MADONNA
"Die Another Day"
Warner Bros. (42492-2)
Release Date: October 22, 2002

"Die Another Day," produced by Madonna and Mirwais, is the theme for the James Bond film of the same name. However, this is not a "typical" Bond theme. The "Radio Edit" is a shortened verison of the song. This is a great dance track, but I don't entirely like how the vocoder was used. But the strings add a nice touch.

The "Dirty Vegas Main Mix" is the longest mix. The main body of the mix is pretty good; however, it takes too long to start, and too long to end. I would have liked it better if it was shorter.

Felix Da Housecat mixed "Thee RetroLectro Mix." The music in the mix doesn't change much, and it becomes annoying. Vocally, the mix focuses on the chorus (and the verse vocals that appear are over-processed). The mix also feels like it takes too long to end.

The "Thunderpuss Club Mix" gets stuck in a groove, and never really varies. The stuttering of the vocals and the repeating vocals become annoying. The ending of the mix is repetitive, making the mix feel lengthy. This mix would have been stronger if it was shorter and didn't overuse its elements.

The "Deepsky Remix" is the best mix, and feels like it's two minutes shorter than it actually is. Madonna's vocals are processed, but they are listenable. Of all the mixes, this one utilizes a lot from the original (most notably, the strings).

"Brother Brown's Bond-Age Club," mixed by Henrik Olsen and Atle Thorberg, is the most boring. Musically and vocally, nothing stands out (which is enhanced by the mix's length). The mix is repetitive, and takes too long to end.

I would recommend this single to die-hard Madonna fans. However, for the casual fan, I would recommend the Die Another Day soundtrack.

(reviewed by Lesley Muir on October 24, 2002)