I Guess You Want It This Way by C’batch consists of six versions based on a single piece which has been in development for about 26 years. Instead of considering each version as a separate song, the project shows the same composition from various musical points of view, thus giving the listener an experience in which the relationship between the versions is a key aspect of its appeal. The repeated hook and verse melody offer a familiar element running through all the versions, while the different interpretations enable the composition to be enjoyed in more than one form. The reggae base still forms the heart of the project, mirroring the original inspiration for the song.
I Guess You want it this way is especially interesting in the way its various versions relate to one another. Since they are based on the same basic composition, listeners are able to pick out the recurring features while at the same time noticing the different ways in which each version deals with the material. This arrangement gives the project a feeling of continuity and at the same time ensures that the six tracks do not seem to have lost touch with their original purpose. Rather than just reproducing the same recording, the different versions act as variations on a common musical idea and encourage the listener to think about the composition from various points of view. The end result is a collection in which familiarity and variation complement one another.
The background of how the song was put together also enhances the way it sounds. Since the song started more than twenty years ago, it has kept its main musical motif and verse melody and has now at last been finished and released as a six-version project. The fact that it is dedicated to the renowned Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin also links the release with the reggae tradition which inspired the song’s making. This dedication adds another level of importance to the project without shifting the emphasis away from the composition and the various ways in which it is shown on the EP.
I Guess You Want It This Way functions most effectively when heard as a complete project; although the six versions share the same composition, their different viewpoints give the EP a sense of movement and variety. Instead of asking the listener to pick one definite version, C’batch presents the song in such a way that it can be interpreted in many ways while still keeping its identifiable core. Having taken years in an unfinished state, the composition has at last become a coherent six-part release and has transformed a single long-standing idea into a more extensive exploration of its potential.
