Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Started off strong (love love “Keep On Movin’”, very motivating way to start my morning) but really lost steam as it went on with the exception of “Back to Life” - probably not something I’ll return to. Also very clear how much Jungle was influenced by this
Definitely a vibe
3 - not my club classics
Club Classics are still the volume of my heart today.
I was writing my critique first, but after listening a few times i started to like Holdin’ On and Feeling Free a lot. The beginning of the album is elevator/phone waiting music. Sounds like calling Deutsche Bahn and waiting to get picked up.
It was good nothing super exciting but I liked it
Dance RnB, groovy, lidt moderne reggae vibes
The opening scene of Belly is so fucking good
Nice.
Trochę fastfoodowa ta muzyka. Przyjemna, szybko się ją chłonie i czasami wydaje się nawet smaczna, ale to by było na tyle. Nie czuję żadnej głębi, żadnej ryzykownej decyzji podjętej w imię wyższego celu. To po prostu kilka przyjemnych kawałków, owiniętych wstążką i voila! I czasem to jest ok. Ale nie dzisiaj. Nie dla mnie. 6/10
Not as bad an album as the review scores would indicate. Not anything that's going to change your life either, though. 3/5
Twas fine. Never grabbed me
I liked this…perfect early 90s upwardly mobile movie montage music with some wild jazz fluting.
6/10
I will never club so this may not connect to me Keep On Movin' - 3.5/5 Fairplay - 3.7/5 Holdin' On -3.1/5 Feeling Free - 3.5/5 African Dance - 3/5 Dance - 3.5/5 Feel Free - 3.6/5 Happiness (Dub) - 3.5/5 Back To Life - 3.7/5 Jazzie's Groove - 3.9/5 Total - 3.5/5
This was a nice laid back listen but I genuinely forgot to review it when I was done listening which should show much of an impact I felt it left
Competent, chill music. A little dated for my tastes but I won’t begrudge it that. Seems a little arrogant to release an album called club classics vol 1 but you’re the only artist on the disc lol.
Familiar with a few songs on this album. I found myself enjoying it a lot- I know it spawned a lot of remixes. Overall- good album.
Favorite Track: Back To Life
***An ok album. Good beat.
Bright sounds with a hollow melancholic undertone, very late 80s/early 90s. Love his rapping
3.5!
Back to Life reminds me of Belly, strange but good movie imo, RIP DMX. Album was ok. 3.5
Not bad. Should probably listen to it more intentionally instead of just in the background at work. But some songs really stood out. Will revisit.
Totally not my style it I see it's well made and I have well tolerated some of the funkier song. Very good rhythmically. Other songs seriously got on my nerves. Not my kind of soul.
I expected nothing, but it was so fine...
Mostly enjoyed the sound, but nothing to really make it stick in my mind
Catchy, nice, not for me
Dance music that has some notable songs as it attempts to blend rap and dance. Owned it when it came out and it never fully clicked and that has not changed.
I always quite liked Keep On Movin' and Back To Life. I was disappointed that the original album didn't have the version of Back To Life I normally hear. Another highlight was African Dance.
OK. Not my thing, but okay.
Pretty enjoyable hip hop album that offers some tracks to lean back to, and a few to groove to. I like how vocals aren't exactly always the focus on the record; they come in and out and it's not formulaic whatsoever. It's also ironic and funny that the track with the most plays on it is mostly acapella and has no instruments until around the 2:30 mark. Cool album, and kind of right down the middle 3/5 for me.
Eh, not my cup o'tea but had a couple good tracks
Another album from a group I’ve never heard of, and genuinely thought this was going to be a weird compilation with the album title. This was just fine. Nothing really special here but also nothing downright bad in my opinion. I thought the beats and music were kinda dated, and rather unmemorable. Another good, easy chill album to be driving to where you could just zone out. “Back to Life” was most definitely the standout here, I don’t even think I’d recognize another song if it were to come on the radio (not that it would). It’s not really my style of music, but can appreciate how influential this probably was.
Not bad
Mage nöd schriebe hüt mi scusi. Album hed mi nöd weggfetzt. 3 wiehnachtslieder für das album
intressante titel, han zerst gmeint es hed sich no en underground trance compilation da ine gschliche... aber dem war leider nicht so hed eigentli trotzdem no spass gmacht aber für d‘club classics vol. II – V heds bi mir denn doch nümm glanget bin ufjedefall froh hend sich d‘club classics i de letschte 30 jahr chli inen anderi richtig bewegt es moodentsprechends 3, ah anderne täg chönts maybe mit vill goodwill für es 4 lange
Fun to go back and to that era but wouldn’t seek it out
Generally enjoyable listen. But a lot of these songs are way too long, dated, boring, or all three. The rap isn't great, but the beats are pretty good.
2.5
This is fine, nothing special. Feels like something I've heard a long time ago but I don't think I actually have. A lot of it just started sounding the same after a while. The female vocals are quite good though I really don't have much else to say about this unfortunately Highlights: Back To Life
Just to make sure, I listened to the 10th Anniversary Edition as opposed to the original release in 1989, which did not include the radio mix of Back to Life. The original release just has the a cappella version which is kind of boring compared to the radio mix. This album really gets you up and grooving, with a downtempo groove and smooth beats. Good stuff here. 3/5
Lovely bit of nostalgia. Brought back memories of some awesome nights in CinderellaRockerfellas. Very chilled and smooth.
That Jermaine Clement on Jazzie’s Groove?
My 1001st album!! And one I actually bought at the time although to be honest time has not been kind to it. It sounds so dated now. Clean and clinical. Still, it's pleasant enough and I don't want to end on a bad note. A middling *** stars
That was a pretty good album. Lots of different but similar sounds. The rap song was pretty cool
Appreciate the obvious punk origins.
Cool vibes to bump and jive to
This isn't my favorite style of music, but this was fun nonetheless.
5/10…etwas eintönig…
Had never heard of this group or this album, or any songs for that matter. This was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed.
Back 2 Life does slap! 3.5
I found it a bit repetitive - very rhythmically hypnotic which might be very good for a certain mood, but that was not the mood I was in and not a mood that I recognize myself being in often. Outside of that mood it just serves to almost lul me to sleep with that predictable monotony Standouts Keep on Movin' Fairplay 3/5
A few cool songs, but was not super interesting to me.
Too long but whatever. Fine.
No lo conocía. Música negra agradable y bien grabada.
Groovy
Never heard of this album but I recognized a couple of songs. It was alright. 6/10
This one just has a nice vibe to it overall. I would basically never actively choose to listen to this, and it's still not particularly my thing, but it definitely has a good vibe to it. Apparently these guys rose to prominence on the Brixton club scene in the '80s, and I definitely get this being solid '80s club music. It's definitely more in smooth '80s land slash early hip hop land though than the more electronic music to come. It does have a fairly diverse sound, there's a few songs that lean a bit more into a traditional African music sound (there's a song called "African Dance" which kind of sounds like Prince meets African music), it's a bit jazzy at times, it's got a little bit of everything. I'm not super into the male vocals on here (though the female vocals are generally strong), but it's solid overall. Not really my thing, but also not bad at all. One interesting note, their biggest song seems to be "Back To Life", which was interesting to me when I first heard it because it's mostly a cappella (until the last minute or so when it picks up a bit). It turns out the version that got big was the single version (called "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)"). It's significantly more dance-y given it has a real beat. I'm not exactly sure what made them choose the more barebones version for the album, but the single version is better I think. Favorite song: Keep On Movin' Other: Fairplay, Feeling Free, Back To Life, Jazzie's Groove 10/17/24
Wasn't in the mood for this but I appreciated it.
The album cover sums up the exact vibe of this album. 90's r&b a la C&C Music Factory
I was walking to work, listening and enjoying the vibe of this album on a beautiful fall day. But at the same time I was wondering why on earth this album made it to the top 1,001. It’s pretty generic house music. Then Back to Life came on and I realized why it’s here. But is an individual song the reason to put an album on the list? It’s like the Eurythmics and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Awesome, influential song, and a great addition to a 1,001 greatest songs list. But when it comes down to it, the album is boring.
Everybody dance now!
Well that took me back to a different version of myself.
The tracks I already knew were as good as I remember, but everything else is pretty underwhelming. I encourage readers of this review to check out re:jazz's cover of Keep on Moving.
Seems to be pretty good dance music.
Durante los años 80-90, en el Reino Unido, hubos unos pocos grupos y solistas que mantuvieron vivo el testigo del soul de por ejemplo Maxine Nightingale o los Heatwave de Rod Temperton (dejando al margen a Dexys Midnight Runners y a George Michael-Wham!) , hasta la explosión revival a cargo de Amy Winehouse y todo lo que vino después (Estelle, Joss Stone, Duffy, Paloma Faith, Florence Welch, Adele, Floetry, Noisettes, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Rumer y deslumbrar con Michael Kiwanuka . Sade (a su modo), Terence Trent D´Arby, The Pasadenas, Lisa Stansfield, Carmel, The Style Council, toda la pléyade Acid Jazz (Incognito, Us3, Brand new heavies, etc.), Jamiroquai... fueron buen ejemplo de ello. Soul to Soul, lo hicieron combinando bailables ritmos electrónicos y un estilo muy elegante, con gran y efímero éxito, pilotados por Jazzie B y producidos por Nellee Hooper (que luego haría una descomunal carrera con el Debut de Bjork, Protection de Massive Attack o el I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got de Sinéad O'Connor entre otros). Todo ello en los años del Second Summer of Love y con el House y todas su variantes pegando bien fuerte. Los evidentes éxitos del disco son Keep on movin´y sobre todo Back to life -con estupendo video-, ambas con la voz de Caron Wheeler, además de otros sencillos anteriores como Fairplay (cantada por Rose Windross) o Feel free, esta última con la voz de Do'reen (que luego cantaría para KLF). El resto, publicado un año después de algunos de los temas mencionados, no baja apenas el nivel. Back to life, todo un pepinazo de elegancia que sonaría durante décadas, sería usada por otros artistas, por ejemplo en el éxito de Enigma- Sadeness. Holdin´on tiene pulso jamaicano conjugado con ese piano y cuerdas house tan Soul to Soul (en realidad tan Rhythm Is Rhythm - Strings Of Life). Feeling free usa la misma base que cuatro años después emplearán en Where I´m from los Digable Planets (nada menos que el Band's Ain't Nothin' Wrong de los KC & the Sunshine). African Dance es un instrumental con deje reggae. Dance sigue esa estela, aportando algún rapeado. Happiness es otro tema cantado por Do'reen, todo un lujo de House music, y Jazzie's Groove es otro tema marca de la casa. Es un disco muy fácil de escuhar y bailar, mezcla de Soul, Hip hop, house, reggae, y sobre todo elegancia, con gran influencia en su momento aunque hoy en día ha perdido bastante de su efecto por la producción. Publicaron otro buen disco (peor que este debut, a pesar de algún tema brillante como Get a life, A Dream's A Dream o Missing you), con éxito también y a pesar de editar alguno más, su momento había pasado. Son parte de la base en la que se apoyaron M People, Brand New Heavies y como hemos citado antes todo lo que hubo entre Michael Kiwanuka y los años 80. Otros grandes discos del 89, el año del Milli Vanilli-gate: Stone Roses de Stone Roses, Playing with Fire de Spacemen 3,New York de Lou Reed, Doolitle de Pixies, On Fire de Galaxie 500, Disintegration de The Cure, Paul´s Boutique de los Beastie Boys, Technique de New Order, Freedom de Neil Young, Let Love Rule de Lenny Kravitz, The Seeds of Love de Tears for Fears, Automatic de Jesus and Mary Chain, Love and Rockets de Love and Rockets, Dum-Dum de las Vaselines, Spike de Elvis Costello, Rhythm Nation de Janet Jackson, Mind Bomb de The The, Mothers Milk de los Red Hot Chili Peppers, Full Moon Fever de Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Ojalá Que Llueva Café de Juan Luis Guerra, Shahen-Shah Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Raw and the Cooked de los Fine Young Cannibals, Primal Scream de Primal Scream, The Whitey Album de Ciccone Youth, Lōc-ed After Dark de Tone Lōc, 3 Feet High and Rising de De La Soul, 101 de Depeche Mode, Like a Prayer de Madonna, Nick of Time de Bonnie Raitt, No More Mr. Nice Guy de Gang Starr, Raw Like Sushi de Neneh Cherry, The Real Thing de Faith No More, Liquidizer de Jesus Jones, Heart Shaped World de Chris Isaak, Bleach de Nirvana, Velveteen de Transvision Vamp, Pump de Aerosmith, The Healer de John Lee Hooker, Crossroads de Tracy Chapman, Hats de The Blue Nile, All Hail the Queen de Queen Latifah, Done by the Forces of Nature de los Jungle Brothers, Back on the Block de Quincy jones, Me and a Monkey on the Moon de Felt, Ninety de 808 State, Hallelujah EP de los Happy Mondays o Pump Up the Jam de Technotronic. Y como placeres culpables: Cuts Both Ways de Gloria Stefan, Foreign Affair de Tina Turner, ...But Seriously de Phil Collins y Neither Fish Nor Flesh de Terence Trent D'Arby
It felt like each song had potential but just didnt hit. I think you gotta be faded at the club for this music to be consistently good (some songs are still just aight though; one song took 2:30 for the beat to drop, it was a 3:30 song). I like back to life though, heard parts of it in different songs.
Although I kind of expected a different style of music based on the album title, it's still an interesting slice of late 80s musical styling, giant shoulder pads and all (at least in the video). It's always disconcerting to realize how much slower the beats, rhythm and rhymes were in the 80s/90s (and earlier), at least compared to the more manic and accelerated 21st century beats. I guess the songs on this album might have played in clubs in the late 80s, but many of them seem pretty mellow for the club scene. "Holdin' on" and "Dance", though, seemed like the 2nd cousins to many Faithless songs, while "Feeling free" had interesting De La Soul vibes (but so painfully s-l-o-w). And of course there's the quintessential "Back to life", which seems strangely different than much of the rest of the album, but a true classic (and very entertainingly vintage video). Although it wasn't painful to listen to by any means, I'll admit I'm a bit mystified why this album made the cut for this collection. Perhaps simply because it was a strong debut album? The book seems to suggest this album single-handedly created/revived British soul, so I guess that's a factor too...
really enjoyed this and recognized a few songs. Smooth stylings though Soul II Soul feels more like an organization than a band
actually better than the 3 rating - - but not a 4
Overall, this was fine. It was a bit generic, but still groovy and funky. The production was clean and I think has held up to this day. I really liked the female singer, but the male singer sounded like Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Concords to me and I couldn't take that seriously. I also enjoyed the instrumentals in "African Dance." Favourite tracks: Keep On Movin', African Dance, Back to Life
Good, as expected, would prefer more of a "proper album"
This is definitely an album of its time. Even the songs I didn’t know had a nostalgic feel just from the style of musical accompaniments and production approach, it feels very Nellee Hopper. I wouldn’t say those qualities warranted it as a must listen before you die for me but I can see how this could be considered an impactful album. The more I listened the more I gained appreciation for it and the innovation it had for that particular era. Of course Back To Life is a classic that I remember hearing everywhere that year, I especially remember hearing it in the mall. I started out the first couple songs giving this one 2 stars but as I got acclimated to the production that bumped up to 3.
I forgot about Soul II Soul; I thought that would be a justified chip on my shoulder for this album, but I was surprised to discover that this album has more good songs than bad. "Keep On Movin'" demands you to keep moving, both lyrically and via its constant thumping bass. The next two tracks are throwaways, but looking past that, the rest of the album is pretty good. All of it keeps an upbeat pulse with a focus on keeping you on the dance floor. With the lead 'singer' sounding a bit like musical comedian Jemaine Clement, the best qualities of the album reside in the rhythm, solo jazz instruments (flute, vibraphone), backup singers, and production. The mix of dance, funk, hip hop, and jazz feel natural, and the sound palette on Club Classics Vol. One evolve throughout the album. Before the album feels too predictable in its house beat and rhythm, they add vibraphone on one song, trumpets and orchestral hits on another, and congas and piano debut on yet another song. The track I was looking forward to most ("Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" is mostly a cappella. Nice change of pace, but I don't remember this version; dare they release a remix of the song as a single but leave the less known version on the album? Yes, they dare. This album makes it easy for a DJ, and these beats can be interspersed in most any set. Club music isn't really my jam, but this is enjoyable for what it is.
I was pretty excited to see this on here. I like a lot of those old club/house singles from this era, and I do consider many of them to be, well, classics. I can never remember which artists go with which songs, so in the filing cabinet of my mind, Soul II Soul exists in a jumble along with Black Box, La Bouche, SNAP!, and the artists who did 1989's Belgium techno anthem "Pump Up The Jam." I knew I would get at least one of those club hits on this album but I couldn't remember which one. I felt a little disappointed after listening, to be honest. Other than the instrumental "African Dance," which was flautistically cool, I didn't really find most of these songs measuring up to "Back To Life," the only song I really knew and liked from the album. Even when Back To Life came on, I was confused at the stripped down vocals-only track that didn't have any drums kick in until the 2:39 second mark of a 3:39 song. I found the remix I was used to later on the album, along with a second remix I'd never heard before. Overall, I'm not sure the album was strong enough to merit inclusion here.
Not as many memories with this one as with Vol 2.
Ah, 1989, a golden age. Not my kind of music, even when I'm at the club, but the vibes are solid.
En mä suoranaisesti vihaa, mitta välillä miettii että miksi tämäkin levy on tällä listalla. Ihan jees, mutta ei kyllä mitään erikoista. Jotain hiphop tyylistä, mutta ei niinkään räp. Parhaat: Happiness Dub, Jazzies Groove
I'm seeing way too many 1s and 2s for what is a perfectly passable album. I don't even like dance or soul music, but this album isn't even close to as bad as people make it seem. I think the beats are actually pretty good, especially for 1989, and the guest vocalists are also really good. The biggest problem here is that the lyrics are really surface level. They sound like stuff I would write (and I consider myself a terrible writer). I think that the mix of RnB, soul and dance music is really interesting and there are a couple funky little tracks here. Some of the beats even remind me of the Talking Heads, so that is a huge plus. high 3, nowhere near as bad as people make it seem.
Listening to Soul II Soul feels like discovering the fossil of form that evolved into something more successful. It provides context for its more successful progeny. It's a transitional form.
Some slow songs, but overall I kinda dig the vibe.
See, soul and hip hop can actually be uplifting. No cursing, no killing, no anger for anger's sake.
You know, it's absolutely not my thing at all, but it's not unpleasant. There's a cool, laid back groove underpinning proceedings and the music, for the most part, is alright! Female vocals are on point, and I was surprised with how arresting some of the strings were. I'm giving this a generous three, although there should be points off purely on the basis that Jazzie B's son played so long for Millwall, a veritable bogey team for the lads from Loftus Road.
I hadn't listened to Soul II Soul before, though I found that they were nominated as Best New Artist for the Grammys in 1990. After listening to this album, I feel that their recognition made sense for the time. This debut album is easy to listen to R&B and dance, with occasional record-scratching and various vocal leads. It's not bad, as there are a couple of genuine bops like the opening single "Keep On Movin'" and "Back to Life" with how it transitions from acapella to full-on groove. However, not every track pops off well, and the production quality is inconsistent such as how "Feeling Free" was recorded live instead of in the studio. Again, it probably made sense for 1990, but decades later this Soul II Soul does not feel like it needs to be listened to before you die.
I kind of like Fairplay, Feeling Free (Live Rap); I almost like African Dance, Happiness
I’m so sorry but I only half listened to this one, it was stressing me out due to unrelated reasons
This feels very dated to me now. I remember it being interesting at the time. It seems very slow. I certainly wouldn't consider it "club music" at all.
I'm a big fan of 90s jams. But some reason this didn't overly do it too much for me. Some decent songs but some absolute turds
2.75
Incredibly boring and repetitive. Aside from the one smash hit it just goes on and on
pretty enjoyable stuff. jazzie b is from hornsey btw
helt fin når det var den kvindelige sanger, manden var lidt træls :/ club classics vol. one er en ret sjov titel af give et album, særligt et debutalbum
Rimelig lang, men ret groovy det meste af tiden
Nicely nostalgic, I've had some fun dancing to some of these over the years, but the quality isn't high enough for me to want too much more.
Starts on a high. Then drops. Not sure it's aged well but I remember it being pretty radical at the time.
2.6
I remember never being a club person, dance music. I remember individual songs, fun songs, happy songs. As a whole album, not fun. Monotonous.
I feel like this could be a piece of seamless background music, which has its purpose. That is until you get the spiritual pompous MC-style babling on top.
Class up the club With that slinky black dress on til champagnes gone
Once you've heard 'Back to life', you've heard all you ever need to hear. It has wormed its way into the national psyche via adverts and TV. It's very good for what it is, but it's not for me, thanks.
My kind of music 3*
Now this is the kind of music I want to jam to ironically in the aisles of TJ Maxx
"Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" will always be a summer banger. I enjoyed returning to this album more than thirty years after I first heard it. Refined, carefree, synth-driven proto-electronica and R&B. Many people got their start here, namely Nelle Hooper and Massive Attack. However, like with many formative 90s R&B and soul albums, when I listen to them now, they are slower than I remember. This probably says more about my harried glichty experience of time in the present rather than earlier times where people were more thoughtful, reflective, or at least people had the time to process and the chance to be more of those things. A bit slow, but still good times throughout. 3.4 stars rounded down.
As a dancer, this stuff ages so poorly. There is way better versions of this out there.
Not an Album, but a compilation... For background music.
Steady, are you ready? If you haven't heard Back To Life at least randomly once in life you might not be getting out enough. That track haunts a person like a ghost in a supermarket, mini-mall, dance hall, wedding and high school dance. Listening to this record took me places, but not all of them are destinations I'm looking to stay in.
Enjoyable listen
Okay
This is a good record. I’d never seek it out, but I enjoy it.
3/5
good 3/5
This is enjoyable, but not my genre of choice. As a result, it didn’t leave much of an impression on me.
ganz chillig aber wird bissi boring
Groovy!!
I’m not really sure what makes this album essential. It felt like a very mid dance-rap album of the 90’s, and I just don’t really get it. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s got nice lyrics, but fairly boring music. I doubt I’ll be rushing back to listen to this one.
I definitely underestimated this album. I made the mistake of looking at some of the reviews on here before listening, and found that, in general, folks didn’t like it much. I get why, but I really don’t think it was that bad. Was it the most amazing album I’ve ever heard in my life? No. Was it even one of the best club music albums I’ve ever heard in my life? Not that I’ve heard many, but no. But there’s some great grooves on here and the flute work is great on “African Dance.” The lyrics do leave something to be desired in a lot of places and some tracks do sound like Muzak for sure. But there’s enough to like here that I’m happy to have listened. 3 stars. Standout tracks: Holdin’ On, Feeling Free, African Dance, Feel Free
Hyvät bileet tällä saa aikaan. Mukavan monipuolinen, funk ja sopivan ysäri-house.
a few memorable songs and oddly has more character when the guy sings even if he is not as skilled. But despite being a key album of the era it is not something I would actively think about listening to again from start to finish.
Cool and funky R&B record. I was not aware that this album was the origin of the track, "Back to Life". Fun listen.
african dance!
Mildly interesting but not much of a draw. I think I have heard some of the songs before.
# Playlist track - Keep On Moving # Notes - Very repetitive. A bit bland and uninteresting. - Not annoying or anything like that. But just OK. - Enjoyable.
Was a 2 then back to life came on and gave it a extra point
couldn't connect enough with it to really enjoy it
If you are not bothered by repetition, this is an easy 4-star or better album. The beats and 90s hip-hop vibes are immaculate. The big name songs (Keep On Movin' and Back To Life) are so cool in concept, but so freaking repetitive. It's funky fresh, if you can dig it. Sadly, I cannot. Fav tracks: Feeling Free, African Dance, Jazzie's Groove
Interesting. Cool beats. The female voices are great. The "toasting" guy is... off-key. Who's going to tell all the british men that they can't sing?
Am I watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for 1 hour again? Damn, very nice show!
I liked a lot of the more hip hop centric tracks here, but like many dance records at the time, it loses its luster pretty quickly. Could’ve sworn that was Del rapping for a bit.
Smooth, real smooth…maybe TOO smooth but smoooooth.
Nice. A calm groovy vibe throughout. Singer change up on track three came outta left field. But enjoyabke
Enjoyed it! Some nice grooves.
listenable, but not my favorite. A little too 80s.
This album is very of its time. The mix of African music into a soul and dance format was clever and had occasional moments that really stood out. However, most of the album was fairly bland. I enjoyed it a lot more than other British dance music of the time though.
3/28/24. Fun album, a lot of danceable tracks. Flows like a mixtape in a way, would be good for exercising or practice your dance moves.
Really nice but didn't leave a lasting impact I might go back to it Fave tracks: Feel free
Liked some songs - not others.
Technically solid, but extremely forgettable. I accidentally turned shuffle on halfway through the album and never realized that songs were repeating.
Pretty bloody good actually
El sonido de las primeras canciones de éste disco me recuerda a Sade. A las canciones más chill de Faith No More como Evidence. Trabajo discreto, con algunos temás más up y otros que mantienen el mood.
Smooth R&B, nothing groundbreaking other than Back to Life. 3.5
I liked one or two songs but otherwise don't remember others. I think this album could grow on me more.
2.8/5 Best Track: Keep on Movin'
A bit inconsistent. Some beats are dope. Some are flat. Back To Life is a total banger. Bonus points for a nice nostalgia trip.
an interesting album for background music, although i really can’t see myself listening to this again.
Some bangers
Who's ever heard of them? OK, I've heard one of their songs.
Some good tracks.
So this was a pretty good classic dance album. It’s definitely a good combination of soul, jazz, r&b, and house music, but I think it probably stood on higher ground back when it first came out. I can’t say it stands the test of time as good as other classic dance albums from the same time period such as paradise from inner city. It’s worth a listen to, but I’ll probably never go back to it like I do with other albums from the past.
Not really my favourite kind of music
3 stars
Helt okej!
I can see how this would have been influential in the 80's / 90's R&B scene. It's not a genre I dig very much but I wasn't opposed to this collection of tunes. A soft 3 from me.
Pleasant
Just good vibes. Nothing more, nothing less Favourite tracks: Keep on Movin’, Fairplay, Dance, Happiness, Back to Life
Songs were good at the end
Sexy time.
Jazz flute, ok! Enjoyed the rap tracks on this the most.
Definitely some classics here. All sounds very Streets of Rage soundtrack too, which is 100% a bonus. I'm sure Sega ripped off Soul II Soul. Favourite tracks: Keep On Movin', African Dance.
Fun dance album! Back to Life is a classic but I'm not sure if this is a cover or sample, or the real thing. Either way, this was a nice album to kick off the week.
Not bad. Recognized the name, but wasn't sure with this group. Some low-key dance vibes, skirting the hip hop/R&B line with this one. Nothing with punch or bite, but a few explorations. Then "Back to Life" hit and I remembered why I was aware of this group. That's a genuine banger. I can't say I loved the album, but that hit put things in context. It's a decent album but not quite enough life to justify the inclusion if you ask me. Would probably be on the chopping block if not for "Back to Life." Favorite tracks: Back to Life, Feeling Free, African Dance. Album art: Just a guy vibing, gold background, thin little font and logo for the text. Really nothing special at all to me. 3/5
This was better than I was expecting. I'm not much for "club" music, but it turned out to be an engaging listen, some good beats and groovy rhythms. I wasn't expecting to listen to it all, but I did and I might again...
The back to life we know and love is an acapella without that line. Fine for what it is
"Back to Life" is a classic from my childhood, but this is very much a product of its time and most of the album has really aged. Musically fairly decent but not of huge interest.
Yawn. Totally fine and non distracting as background music. African Dance and Back to Life caught my attention and prompted a closer listen. Otherwise this album is a bit of a snoozefest. Not terrible, I didn't not like it, just, you know, fine.
Nice beats
Sounds of late 80s early 90s. I expected something different, but it's ok.
Pleasant neo-soul that incorporates elements of EDM and hip-hop, but not that groundbreaking. Massive Attack would do it so much better.
Liked it more than I thought I would, but nothing special. Can understand how this was influential though.
No false advertising here, I does indeed contain some Club Classics.
A few jams in the mix. 5/10
lounge music for normies
I've never heard this album. I didn't care much for the first 2 tracks. After that I thought it was pretty groovy. I rarely understand many of the lyrics on this so I like the accent on the raps.
забавно но не мой стиль
I remember listening to this, but not by much. I do remember enjoying it.
Niet alles is even memorabel, maar die twee hits (Keep on movin' en Back to Life) zijn echt kneiters.
Felt little repetitive but pretty good overall. Also love a good jazz flute - 7/10
Conflicted ab how to rate this bc I tried listening this morning when I was driving and it wasnt stimulating enough of noise so I stopped listening and thought I wasn’t gonna listen to the album but then later I played it when I was looking at Christmas lights w my friend and it was good background music and was able to talk over it comfortably. So like I think it’s 8/10 for background music but like 4/10 for listening experience. Thought the instrumental stuff was so boring and there were a few songs I didnt love even as background music… gonna avg to a 6/10 but don’t think numbers do a good job describing how I feel ab this album
6/10 Didn’t like it at the beginning because the chord progressions were boring. It kinda grew on my though. I listened while wrapping gifts. I really liked Happiness - Dub. My mom walked in singing along to Back To Life. I feel like once I put myself in the mindset of a 90s clerb enjoyer, I liked it better. Should I have to change my mindset and expectations to enjoy an album, or should it meet me where I am? 🤔
Didn’t hate any songs but didn’t like any either, was ok background music though 5.5/10
This is pretty interesting. The production is really good, and honestly id probably rate this album much higher if it were just instrumentals, but the singing is hot ass on pretty much every song. I dunno, maybe I just don’t like house music. 4/10 because the cover is dope
Good beats for chillin but none of the songs stuck with me
Soul and funk album w/a funky beat. Has a bit of rap flair to it. 3
I'm sure it is a classic, but club music has continued to innovate and improve, IMO
Groundbreaking. I love the 'Go forth and achieve your ambitions' instructions from Jazzy. It unleashed an army of London soul brothers and sisters. There's nothing radically new here, yet it all still sounds so fresh. The sound of late 80's Ldn going global.
soul ii soul's club classics vol. one was a refreshing listen. i found myself intrigued as the album went on; it began as very smooth r&b, but including african music into their album was a good change of pace. i do think that their desire to touch multiple genres hurt them in the end, because the album wasn't very cohesive. regardless, 3 for creativity.
This was okay! There was a very diverse amount of music on here, in many different genres that are often explored by Black artists, such as R&B, soul, hip hop, and African. It was interesting to hear a lot of that blended into one album. I will say the album started to drag after a bit, and I feel like by not picking one genre to be centered around, Soul II Soul kind of made themselves generic across all of these genres. I would put this at a high enough 2 that I'm going round it up!
Back to Life – the single version, not the album version – is fantastic, and I’m not surprised it was a huge UK hit. Keen on Movin’ is also a great track, and Holdin’ On and African Dance aren’t half bad either. The female vocals in every track that includes them are gorgeous, to the point where the carelessly-spoken male vocal is “immersion-breaking” and obstructs the otherwise very cool, hip-hoppy flow of the album. The percussion is pretty boring, predicting the upcoming decade of similarly unremarkable percussion being (somehow) a hit with the crowds. Other instruments are cool but repetitive, such as the fun horn licks decorating some of the later tracks.
Smooth
Not bad for R&B.
I got really excited by this album for the first like 10 seconds but after that I was a bit let down. It was fine overall but there was nothing that's really making it stick in my mind. There's cool production stuff here and there but other than that I doubt I'll remember this in like 2 days. It sounded like my jam on the surface as a mashup of soul and club music but it just didn't fully work for me. I feel like I’ve been in a 2-3 star rut album enjoyment wise
Hasn't aged well, but gets an extra star for being such a trailblazer and trendsetter. More important than it is actually good.
Some good hits (Keep on Moving, Back To life) in general solid R&B album
When an album is called “Club Classics” I would expect to know more than one song. I wasn’t the biggest dance club patron, so I could be totally off on this take. That doesn’t mean this was a bad album. It did have a nice groove to it, but did not start thumpin’ until the rap, which was an unofficial introduction to the remixes. This is where the beat gets heavier, but still not where other songs played at the club would be. I’d put the first hapf on at a wine & cheese party and use the second have as a pre-gamer. Not a heavy beat, but enough to get you excited for the night. Low 3
ekki minn tebolla en vel gert breskt rogb popp með sterkum næntíssvip.
Cool
Listened to this after being up for 24 hours on a train from the airport in Japan. It weirdly hit me in a groove. I have no idea why this album exists or what the story of it is and I don't think it's that incredible but I had fun listening to it. There was one song where the handholds were swinging to the beat and it felt like the right thing to be listening to.
Relaxing sound.
Superb mixing. Surprised to see this is from 1989. Sounds very ahead of its time, or maybe I am just very out of touch with soul music.
Bon album de soul des 90s! Comme l’impression de revivre ma jeunesse du début des 00s et les DJ qui passaient que des bangers comme ceux-la. J’ai bougé mon corps et ma tête mais sans plus lors de son écoute.
3.5
Apparently, these guys just created all the best beats over the last 20 years.
It definitely has the sound of Club Classics. The sound is a little dated, but overall pretty enjoyable jams.
Great to have on in the background. Halfway through you think it all sounds the same. At the end you look and realise that each song is actually on there three times.
Quite like the distinctive sound, in moderation. Bit too soft for me. Housey piano is cool but not much dynamic range and I get bored. Hint of Gil Scott Heron i'd not noticed before?
Soul II Soul's Club Classics Vol. One is pretty much a meh album, the R&B sound doesn't really get into my soul, but functioned ok as a background music listen. Best: Back To Life Worst: Feelin' Free
I remember Back2Life being all over the radio when it was released. But a hit single does not make an album a must listen. Unless…(checks notes) the album was UK in origin and suits the author(s) UK bias. 3/5/
I appreciate that this is a cultural stepping stone that helps to make sense of the the UK DNA entwined within hip hop and R&B. One US single that I recognize from the radio of the time, Back to Life. Still a bop. While the whole thing is musically competent, it's not my jam. Certainly not an entire album's worth.
Pretty good. For ifs time groundbreaking
If you asked me what I think of this album I would say it's not very good, but whenever my focus was distracted I found my heading nodding and my foot tapping. So I'm rating this higher than my conscious would but lower than my subconscious would.
I enjoyed this album quite a bit! If I could give half stars, I'd easily rate it at 3.5/5.
damm clubers
New to me. It's fun, danceable stuff.
Soul. Hip hop.
Groovy 3/5
I was ready to give this a 2 star review after the first few songs, but then I had this playing while doing chores around the house and it was nice. I’ll probably never listen again, but it grew on me. It was good hearing Back to Life again- it must be 20 years since I’ve heard that song.
Kind of fun. Good Background music to work to.
Pretty good but repetitive beats. Also very good singing in the first 2 songs. Holdin on goes pretty hard and funky. African dance is a great instrumental. Back to life was a surprise that I knew Overall a cool album with some nice beats and singing. I also like the transitions between a few songs. While the songs sound unique to each other they are pretty repetitive themselves
Snilld með smá kjánahrolli inn á milli.
one good song stretched out over an entire album 2.8
enjoyable but like kinda unmemorable. background
I was sort of dreading this as not, "my sort of music", but turned out to be pretty enjoyable, even if a little soporific at times.
Enjoyed as background music
HL: "Holdin' On", "Back to Life", "African Dance" not bad at all, strikes a balance between danceable/peppy & laidback/chill.
Don't think I ever heard any of these "classics" in the club, but they were fine for background music. Back to Life is the clear standout and the only track that made me stop what I was doing and listen.
Nice grooves for background music.
Background music. A bit boring, honestly. Doesn't belong on the list in my opinion. Nothing really bad here, though. The title, Club Classics Vol. One is a strange choice. It sounds like a various artist compilation. By the way, where is the version of "Back to Life" everyone knows from the radio? Best track: Fairplay
A fusion of soul and the rising house movement with some jazz, funk, hip hop, and afrobeat elements in many songs. Can definitely hear the influence of bands like Massive Attack, and looks like it's influenced by the soul-disco combo of Chic a decade prior. It's consistent with strong hits and diverse styles interdispersed, although I did find the house production effects and samples to be incredibly repetitive albeit well polished. Some tracks go on a bit too long. I didn't find many of the tracks to be musically interesting enough to keep me engaged (which is kinda the point of early house music but I guess that's why it's more dated than Madchester), many tracks relying on the singer's talents. Favorites: Keep on Moving, Feelin Free, African Dance, Happiness, Back to Life
Lot of slick, funky production going on here. Keep On Moving was great stuff, and the transition between the acappella Back to Life into Jazzie's Groove was the best thing on the record. It honestly felt more like a funk/R&B hybrid type record than anything. However, a lot of the tracks did kind of blend together in a way.
first listen a really weak collection of marginally interesting late 80s club hits
I thought it started out in a good way with the first 2 or 3 tracks, but then it deteriorated quite a bit. ‘African Dance’ and ‘Dance’ were quite yawny for example. Not sure I understand why this deserves to be on the list to be honest.
Ritmos tranquilos y suaves. Honor (por soul) al nombre del grupo. Con ritmo pausado en ciertas ocasiones. No despierta un interés muy alto
BL: heard the name Soul II Soul before but don't think ive ever listened to a track. AL: I liked a lot of the tracks on the album but the problem is to me a lot of them are too repetitive, which I get from dance music is kinda the M.O., but I can appreciate there are a lot of highs on here. FT: “African dance” “back to life” “keep on Movin (big beat acapella)” 3/5
Groovy, sometimes jazzy, but R&B over anything album.
This is a pretty strange album, in that I found listening to a lot of it to be pretty dull, but it seems really obviously significant in terms of the shape of R&B and hip-hop during the early 90s. When I listen to this, I hear a lot of little elements that would show up in the club music of the 90s. Also Back II Life is a fucking jam 3/5
Was fun!!
Lit jams
Interesting
Some very groovy and soulful beats indeed. I especially like the ones you can clearly hear the p-funk and Philly/Motown influence.
Fine. Groovy beats
It's perfectly fine, but not a lot more than that. An album of it's time
3.2 - I love the hits “Keep on Movin’” and “Back to Life…” (including the surprisingly good a cappella version). The rest is watery house beats with that black dude with dreadlocks continually making declarations about “one race” that’s “united” around some 90’s-sounding uplifting shit.
3, nice messages
Very nice to add in a different genre and style (as mentioned by b and e). Back to life is the only one I knew. All the others were a bit droning for me. Those drum beats are set early and don't really change. It's much much more about the words and their play while the instrumentation just lays a base. That being said, no real hits for me.
Overly ambitious to a fault. At times it plays like, "Here are different versions of the 3 songs you like". I can't tell if that's intended to be a feature or a benefit. Probably both. But the result is you just want to hear the 3 songs you already know and love.
Back to Life is just a brilliant song There’s some other bits which work but plenty that out stay their welcome (you’re on much safer ground whenever Jazzie B is not on the mic) Call it a generous 3 because with Back to Life doing the heavy lifting
It is a bit dull, but an ok kind of dull. However, was a bit surprised that the album version for Back To Life was mostly accapella. Rated that album after listening to the single version of back to life!
It is good dance music with particularly excellent production. Very good songs with the female vocals, but I don't really like Jazzy B's talking. His commentary/poetry might work if sung or rapped with rhythm. Talking doesn't do it for me.
Nice groove but I don't think it really holds up.
It’s nothing special, but it’s decent. The opener is the best one due to the great singer, but while the vocals are good, some of these songs lack substance.
This was hit and miss but still had a classic feel. And "Back to Life" would be nothing if not for the remix.
Generic club beats
Damn those some club classics
Hm
Quite backgroundy. Jazz flute. Was going to say 90s beatz, but it would be more accurate to say 80s beatz...
The album release year on spotify shows as 1995 but it was in '89. Not super useful other than to explain why this is considered groundbreaking because it was for '89.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Album radio slapped, but the actual album did not.
Liked it
Decent little album
Pretty decent nostalgic dance music
Pleasant and soulful
Back to Life. Back to Reality.
Its not bad at all, it has a solid enough sound to it. But it was a bit boring and I wasnt really able to vibe with it
Enjoyed this. Good background music. Recognised a few songs too. Not generally my thing. Apparently "keep on movin" is so good they put it on the album twice!
Feels like there's one or two good songs on here that get rehashed over and over again. I think African Dance and Jazzie's Groove are standouts for me,
Listening to early house music, like early hip-hop, is mainly interesting only in an academic sense. Fortunately I'm a massive frickin' nerd and that's fine with me. 🤓 I enjoyed the way the tracks flowed into each other. The vocals from the women at least are still excellent, though the raps from the men are very dated. Fave track - "Back to Life" obviously - that tune still holds up really well!
Fun but mostly forgettable early 90s club R&B. Very much of its time. Generally enjoyed it, but it's not one I'm likely to go back to. Fave Songs: Keep on Movin', Happiness, Holdin' On, Fairplay, Back to Life
The sound of overpriced drinks. Still good, though.
Eventually infectious beats and positivity
Lekker album. Prima nummers, maar niet allemaal even swingend als "Keep On Movin'". ***
Just based on the name I was bracing myself for the worst. But this CD is awesome. I'm not sure the singers they get on are officially part of the band or not (there's several of them, always listed with separate names) but they're all very good, like A-level talent. This CD is a testament to how far you can get with just a stable of incredible vocal talent and not much in the way of good material. The songs are basically just open-ended templates for the singers to solo over - little more than drum beats with a little bit of light harmony (typically hanging on one chord for the entire song). "Back to Life" is the highlight, and while it eventually does add in drums, the first few minutes are straight a capella and it works perfectly well that way. "Feel Free" and "Holdin' On" are other high points. I'm probably not putting this in my regular CD rotation - for one thing, the songs without vocals like "Feelin' Free" and the two "Dance" songs are in my opinion just total duds - but I liked listening to it.
A grand fusion of house/dance beats, hip-hop breaks, and jazz/R&B instrumentation, all with an undertone and influence of African roots. When it all comes together, as in the hit songs like 'Keep On Movin'' and 'Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)' as well as lesser-known songs like 'Happiness Dub' and 'Jazzie's Groove - Piano Version', it really hits.
A pivotal moment in British dance music, bringing a sound system vibe to the mainstream. Improbably, the album features an a Capella version of Back to Life and not the smash hit single club version which was everywhere, all the time. Either way, Caron Wheeler’s vocals are sublime. The album doesn’t hold up all that well - too many limp tracks that fail to excite and sketches for songs not fleshed out - but the impact and influence of Soul II Soul was huge.
Some good parts but very repetitive.
Basic hiphop beats on a basic soul track. That's exactly what you would hear in a typical jeepney with music here in the Philippines. That's what this album basically is, a groovy background music. Tip for future listeners: once you hear a male vocal, SKIP THAT TRACK.
"women produce" - ben babiro or bordan beterson, probably 3
Fun and easy, awesome as party background music or just feeling good.
Starts well, then falls off
Certainly an important album because of what it kick-started, and those singles, but not as sure it's an essential album in and of itself. This production sound is almost as era-defining as the Stock, Aitken and Waterman sound was for the couple of years before it. And, well, despite anything else I say here I know which one I prefer. Erm, why is African Dance followed by the same song with less flute and more talking? Just don't stop, carry on. Kind of responsible for the explosion of artists I wasn't into, like, I dunno, the Brand New Heavies and stuff. It's aged in a way that Bjork's Debut hasn't (though nowhere near as much as some here are making out imho), although they both remain extremely transportative listens to their times.
It’s fun
Party album from back when I was watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air and dancing on fun beats.
Solid
interesting. kinda liked it. felt like I was in a martini bar
Some decent boom bap/chill club beats
Lot of funk. Lot of soul. Heard it on the way to the airport. Didn't suit the vibe. Might go back to it
The album was ok. A couple of songs were familiar, but I am not sure why there were several versions of the same song. It was a little repetitive and a little long because of it. It is better than a 2 ans not quite a 3. I will roundup.
3/5
This sounds like one of those nameless demo CDs you got in the 90s when you bought a Sound Blaster ('member when PCs didn't come factory with a sound card?). It's good enough, but in a bad way. 3/5.
Well I see it was originally 10 tracks which is good. The Spotify version has 16 and a mixed order so sorry if my impresión on the album is distorted by this but the album is looooong and overstated, I like the mixing but would like some more organic drums
It was ok. Lots of good rhythms and drum loops to it, but it also sounded really dated. Some fun songs too, especially Back To Life and African Dance- but overall pretty forgettable. Theirs just not enough variation in the songs “sound” to warrant a higher rating- maybe I’ll look back at it later with different eyes
I wanted to turn it off after 2 songs but I'm glad i stuck with it 3
Great album. A bit patchy and dated in places but I remember how good it was when it came out
fine
alright, liked the overall sound/energy of the album but the tracklist began to drag towards the end, 6/10
Way too long an album but it's funky and very 90s type sound. 6/10
Some good bops. Some of the tracks get a little repetitive though
Pretty good, remember a lot of these tracks from middle school
Bof au début mais en fait cool.
ni trop chiant ni vraiment mémorable