Search - Sean Paul :: Stage One

Solid, undistinguished debut

3rdeadly3rd | Brisbane, Queensland Australia | 03/23/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sean Paul has become an international star and a sought-after guest vocalist courtesy of his mega-selling "Dutty Rock" album. As a reslt, many listeners are picking up "Stage One" as well to see if there are lots of undiscovered gems in his back catalogue.



Simply put, "Stage One" is not an undiscovered gem. It is, however, a good listen.



The two absolute standout tracks here are "Deport Dem" and "Infiltrate". "Deport Dem" is famous partly as a result of its own quality, but also for being an example of the successful "Bookshelf" riddim (so named for Beenie Man's hit single on it). Both tracks of course appear in the introduction to "Dutty Rock" as examples of a sound which a rock band just can't create. Beyond these two tracks, there are moments of brilliance on the rest of the album, but not in song-length form. A lyric here, a phrase there is really the longest the rest of the album sustains top quality for.



By no means is this a slight on Paul's work. As in the case of many debut albums, he just didn't let his full talent shine through enough. Dancehall reggae being a singles-based genre, he had already earned a reasonable following before releasing the album and didn't lose much of it as a result of this performance. As we all know, unless we've somehow been living on Mars in the past few years, by the time the next album came round, it was quite a different story.



Overall, this is a decent album, but not a must-have or anything like that. The dancehall fan will find more than enough to keep them entertained - predominantly on the riddim side of the ledger. The casual Sean Paul fan, however, will probably lose interest here."

A nice debut Album from the prince of Dance Hall

Jenny J.J.I. | That Lives in Carolinas | 03/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is fantastic when "Stage One" first came out I was simply addicted to it plus the artist himself. I must agree with some of the reviewers that say that there are too many skits on this 21-track album. Still, there are some enjoyable tunes here, namely the hit single, "Infiltrate," which burned up dancehalls with its pumping beat, and "Hot Gal Today," a duet with ultra-hot DJ Mr. Vegas, which displays an interesting blend of Sean Paul's hard voice with Vegas' smoother vocals. "Faded," a take on Shania Twain's "Looks Like We Made It," also illustrates clever treatment.



I had this album on repeat for a long time. Some of the beats you might had already heard but with Sean Paul's voice over it, it makes a whole new sound. I can't pick out a favorite track in this album because I love it so much but if I had to it would be "Infiltrate," "Deport Them," "Haffi Get De Gal Ya," "She Want it," "Mek It Go So Den," "Check it Deeply," and "Next Generation."



While this album is not one of the best Dancehall Reggae has to offer, Sean Paul's debut album makes for a good intro to those who are seriously looking for a true Dancehall Reggae album. Anyone who likes dancehall and are unsure about whether or not to get this album, believe me this would be a nice start. Nothing but back to back non-stop dancehall music and most importantly it's all Sean Paul.

"

I didn't know it was him!! Honestly!!!

09/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently moved into a mostly white neighborhood where the only hip hop or reggae music is on the top 40 radio stations. I was forced to buy my favourite music because it was not played on the radio (I was spoiled!). When I bought `Stage One,' I came to realize that many of the tunes I liked were actually done by Sean Paul. I honestly didn't know that he had created `Infiltrate,' `Deport Them' (my favourite cut), Haffiget de Gal Ya,' `She Want it,' `Check it Deeply,' and `Next Generation.' I'm glad I bought it. Nuff said!!"