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Pot of Gold (Motown, 1993)
If ever there were such a thing as "lovers dancehall," then this is it. After Mad Cobra had such inexplicable crossover success with "Flex" in 1993, similar-sounding songs popped up everywhere. As major American labels began scooping up dancehall acts, seeking similar success, Motown -- Motown??? -- released Richie Stephens' Pot of Gold. It's about what you'd expect from Motown: R&B-heavy and slickly produced. At least four of the 10 tracks are straight R&B, the best being the surprisingly effective ballad "Eveytime You're There," while most of the rest are "lovers dancehall" with R&B overtones. This style works better with Stephens than with most other reggae artists, because of his rich, soulful singing voice. He actually comes off as the dancehall version of Johnny Gill -- perhaps not coincidentally, another Motown artist. There are solid tunes to be found here -- the title track, the sultry "Go for Number One," and a decent cover of Soul Syndicate's "Black Cinderella" -- but the rest mostly sound like generic attempts to either recapture the magic of "Flex" (including a guest appearance by Cobra on "Move On") or score with mainstream pop.
| Track Listing 1. Everytime You're There 2. Body Slam 3. Black Cinderella 4. Move On 5. In Love With You 6. Go for Number One 7. Love Ain't No Holiday 8. Pot of Gold 9. Everyday 10. Baby (Got to Let You Know) |
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Winner (Greensleeves, 1998) Richie Stephens is an entertainer, pure and simple. The quality of that entertainment, however, is debatable. A dancehall singer with a distinctly rich, soulful voice, he shines brightest when he croons a fun melody over an up-tempo, strict dancehall rhythm, as on the 4 best songs on Winner: "Impy Skimpy," "Bus the Place," "Weakness For Sweetness," and his hit pseudo-operatic "Slop Dem." Too often, though, Stephens tries to get too cute, pouring out crossover pop dancehall like "Mama Jama" (a remake of the Carl Carlton funk classic "She's a Bad Mama Jama") or the unnecessary straight R&B cover of Freddie Jackson's "Rock Me Tonight" (here titled "Rock Me"). It's a tribute to his appeal that a good portion of the album is enjoyable -- filled with guilty pleasures -- despite yourself. Hits like "Maniac" (the DJ version of which is on Bounty Killer's My Xperience) and "Girls Galore" are typical -- bouncy and energetic with melodies that tread the fine line between catchy and corny. He stays on the positive side on tracks like "Glass House," the "Waiting in Vain"-rhythmed "Gave You My Heart," and the title track, but he gets a bit annoying on the jazzy (like Shaggy's "Nice and Lovely") "Burning" and the modern rock steady (like Chaka Demus & Pliers' "Tease Me" or "Twist and Shout") "Put It On"- rhythmed "Come Give Me Your Love" (The latter style is inexplicably more popular in Europe than it is in the US...thank goodness.). |
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The Man Upstairs (ERC, 2002)
Gospel music has exploded in popularity over the past few years, and an offshoot of this wave has been the emergence of so-called "gospel reggae." Although reggae has long been a deeply religious music, Rastafarianism has traditionally been the dominant faith. Thus, the overtly Christian themes contained on albums like this one may catch some reggae fans off guard...or it may broaden the music's appeal to others. Listening to The Man Upstairs (no, not Mr. Roper; he was downstairs), I was a little apprehensive because the first 3 songs are straight gospel ballads; they're actually not bad at all and showcase Stephens' powerful baritone, but they're not reggae. Luckily for reggae fans, though, the rest of the album -- except for the hip-hopping "Call His Name" (featuring, oddly enough, Bounty Killer) and the ballad "Safe With You" -- is indeed reggae. The sound ranges from the soft lovers rock of "Talk to Jesus" and "Remove These Clouds of Darkness" to the celebratory ska tempo of "Dance for Jesus," "Yamo Be There" (a fun remake of the James Ingram/Michael McDonald tune) and the title track to even the dancehall of "Remember God." There's little doubt that Richie Stephens is a talented singer and songwriter with a long track record, but The Man Upstairs only shows glimpses of his ability. It's a decent album,but the last half of the album sounds a bit dry and can't pull its weight in comparison to the solid first half. I doubt that gospel reggae fans in particular will be terribly disappointed, though.
| Track Listing 1. Intro 2. When I Sing for You 3. Father I Love You 4. He's Everything 5. When I Pray 6. Yamo Be There 7. The Man Upstairs 8. Talk to Jesus 9. Remove These Clouds of Darkness 10. God Is Real 11. Call His Name featuring Rodney Price 12. Remember God featuring Lt. Stitchie 13. Dance for Jesus 14. Worthy to Be Praised featuring D.Y.C.R. 15. Safe With You featuring Mama Carmen |
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