A 23-year-old singer of mixed heritage--he's part Scottish, part Ghanaian--Quaye can bust a smooth groove like Al Green or offer a straight reading of roots reggae (listen to his jaunty arrangement of "Your Love Gets Sweet... more »er"). "It's Great When We're Together" skirts too close to Green in sentiment and sound, but the blues guitar and deep bass rumble of "Ultra Stimulation" goose an otherwise conventional reggae number. Still, Quaye isn't afraid to explode convention completely. Despite its hippy-dippy title, "Ride on and Turn the People On" is a thrilling duel between Quaye's elastic wordplay and a hyperactive bassist (who goes uncredited in the CD booklet but deserves star billing throughout). Quaye is best when he takes all the music he's heard and fashions a new pastiche that doesn't sound like one. His take on Marley's "Sunday Shining" is one such marvel, a glorious smear of slide guitar, Rastaman imagery, '60s soul horns, and a rhythm track that belongs squarely to the '90s. It may be the brightest light on Maverick a Strike, but this 13-track album never really dims much. --Keith Moerer« less
A 23-year-old singer of mixed heritage--he's part Scottish, part Ghanaian--Quaye can bust a smooth groove like Al Green or offer a straight reading of roots reggae (listen to his jaunty arrangement of "Your Love Gets Sweeter"). "It's Great When We're Together" skirts too close to Green in sentiment and sound, but the blues guitar and deep bass rumble of "Ultra Stimulation" goose an otherwise conventional reggae number. Still, Quaye isn't afraid to explode convention completely. Despite its hippy-dippy title, "Ride on and Turn the People On" is a thrilling duel between Quaye's elastic wordplay and a hyperactive bassist (who goes uncredited in the CD booklet but deserves star billing throughout). Quaye is best when he takes all the music he's heard and fashions a new pastiche that doesn't sound like one. His take on Marley's "Sunday Shining" is one such marvel, a glorious smear of slide guitar, Rastaman imagery, '60s soul horns, and a rhythm track that belongs squarely to the '90s. It may be the brightest light on Maverick a Strike, but this 13-track album never really dims much. --Keith Moerer
If you're looking to Try Finley Quaye...this by far his best
fetish_2000 | U.K. | 03/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having liked this album the first time around, it was interesting to see if returning to it years later would prove a worthwhile listen. Surprisingly my appreciation has substantially grown for this album (admittedly due to my significantly wider range in music), but the fact remains that "Sunday Shining's" languish horns or keyboards is the musical equivalent of spending a memorable sunny afternoon outdoors. "Your Love gets Sweeter" is the acoustic strum exploring the romanticised side of Finley's music. Title Track "Maverick A Strike" leans strongest to his reggae roots taking a reggae ideal, and fusing it was popular music to make something, although not authentic reggae, is largely accessible to those normally intimidated regional reggae. But a track that largely goes unmentioned by deserves equal recognition is the instrumental "Red Rolled and Seen" which has a tribal moody rhythmic presence, not a million miles away from something that 'Tricky' would create. Finley successive albums may have been a case of playing to diminishing returns, but this debut confirmed his potential to make a largely coherent album by swiping sensibilities from other genres resulting in an immensely enjoyable album."
Handles like a dream.
fetish_2000 | 06/17/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Don't listen to machine99. The album is brilliant. He is trying to be Bob Marley? What? I didn't know Bob Marley flirted with Trip-Hop and sampling. Maybe he did, who knows, but personally, I think the album is smoov and charismatic, a terrific aural experience. Some great mood songs. Prime cuts are Ride On and Turn the People on and Your love gets sweeter."
Hyper!
M. Sigh | Lansing, MI | 01/17/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The finest blend of old-school reggae vibe with sounds and structures from the future. One of my all time favorites."
The Sun is Shining on Finley
manboob@hotmail.com | Maine, USA | 02/21/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I would have to say that I enjoy this cd very much. It's kinda a raggae-techno blur of deliciousness. Finley is a great vocalist and an original song writer. I would have to choose "Sunday Shining" and "Supreme I Preme" as my favorite songs on this disc. Both are well developed and, well, they make me happy which is a reason why a lot of people listen to music in the first place. I believe Finley represents the future of reggae. Buy this cd! It is definitely worth the $13. =)"
"Enough politics. This album extends the role of reggea and R'n'B in the pop area. Finlayes amazing grace in singing has broken though, calmed by mellow dub and sarcastic lyrics.This album is, and may remain one of the best this decade. Irrespective of the relation between Tricky and Finlaye, you can not help but notice hot related their music is. Finlaye mixes the traditional reggae sounds filters them with r'n'b vibe and adds some interesting dub, that sounds very much like Jah Shaka or Mad Professor.It's Great when we are Togethor track is amazing in it self demonstrating Quaye's lyric prowess. But there are some tracks which are purely experimental that have turned out brilliantly.One of my favourite tracks is Maverick a Strike.. Another excellant sound is Falling. The single Sunday shining really doesn't describe the album. This album is a meting pot of numerous types of music fused togethor by Quaye's sarcastic thoughts and funky dub beats.Quaye has done the same to reggae as Tricky did to "Trip hop".In a word. Amazing."