She's Back and Hotter Than Ever!!!
Soulsafari | Atlanta, GA | 07/13/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"That's right ladies and gentlemen, she's back and she hasn't lost a thing! After the enormous success of her previous outing, "Lisa Stansfield", Lisa comes back with a bang. "Face Up" is perhaps the most cohesive and adventurous of her albums to date.The first track, "I've Got Something Better", makes a natural transition from the sound established on previous Stansfield albums, building on the trademark Lisa Stansfield smooth-pop sound. This is standard Lisa Stansfield fare and it hits the mark beautifully. It opens the album like a comfortable old friend with soothing memories of the past.Then, like a storm out of nowhere, Lisa drops a bomb on us with "Let's Just Call It Love," the albums first single. In what can best be described as trance-disco, Lisa gives us what we never expected- a smooth, hot, sexy club hit that beckons our heads to bob, our hips to move and our bodies groove. This track will surprise Stansfield fans and have them yearning for more.On "You Can Do That," Lisa gets back to music's `Ol School roots and creates this summers ultimate cruisin' song. Think Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness" with a baseline right out of Lakeside's "Fantastic Voyage." The song makes you want to sit back, relax, get your lean on and ride around with the top off.The next three songs do very little to excite the ear, especially after the tasty sampling we've been given so far. "How Could You" is a slow, mediocre track reminiscent of Ms. Stansfield's "Real Love" album, complete with horns straight out of a Broadway tune. If the "Affection" album were recorded today, "Candy" would surely be on it. This is vintage Stansfield magic, given just enough of a millennium touch to keep it from sounding like a rehashed melody. "I'm Coming To Get You" is a typical Stansfield track, with a piano romp right out of a Basia tune."8-3-1" is, in my opinion, this albums' standout track and my personal favorite. I must admit that when I first saw this unusual title, my mind ran the gamut of explanations for exactly what "8-3-1" could refer to. Then I got the CD and was treated to one of the most original song ideas to date. 19 seconds into the song's intro I heard "8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning," and fell in love with this interpretation of the 3 words we all long to hear, "I Love You." This song is a high flying dance groove a la Lisa's remake of "You Know How To Love Me" from the "Lisa Stansfield" album. This is an all out, feel-good rollercoaster of a song that takes us soaring, only stopping briefly halfway through the song for a musical breakdown which had me in mind of Depeche Mode's "Strangelove." I dare you to listen to this track and not love it. Just one taste of this track and you'll be moving to the beat.Another standout track is "Wish On Me," a beautiful love song that has Lisa telling her lover that, yes, it's time for us to part, but let's remember the best of our time together and wish each other only the best. It's a song of lost love, no regrets, and true emotion, complete with ethereal background vocals that will have you sighing and remembering past relationships. This, I believe, should be the next single.Next we're treated to more standard Stansfield fare. "Boyfriend", a mid-tempo track with a slight hip-hop beat and funky strings chronicles Lisa's struggle with trying not to "borrow" her best friend's boyfriend while she's out of town.Listening to the opening of "Don't Leave Now I'm In Love" I would swear that Brian McKnight had a hand in writing it. Then, just as soon as that thought crosses my mind, the track takes a turn and builds with a combination of trance break-beats, melodic background vocals, and great keyboards. A somber, yet upbeat track that I feel will surely be one of my favorites."Didn't I", this albums' melodramatic song of unrequited love offers little interest in comparison to previous tracks. The title track, "Face Up," takes us back into the Barry White territory previously visited by Stansfield. This is a refreshing , welcome drink of water that comes straight from that smooth-pop well that Lisa lets us drink from on occasion.The final two tracks, "When the Last Sun Goes Down," a lovely song reminiscent of "Tenderly," and the sexy "All Over Me" round out this album nicely. The latter has Lisa begging for more of what she needs from her man, begging "I don't need no money/No uptown time/I just want you to put your hands all over me tonight." It ends the album with a slick groove that cements this album as the most playful, adventurous and consistent Lisa Stansfield offering so far.The final verdict: Lisa's getting her groove on and I'm grooving right along with her!"
A Great Return
Chris S. | atlanta, ga United States | 07/21/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Four years after her last, self-titled album, Lisa Stansfield returns armed with a typically impeccable set of songs, with a couple of surprises. For one, the ballads are unusually sparse here, something that usually takes up more than half of her albums. The few here are pretty first-rate, starting with the Bacharach-styled 'How Could You?', as well as the beautiful 'Didn't I', featuring a gritty texture to her voice previously unheard. On the upbeat side, the garage-styled 'Let's Just Call It Love' is a definite keeper and nice stylistic change, and the contemporary-styled R&B of 'Boyfriend' updates her sound nicely. The only real issue here is the production on some songs, which sounds somewhat dated('You Can Do That' and 'Candy' spring to mind). A minor quibble to be sure, because overall this is another sterling set from this strikingly consistent artist."
Another fantastic album by Lisa!
Chris S. | 07/06/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I fell in love with her music when i first heard her very first single "All around the world." Even though she hasnt gotten any commercial success in the US since, I believe she keeps on getting better and better. Her last album was incredible, and this album is equally as good. Its a shame Arista wont release this one in the US, so all you Lisa fans better get the import. It will be worth ur money. Songs like first single "let's just call it love," the simply red sounding "i've got something better," the fun disco-infused "8-3-1," and the list goes on and on. Its another album that does not have a weak link, and the more i listen to it the more i enjoy it and the more i'm glad that after 4 years between album we have something from Lisa again! Lets just hope she gets a US release by another company and we also get the awesome remixes that usually come with her albums."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1