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Rating: - New, not improved?
This is a 15-track compilation of "Miami Vice" soundtrack instrumentals. Most of the tracks can be found on the definitive and complete "Miami Vice" soundtrack album, the two-CD/22-track "Miami Vice: The Complete Collection". There are three "new" tracks on this collection, recorded in 2004, and they are as follows:

1. Miami Vice Theme. Re-recorded in 2004, and extended with a some extra riffs and layers. Although not appreciably different, the new licks by Hammer are nice.

2. Crockett's Theme. Liner notes: "Seizing the opportunity to give Crockett's Theme a 2004 treatment, Jan re-recorded the track exclusively for this release". The end result: a somewhat brightened up tone, fattened up with some new riffs and layers. While almost identical to the original, the brighter and bigger (less haunting, less floating) sound is not an improvement, and strangely makes it sound more dated, and not more "modern". Hammer puts an annoying whistle behind the opening, which ruins the tension of the original. If you're looking for something like a Massive Attack kind of treatment, you won't find it here. Hammer's riffs are "fatter", behind the beat at times, which is also not better. The pulse of the original was what made it.

3. "South Beach". A track Hammer originally intended to use for "Vice", but never did it. This is something of a minor throwaway number. There are many post-"Vice" Hammer originals (found on his album "Drive", for example)that have a much stronger "Vice" sound.

Except for the curiosity of hearing these three tracks, hard core "Vice" fans are better off with "Miami Vice: The Complete Collection".








It is arguable if these are the "best of", and

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