Various Artists - Rave Anthems: Old Skool Classics (CD)

All Music Guide

Jumping on the hardcore-reissue bandwagon, Deca Dance released this three-disc rave collection. It has a similar design scheme to Ministry of Sound's Back to the Old Skool series (and practically the identical font used for the back-cover track listing), but this one won't provoke nearly the same squeals of recognition and fist-pumping of MoS' excellent columes. Only half of the songs are deserved classics: SL2's "On a Ragga Tip," 2 Bad Mice's "Bombscare," Jonny L's "Hurt You So," Praga Khan's "Injected with a Poison," Awesome 3's "Don't Go." Most of the rest barely qualify as historical novelties, prime examples being Jack N Chill's "The Jack That House Built" and Rave Nation's "Stand Up." With dozens of similar compilations overfilling the racks, Rave Anthems: Old Skool Classics simply doesn't cut it.

- John Bush, All Music Guide