best Ministry of Sound Annual 1995-2000

Only including the first six year-end Annuals because those were mixed by named DJs. They had a lot more wit to them than The Annual 2002 (2001) onwards, although I still enjoy most of that one and some of its successors. But over the course of 95-00 the sense that these things should become more and more mainstream is evident. The 1995 edition has 13 tracks per disc, all pretty much run to 12" length, but by the 99 and 00 editions you have 43 tracks overall - 99 has 23 tracks crammed onto one. This doesn't really bother me and there are still inspired transitions and track selections everywhere. But it becomes less about "the club" itself, ditto the rival Cream Anthems series - the supposed nadir period of the superclub is actually when some of the 'brands' were at their most visible to date.

Anyway, all comes down to the tunes ultimately doesn't it

https://www.discogs.com/release/1681573-Boy-George-And-Pete-Tong-The-Annual
https://www.discogs.com/release/1206276-Pete-Tong-Boy-George-The-Annual-II
https://www.discogs.com/release/1185059-Pete-Tong-Boy-George-The-Annual-III
https://www.discogs.com/release/1185276-Judge-Jules-Boy-George-The-Annual-IV
https://www.discogs.com/release/240178-Judge-Jules-Tall-Paul-The-Annual-1999-Millennium-Edition
https://www.discogs.com/release/1681651-Judge-Jules-Tall-Paul-The-Annual-2000

1997 is the only one I own. The first disc is excellent, the second not so much.

1999 has the most appealing tracklisting of the ones I haven't heard.

I think I preferred the Pete Tong Essential Selection compilations that came out in this era.

NB "this era" I was 8-12 yrs old in this timeframe and not attending superclubs

I've seen CD2 of III dunked on a fair bit but I love it. Likely the most breakbeat-heavy disc the series has ever had, and filled with underrated remixes imo - and acknowledgements of great tracks which were popular then and seemingly untouched since. Boy George probably did have a tendency give his mates their main compilation outings (Kinky Roland) but "Basic" is my favourite part of the big beat medley.

CD1 is almost wholly classic, no disagreeing there. fwiw III was the first of my lifetime and the only time I've ever stepped foot in an actual nightclub was New Year - for all that dance music is one of my main lifelong loves (just as I don't do any drugs but psychedelia, dub, disco are my etc. etc.)

My favourite Essential Selection is Spring 1998. Despite it probably having the most in common with other comps of the relevant period.

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Voted Annual II from 1996. I picked this up earlier this year killing time in a charity shop. I played it on a trip in the car. I'm pretty sure I'll never play it again. A few of the tracks (Sugar Is Sweeter, Insomnia were still doing the rounds in Ibiza when I was there the following year so there's a bit of affection there. All the others have some very skippable tracks. I was regularly buying American import house and techno records so wouldn't have paid for these when they came out.

I've just remembered I gave someone a mix I burnt to a CD to give to Judge Jules in 1999. I never heard back but then again it's more possible he didn't receive it.

'99

II used to be my favourite. It being the best-selling DJ mix ever as of Guinness World Records 2001 is one of those 'facts' that repeatedly comes up, like 'one in every seven British households owns a Beautiful South album' (as of 1998 or whatever).

The Jumpin'/I'm Alive/Professional Widow/Sugar Is Sweeter/The Beat Is Over sequence especially is so expertly done.

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