar Mutants background was a brilliant idea, which is an understatement to say the least.

#08 - Great Giana Sisters (Huelsbeck)

I have never heard Huelsbeck's "Rainbows" CD, so this was a unexpected surprise. Huelsbeck keeps true to the original title tune of this masterpiece game offering the same spirited sound. I salute Huelsbeck for allowing this tune on this CD (although at no small cost I assume :).

#09 - Monty '97 (Hubbard & Abbott)

I do not recall anyone ever attempting to cover this tune. Why? I would imagine no one had the balls to attempt to cover this face paced masterpiece -- except the duo of Hubbard & Abbott. This tune is remarkable in C64 history mainly due to the fast rhythm and the multitude of instruments it unleashes. Before this tune played, I predicted that I would be blown away by Hubbard & Abbott using real-sounding instruments instead of the simulated sound offered by the SID. For the most part, this tune did exactly this. The only part of the tune that I seemed to dislike is the piano solo in the latter part of the tune which seems to carry on a little too much. Following the piano solo is the famous maniac violin solo which freakin' rocked!

#10 - Arkanoid (Abbott)

This cover is good, but it really offers nothing new or extra compared to the original.

#11 - Ocean Loading Theme v3.0 (Abbott)

Abbott has at his finger tips the chance to blow me away with some serious bass at the start of this tune, but where is the bass and power like the original SID? In addition, what is that strange sound which occurs through out the tune? It sounds like Donald Duck blowing his nose -- yes, irritating. Although the melody of Abbott's cover is spot on compared to the original, his cover overall makes me want to skip to the next song.

#12 - Wizball (Hubbard & Abbott)

Turn off the lights and crank the volume up for this absolute superb rendition of the great Wizball cover theme! Such a rich and powerful sound emitting from my speakers as I type this review! I can easily envision this exact tune in a movie soundtrack -- an outer space epic journey searching for God himself. Actually, after hearing this tune I believe I have just seen God. And no, Galway looks nothing like him. ;)

#13 - To Be On Top (Huelsbeck)

Abbott writes in the CD sleeve, "This version of the tune is much lighter than the super-crunchy original." I was thinking the exact same thing when hearing this revised version. I'll take the super-crunchy original over this version any day. Overall, Huelsbeck's revision of this tune is nice, but damn it, I want that grinding-crunchy sound.

#14 - Crazy Comets 97 (Hubbard & Abbott)

I was wondering if the duo was going to be able to pull off this cover. The original has so many crazy sounds and spin off effects -- enough to wonder how Hubbard ever pieced this classic into enjoyable music. The cover from start to finish is simply fantastic! Not a single beat was missed from this crazy tune. But wait, there's more! As an added bonus, echoing speech samples from the game "Mega Apocalypse" are spread through out the tune. I would have predicted that adding those speech samples would have ruined this tune, but just the opposite happened. I love the samples! Did I mention that this tune is capped off by a classic Hubbard speed-synth attack?

#15 - Delta Victory (Abbott)

I doubt this sub-tune would fall into most peoples' top 500 list of favorite SIDs (although the title theme would). When I first saw this tune listed on the CD, I thought, "What the hell was Abbott thinking?" I am certainly not saying that Hubbard's original tune is crap, but there were simply so many more good tunes to choose from. Then I listened to the tune on the CD and fell in love with Abbott's mesmerizing masterpiece. Abbott was able to see the potential in Hubbard's tune and has improved it 10 fold. Gone from Abbott's version is the annoying fast beat background sound found in Hubbard's original. Instead you will find a peaceful, slow drum. As for the lead sound, Abbott's choice of a soft trumpet was absolutely perfect. You will reach tranquility with this tune.

When Chris Abbott was working on this CD, he requested some input from the some of the biggest SID fans in the world asking how he should go about recreating these SID classics. My offerings were to mention that he should avoid remixing the SIDs, and stick with super enhanced versions of the SIDs.

Remixes seldom succeed, plus most SID fans I know want to hear the old tunes with out a major overhaul. To his credit, I believe Chris had already made up his mind to go with this approach even before me emailing him. I also mentioned to him that he was treading on sacred ground. That is, he was attempting to mess with some classic SIDs knowing fully that the expectations were extremely high (as if he didn't already know this!). I can honestly say that with the release of this CD, Chris has earned his wings as a respectable SID covering artist meeting the expectations laid upon him. This is a landmark CD and any SID fans who lacks this CD from their collection will have a quiet void in their lives.