Mixerr Album Reviews #2,287

Alice Deejay ‎– Who Needs Guitars Anyway? is one of the most futuristic sounding electronic Euro house albums of the 21st century. Because who needs guitars anyway? This is the future where electronic keyboards and synthesizers have replaced musical instruments. The album is a great example of Euro house and Europop from the late 90's/early 00’s. Many Euro house along with Europop albums had incorporated the sounds of Euro house, synth pop, trance, dance, and electronic music. This was typical for popular Europop albums that were released during that time.

The album uses a fusion of manufactured electronic synth pop, upbeat dance-pop oriented lyrics, Euro house, and dance beats over trance soundscapes. If you ignore the repetitive dance-pop oriented lyrics, you will actually enjoy the electronic Euro house sound in the songs on this album. Listening to this album will be a mind-opening trance experience. There is something about trance and Euro house songs that are life-changing. These songs can do numbers on the dance floor or at a lounge. Each song is a guaranteed hit and a banger. Euro house can’t get any better than this. The album is a mind-opening life-changing trance experience that will change your world and how you view things.

Sadly this was the only album from this group of a young Dutch female DJ’s out of The Netherlands. That is because the group decided to call it quits in 2002 after the trance cow had milked out of hits thus cashing in and calling it day. What Alice Deejay left behind was a classic legendary masterpiece of a Euro house album that still gets play to this day.

Alice Deejay’s album was successful as the album stayed at #1 on the Billboard Charts from 1999 to 2002. Nearly each of their singles stayed in the single digits on the Billboard Charts for several months.



Back In My Life is the retro yet futuristic sound upbeat Euro House opener of this album that will make you want to dance and groove on. The song uses retro sounding Atari synths blended in with modern electronically processed beats which have such high energy. Now what stands out about this song are the retro sounding Atari synths, high energy beats, and the clear vocals.

Back In My Life got heavy rotation on the radio and in clubs from 1999 to 2002 in The Netherlands and the United States among other countries but was successful especially in Europe. The song was a smash hit all around the world and is still played in clubs today. Back In My Life hits deeper emotions than any of the other contemporary 90s trance songs out there at that time. This song will bring back those good memories.

The song Back In My Life is about Alice wanting the man she once loved to come back into her life and be by her side. She wants her which she once loved to come back into her life and be by her side because that is where he belongs. That is where she thinks he belong. Alice will never stop or give up. Her love is much too strong. Alice is standing here in the rain crying out her final tears. Calling out his name again. She remembers when her told her he didn't want anybody else but her. Alice is that same girl. That's all he needs to see.



Better Off Alone was the upbeat trance laced Euro house song that did numbers on the dance floor, radio stations, and skating rinks from 1998 to 2002. Better Off Alone ruled the late 90's and early 00’s from the years 1998 to 2003. This song is a great example of Euro house and Europop from the late 90's/early 00’s because it incorporated Euro house, dance-pop, and electronic. This song will definitely make you want to dance.  The song is a mind-opening life-changing trance experience that will change your world and how you view things.

In terms of emotion, this song has a blend of sadness, happiness, uncertainty, and loneliness. The emotions of this song as real as it gets. The song deals with loneliness and desolation in a sense.

Some of you house heads may remember that Better Off Alone was recorded in E Lydian using the E kay as the tonic note. B was not played as a note despite the song being written in B major. The song is set a fast tempo of 137 BPM and is set in common time in 4|4 using four quarter-note beats per measure.

The song was memorable due to its repetitive dance-pop lyrics which were as follows.: “Do you think you're better off alone?/Do you think you're better off alone?/Do you think you're better off alone?/Do you think you're better off alone?/Talk to me, ooh/Talk to me/Talk to me, ooh/Talk to me” Now these words were in that one simple line that said it all. “Do you think you're better off alone?” This made the emotion very real and deep.


Celebrate Our Love is about Alice celebrating her love. She also celebrates her love of music in this song too. This song definitely should have been a single as the Europop sounds and dance beats were used. This is another example of Europop and Euro house from the late 90’s.

The sun is already shining. Alice can see it's gonna be a perfect day. We're gonna party ’till the music fades away. Celebrate our love. Now she knows that we're together in perfect harmony. Peace and love is what we dream of. Forever we'll be free. So we celebrate our love. So come on, let's celebrate!
 

The Lonely One uses trance synths which follow upbeat drum patterns over repetitive pop lyrics. Beautiful, uplifting, motivational, and charismatic are four words that can be used to described this song. Alice teaches us we do not have to be lonely in this lifetime. The song is a mind-opening life-changing trance experience.


The title track Who Needs Guitars Anyway? is a cheerful electronic instrumental which uses synth pop and dance beats. The song serves a wonderful breakbeat tool for DJ’s.


Will I Ever is another one of the group’s song which charted in the single digits on the Billboard Charts despite not being as successful as Better Off Alone or Back In My Life. The song uses an electronic soundscape backed by synths and dance beats which follow a rhythm. Alice wonders if she will fall in love. And if she does, will it be with you? The song explains Alice’s uncertainty of who she wants to fall in love with.

She doesn't dare to let it show. Therefor you will never know what she really feels on the inside. How she lays awake at night. Alice wonders, “Will I ever fall in love? And if I do, will it be with you? Will I ever fall in love? And will you be the one for me?”

Alice guesses it's all in her head. She will be alone instead. Dreaming of a night with someone and all the things they would do.


Elements of Life uses high energy powered dance beats over an electronic Euro house soundscape. The song is a cheerful electronic instrumental which uses synth pop over dance beats. Elements of Life is similar to the title track Who Needs Guitars Anyway?.

Not too many people know this fact but Elements of Life was used in the 2002 short film "The Last Race".  The song was used during the first race when the Acura Integra was racing against that red 5.0 Fox body Mustang.

The song was also used in the 2001 film The Fast and The Furious. Elements of Life appeared during the first race where a Honda Integra GSR competing against Johnny Tran in his RJ de Vera (Honda S2000). The scene where they were racing against each other. Some might not remember that Johnny Tran had supercharged his Honda S2000 prior to the first race.


Fairytales is much different than the other songs as this song uses a much darker sound and is slower in tempo. The song sounds similar to background music you would hear playing those Final Fantasy games. The song has a fantasy vibe.

Here are the lyrics used in this song.

(Divine...fantasy...like a dream...never ends...)
Fairytales are in my head, and in my head they start
To tell you bout the deepest thoughts that live inside my heart


Waiting For Your Love is a sad love driven by that high energy Euro pop sound. The song is driven by high energy powered electronic beats of course. The group manages to use a perfect balance in terms of emotions as the song is loving and sad at the same time.

Alice is waiting for your love. She doesn’t want to loose that feeling. She is laying in her bed crying. Waiting for your love. She asks to be given one more chance. These lyrics are what make this song loving and memorable.: “I’m waiting for your love/Never wanna lose that feeling”

[Bridge]
I'm waiting for your love
Don't wanna loose that feelin'
I'm waiting for your love
Let me hold you in my arms


No More Lies serves as a part 2 to Better Off Alone. The song uses such intense trance synths and Euro pop beats. No More Lies deals how we are living in a world of illusion and dreams. The truth is just an illusion. Why is it so hard to believe that we're living in a world of dreams? The truth is just an illusion. There'll be no more lies. That is if we don't deny what our love means now.


I Can See (See It in Your Eyes) is one of the deeper hypnotic trance songs by the group that uses such deep emotion. You can feel the emotion too as the rhythm progresses.

You can tell there is deep emotion in this song by reading these lyrics.

[Verse 2]
Whatever makes you happy
Whatever makes you cry
Whatever takes to hold you
My dream is still alive
Every time I see you laughin'
Every time you're passin' by
Every time I hear you talkin'
I feel there's something in the sky

[Chorus]
I can see, see it in your eyes
I can feel, yes, it feels so nice
I can tell, my love is strong
Touch me now, you are the one
I can see, see it in your eyes
I can feel, yes, it feels so nice
I can tell, I love you over and over
And over and over and over


Everything Begins With An E is another electronic instrumental that will take you on a musical journey. Trance fans and house fans will definitely love this song. The song uses a melody which follows dance beats. The melody comes back to the final beat during the very end. There are so many emotions you can feel on this song. You can feel a sense of positivity, brightness, new birth, and spiritual uplifting.

Everything Begins With An E sounds similar to a Vengaboys song. That’s because the song uses the same production team which produces songs for the Vengaboys who are Danski & DJ Delmundo. Some of the music used in this recording used on the track Vengaboys - 48 Hours.


Got To Get Away is another one of the fast paced yet darker trance songs on the album.

Alice has got to get away and move on with her life. She was afraid. So she kept her feelings inside. They shared love. Sadly he didn't come back to her. It crushed her heart to know that he is never coming back home. He just left her standing in the rain. Emotions swept away to nothing at all. It will never get the same. Those were the days that she was losing control.

He’s got her burning up. Alice tells him, “I’ve got to let you go.” That is because she is loosing control of herself. Losing control is not good.


Alice Deejay is the techno laced closer of the album which uses thick dark techno synths. The piano is what makes this song dark at times.

I rate this album 4/5****!!