Released in 1989 in Britain but not until February 1990 in the US, Lisa Stansfield’s debut, Affection, was a charming blend of modern dance beats with old school soul and disco sensibilities. The UK and US track listings differed a little by their order, but contained the same 13 songs (the LP version ditched three of them, including the opening track, a future single).
“This Is the Right Time” begins the set on an upbeat note with a warm keyboard-based dance pop arrangement. "Mighty Love" keeps a dance beat, but ditches the keyboards for piano and strings, giving it a lighter, sultrier arrangement. "Sincerity" slows the tempo a bit, showcasing Stansfield's considerable vocal talent. She has an interesting voice, with quite a bit of heft and control.
The highlights are sprinkled throughout the album, not front-loaded like most albums are today. "The Love in Me" is another winning dance-pop confection, with an "I'm Every Woman"-like synth-strings melody. "What Did I Do to You" keeps the tempo up with a news-bulletin-like opening and adds flutes to the musical mix. She sings lower here too, which is interesting. "You Can't Deny It" is another upbeat charmer and was the album's second US single. "Live Together's" jazzy disco production showcases the album's best strings arrangement. "When Are You Coming Back" opens with some sharp bass beats, but is actually one of the slower songs here, exuding a sexy burn.
The biggest treat though is "All Around the World," Stansfield's signature song and biggest hit. Groovy disco strings and beats underpin this soulful tale of lost love. It hit #3 in the US and #1 in the UK. It also topped the US R&B chart, a rare feat for a non-black artist.
Stansfield's second album, Real Love, delivered one more US hit, "Change" (a song I adore), after which she was relegated to the dance chart (but with quite a bit of success, scoring four more dance #1s in the late '90s). She fared better at home in Britain, where she hit #1 with George Michael on "These Are the Days of Our Lives" and scored a total of eight top 10 hits.
Best: All Around the World, This Is the Right Time, What Did I Do To You, Live Together, You Can't Deny It, The Love in Me, Mighty Love
4 comments:
ah what a great album. I totally forgot how magnificent This Is The Right Time is :) Do you remember that track she did for that dreadful movie where Robert Redford offers $1000000 for a night with Demi More? Grossly overpriced if you ask me, but I forget the film. Indecent Proposal! Anyway, Lisa sang a gorgeous song in that called In All The Right Places that should have been massive! Totally ripe for a cover too...
That was an awful movie, but it did have good music. It also featured Sade's "No Ordinary Love" and was scored by John Barry, who is one of my favorite film score composers.
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check it out everyone such great records at even better prices
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