Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 06/29/1992
Run Time: 46:23
When a debut album is as promising as
Soul II Soul's
Keep on Movin', there are always fears of a sophomore slump -- meaning that the second album won't live up to the promise of the first. But
Vol. II: 1990, A New Decade,
Soul II Soul's sophomore album, isn't the least bit disappointing. Although
Keep on Movin' (which was titled
Club Classics, Vol. 1 in England) remains the British outfit's most essential release, this is an excellent follow-up.
Soul II Soul suffered a major loss when singer
Karon Wheeler left to pursue a solo career after
Keep on Movin'; it was a major blow, but certainly not a fatal one.
Jazzie B.'s collective fares well without her on sleek
urban/dance/
neo-soul grooves like
"Missing You" (which boasts a guest appearance by British dance diva
Kym Mazelle),
"People," and the haunting
"A Dream's a Dream." Jazzie realized that
Wheeler's departure was a big loss for
Soul II Soul, and when the time came to record a second album, he filled the void by featuring talented, expressive female vocalists such as
Victoria Wilson-James,
Lamya, and
Marcia Lewis. However, not every tune on this CD employs a vocalist.
"Courtney Blows" (just to give one example) is an
acid jazz instrumental that features
British jazz saxophonist
Courtney Pine; the tune isn't
hard bop or straight-ahead
jazz, but it's a pleasing example of dance music with
jazz overtones. Again,
Keep on Movin' is
Soul II Soul's most essential album, but
Vol. II: 1990, A New Decade is also well-worth the price of admission.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Cart 0 items
Listen
