BOBBY BROWN “Dance!...Ya Know It!” MCA. *** JODY WATLEY “You Wanna Dance With Me?” MCA. ***: <i> Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic).</i>

Dance mix collections like this top-notch pair are a treat for hard-core fans after no-holds-barred dance music boasting drumbeats that resemble thunderclaps. On these greatest-dance-hits packages, mixmasters rework songs with the dance-music fan rather than the radio listener in mind, relying on a barrage of special effects, like scratching, to elevate the tracks to a new level.

The vocals that were prominent in the original versions of the songs aren’t treated with any reverence in these mixes. That’s great for Brown and Watley, since neither is an accomplished singer. What the mixmaster does is strip the songs to their essence--rhythm and melody--and then rebuild and lengthen them with these two elements as the primary focus.

Most of the dance mixes in these collections--Louil Silas Jr. was head mixmaster for both--are superior to the originals. Songs like Brown’s “My Prerogative” and Watley’s “Some Kind of Lover” are raw material for the imaginative restructuring.

Though dancers should get a kick out of both collections, Watley’s has an edge. Brown makes better all-around albums, but Watley--who’s up there with dance-music divas Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul--makes better dance albums. Consequently, the mixers who worked on her songs started out with superior dance-music material.

“Real Love” and “Looking For a New Love” are the gems in the Watley collection, while the highlight of Brown’s album is “My Prerogative.” One of the best singles of the last few years, it has been dazzlingly revamped by mixmaster Gene Griffin.