A great mix of electronic genius Moby's early remixes and b-sides. Virtually every genre of dance is collected here, from the classic rave track "GO! (rainforest mix)", the odd electronica "UHF 2", to acid-club fan favourite "Have you seen my baby (baby mix)". Also contains the fastest song ever recorded, "Thousand", topping in at an insane 1034 bpm. (I've tried to make super fast songs, but nowhere need that speed! All my programs stop at 999 bpm!). Hard, odd, but loveable, "Thousand" is one of my fave Moby tracks. Sure, some of the beats sound a bit dated, but what can you expect from dance songs made from 1989-1993? The bonus disc, I feel, is better than "Rare". I just love to play this album from start to finish, and listen to it again, and again!

BEST TRACKS: UHF 2, Thousand, Go (Rainforest, Arpathoski and Amphetamix Mixes)
WORST TRACKS: Hard to choose... none are really bad, but some do sound a bit dated, and some of the voice samples do REALLY annoy me, but nothing stands out as bad!

If you had never heard of Moby before his songs started "Play"ing in the background of tv commercials, then, you may not enjoy this album. This is older, experimental techno - an etheral mix of house, early jungle and even a bit of industrial. It is almost *nothing* like his amazingly popular "Play", which makes it thoroughly enchanting. Here we are given a rare glimpse into the life and compilation style of Moby from 1989-1993 - an interesting slice of his music, with mixes so hearty that I actually enjoy the ones covered on this album more than I did the originals.

"Have You Seen My Baby" is my personal favorite, which must be turned up to full volume and bass to fully appreciate. "Drop a Beat" also puts out some really good rythms, as Moby skillfully interweaves melody, beat and somewhat disjointed vocals, the meaning of which cannot be determined. Sit in a chair while you are listening and you will feel your body pulsing in time with the music. "I Feel It" comes full circle, using the vocals sampled in the much-loved "Next is the E" (What is the 'e', anyway?) The disc ends with Thousand, which, if I remember my facts (and the liner notes), was marked in the World Records Book as being the fastest song ever recorded. I don't personally care for it - it disturbs me. But there it is.

Disc two is a bonus, hooray! Get ready for a cool CD just of remixes of "Go!" Most of the remixes are very worthwile and are great for chilling out, providing background music mostly. A couple I skip through, but we won't tell Mister Moby that. : ) All in all, certainly a great value - two discs for the price of one.

The "Rare" album itself is not so much of a concept album like just about everything from "Everything is Wrong" on to the infamous "Play" - however, it contains some very nice techno from one of its early innovators. Moby has always stood by his convictions and made amazing music while spreading his worthwhile and unobtrusive message. You can't really help but be inspired.

Let me start off by saying that this is one of the best collections of trance/techno that you're going to find anywhere. "Rare" is one of the few cds that you can feel supremely confident about buying whether you're a huge fan of Moby, or you've just discovered him. Starting with "Voodoo Child", and culminating with "Thousand", every song just makes you want to move. My favourite song on the first disc has to be "Next Is The E (Club Mix)". The best part of this collection is the compilation of "Go" remixes. A MUST HAVE for anyone even remotely interested in trance/techno!!

This is a must have for all Moby fans all songs were made in his early years... Songs include Voodoo Child, Next is the E, and Drop a Beat and the 2nd cd features remixes of "GO" which is absolutly great... Jam & Spoon remixes a couple

This album has some killer re-mixes and that in some cases are better than the original version. Specifically, songs like Next Is the E, Have You Seen my Baby, and Drop a Beat. It also contains one of the most jarring tracks ever in Thousand, which according to the Guiness Book of World Records, is the fastest song ever recorded. Needless to say, it probably won't be one that you would want to listen over and over to. The remixes of Go are good at first, but then they sorta become bland, but then again there are 14 different versions here. The Rainforest mix is my favorite version of Go, and the In Dub mix was my least favorite.

Should you pick this album up? Most definitely if you're a fan of Moby or of techno. Yes, there's some weak stuff here, so it's not going be another Play, Everything Is Wrong, or I Like to Score. It's more like Moby but with more filler, and it's probably a better album than about 85% of the stuff that's out there now.