Original Record of the Year: Way Out West - The Gift
In 1996 I was mostly listening to underground dance music which meant by definition whatever I was going to pick as my record of the year would be too commercial given it would of made the Top 40.
As I went through the list I was reminded of my pick for 1996 with the reservations I had both at the time and now for picking "The Gift". The fact it's a trance record that samples vocals from a well known record of yesteryear.
The truth is there were many great dance records that made the Top 40 in 1996 and I found myself asking is "The Gift" really better than each of those records I considered.
At the same time I could think of reasons for pretty much any candidate to not take the crown. Anything from being too obvious and/or overplayed, too cheesy or not cheesy at all but doesn't have enough about it to be considered the best.
Have any of them managed to take the crown?
No they haven't. Whilst it may have sampled vocals it has a key ingredient most other dance records that made the Top 40 in 1996 didn't have, the breakbeat.
Whilst some instrumental banging techno from Carl Cox or Dave Clarke made the Top 40 and would of been worthy winners I couldn't really pick the kick drum over a breakbeat.
More to the point though I gave "The Gift" a listen and was taken back to the good old days of 1996 and reminded that the most important thing of all is what it sounds like.
