Celldweller - The Beta Cessions

After the phenomenal release of the self-titled album, I, among thousands of other fans, have been anxiously awaiting the release of a new album. To feed the frenzy, Celldweller released this double disk set of demos, remixes, and instrumental tracks to give the fans something to chew on while waiting for new material.

I picked up my copy after a dazzling performance by Klayton and the boys in Baltimore. The collection is exactly what they promised: several demo versions showing the evolution of the debut CD, as well as some of Klayton’s solo work, and even a spectacular revision of Circle of Dust’s (Klayton’s previous band) last song, “Goodbye”.

The band has joked in the past about Switchback being the most expensive song ever recorded, with countless versions and mixes having been created over the years. It was amazing to hear all of the different paths that Celldweller took this song down before arriving at the current album version. In the same way, there were previous versions of other album favorites, including “Stay With Me”, “Under My Feet”, “So Sorry To Say”, and “Afraid This Time”. Many artists would have left off years ago with these versions, but Klayton is clearly a man determined for nothing but absolute and total perfection, continuously chipping away and revolutionizing his music.

The few solo tracks are more like club dance beats, and were an interesting and refreshing look into Celldweller’s evolution as an artist. Finally, the first CD ends with the first few instrumental tracks, and the second CD continues in that vein.

For what it is, this is a great album for any true Celldweller fan. The other mixes and versions are a delight and refreshing experience while we’re all waiting for the new material. My only comment would be that, for me, the instrumental tracks weren’t much of a necessity. Perhaps karaoke DJ’s are thrilled, but I’ve honestly only listened to the second CD once, and even then I didn’t make it all the way through. But hey, the price was definitely worth it, and the first disk is always in my CD player.

Recommended Tracks:
“Goodbye”
“Switchback (2001)”
“Beginning Of The End”