Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Flash Tears The Roof Off (Grandmaster Flash Turntable Mix)
2. The Mexican - Babe Ruth
3. Flash Got More Bounce (Grandmaster Flash Turntable Mix)
4. Do What You Gotta Do - (Eddie Drennon & The BBS Orchestra

Disc 2:

1. Trans Europe express - Kraftwerk
2. Computer games - Yellow Magic Orchestra
3. Get Off Your Horse & Jam! (Grandmaster Flash Turntable Mix)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #648019 in Music
• Released on: 2004-01-19
• Number of discs: 2

Amazon.co.uk Review
Not, as you'd expect, a greatest hits compilation, The Official Adventures of Grandmaster Flash amounts to something approaching a biography of the most deservedly name-checked DJ in the world. Along with the other hip-hop pioneers; Kool Herc, The Sugarhill Gang, and even Blondie, Grandmaster Flash has written himself into music history as the first DJ to refine and use the turntable techniques that make hip-hop what it is. The best-known hits--"The Message" and "Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel"--are refreshingly missing, as are all contributions from the Furious Five, choosing to focus on the work of Flash himself. What you do get is a fantastic selection of little-known mixes, collaborations with acts such as Kraftwerk, audio interview segments and authoritative sleeve notes from Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster, authors of Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. These answer such questions as how many members of the crew appeared on The Message (Answer: Flash and only Melle Mel from the Furious Five, which may explain why they're furious). Essential listening for anyone who's wondering where groups like The Avalanches got their frantic cut and paste style from, the answer to that is, of course, the original Grandmaster. --Chris Blenkarn

Album Description
In the history of hip-hop, there are only a few names that count. Kool Herc took the reggae sound system to the block parties; championing funk and rock drum breaks for the first time. Bambaataa had the records no one else had, pushed boundaries and brought the Black Spades gang into the Zulu Nation. And Flash perfected it all, bringing his technical expertise into the arena with both sound system equipment and turntable skills, beat mixing breaks and riffs for the first time. Most people know Flash for his studio recordings as Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – ‘The Message’, ‘Scorpio’, ‘White Lines’ and the rest. But few have ever heard Flash doing what he should be celebrated for – rocking the party in the Bronx during his heyday in the mid-70s. Apart from the odd taster – ‘Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel’ and the ‘Flash On The Beat’ bootleg, there’s nothing. Just stories of legendary block party cassettes that did the rounds back in the day. So it’s time to hear what all the fuss was about. Strut have hooked up with Grandmaster Flash and have asked him to delve deep to faithfully re-create the original days, to play the tunes that actually were played to remove the clichés about what were "the classic breaks". Flash has got rhythms you haven’t used yet! The result is a real piece of dance music history for anyone remotely into hip-hop. Flash takes us through the different aspects of the block parties from the extended freestyle mixes to the tracks he used to play in their entirety ("I always brought it right down with some tunes for the hustlers!"). There are even some snippets of original block party tapes and some exclusive interview footage with Flash himself. Package features cover photography from Vincent MacDonald along with a 28-page booklet featuring original photos and memorabilia. Comprehensive Flash history courtesy of Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton.

Customer Reviews

love it love it love it
The seismic changes that created hip hop and rap are best heard in the context of a contemporary mix, and this album will have you on your feet instantly, wishing you'd been there when it first happened. A stellar collection, with few of the obvious choices; even Kraftwerk and YMO sound fresh in this context. And tracks such as Babe Ruth's "The Mexican" and Eddie Drennon's "Do What You Gotta Do" are fantastic discoveries, like superhits from a parallel universe. This album has the lot - soul, funk, r'n'b, hip hop, disco and rap - all in one beautifully melodic package.

Old school hip hop for the congnescenti
This album has been a long time coming. So many of the hits with GM Flash's name on the sleeve had nothing to do with him at all.
However, THIS release shows us how and why 1980's "...on the Wheels of Steel" mastermix came to be, and changed the world of music in the process. You can feel the stylus in the vinyl as you listen. You can imagine the records frantically being passed to Flash, as he cues up the next quick mix. Flash IS fast!
Buy this, and set the record straight (no pun intended)

the best flash has done since wheels of steel
this is what grandmaster flash is about block party hip hop the album has five tracks the dj originaly used in the 70s for his quick mix cutting up and scratching the breakbeats from funk,rock and disco including kraftwerk. The three tracks by flash is what he does best cut up records, these are the best flash has done since adventures on the wheels of steel.