Reviews (page 7 of 8)
It’s ok.
Nah!
It has some fun lyrics
Es un disco plano, que muestra las bases del reggae como movimiento de protesta y hasta toma un poco la idea de los inicios del hip hop. Por más de que tenga el atrevimiento de hacer esto, es un disco del 1997, momento en el que ya se había visto bastante el hip hop. Algunas canciones están bien, otras son muy malas, pero no por ser conceptualmente malas, sino que son demasiado extensas. La letra no llama, los ritmos no cambian y tampoco tiene una cantidad de arreglos como para prestar atención detenidamente toda la canción en eso. Uno de los temas que me llevo es el penúltimo que a pesar de todo el lleve malo del proyecto logra asentarse y decir -Bueno, pongo algo diferente en este disco liso. 4/10
I didn't mind this but it was also kind of forgettable. I would call this pop reggae-lite. It seemed like the type of thing that would be playing in a hotel lobby somewhere warm.
This is a perfect example of why I wanted to start this project. I had never heard of this artist before, nor the album of course, so it was fun listening to one where I went into it without any preconceived notions. That said, this album started out strong, but I grew pretty tired of it by the end. Even After All is a great song, and a high point for sure, but everything after that feels like diminishing returns. The combination of reggae and trip-hop is one I want to explore more, and this album delivered on some of that, but I was constantly wanting more from it the further I got into it. I think my main hang up is the vocals, which feature a Scottish born singer doing his best Jamaican impersonation. Sometimes it’s fine, but there’s points on the album where he drops it entirely and those feel like his best moments. The UK has a long history with Reggae, so it’s unsurprising to hear an artist so inspired by that sound, but it is surprising to see one adopt the accent along with it. I’m sure there’s plenty of examples of this happening, but I know of plenty that avoided that and still made great music (The Clash for starters). So in short, there’s some good stuff here, but maybe not enough to revisit.
Reggae. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Es como reggae. No está mal. Pero es un poco rollo al final.
First album on the list I'd not heard of. Some interesting stuff but nothing that grabbed me.
Good, but not standout.
There are some good tunes in here with some good grooves, little long, and the artist is insane but sticking with the music here
Perfectly passable as a reggae album. It's a little weird that he's a Scottish person of Ghanaian descent doing a Jamaican impression. Feels like he's trying to get away with something. Which would be fine if it were great, but it's just okay. Top track by a country mile is Ride On and Turn the People On
Interesting effort. I liked it but didn’t really love it.
2.5 Seemed like One long song….
E kje nåke reggaemeneskje
Liked this at the time might have even seen him live? However went off the boil rather quickly only a cpuple of tunes there.
Who let this onto the list?
Nostalgia filled me to the brim and then I spilled over with joyous bubbles of musical pleasure. Maybe if you didn't listen to this weekly in your teens, your feel differently.
First 4 tracks were great, then "Ride On and Turn the People On" kinda killed the vibe. Picked up again with "Your Love Gets Sweeter", but then fizzled out for me. 2.5
This was pretty lame 90s reggae with shitty production. It got decent for a couple songs in the middle, namely even after all and ride on but the rest was sad. Honestly a little comforting getting a couple of twos after the last month of 4s; back to the old giveth and taketh list.
I just couldn't get into this album. Something was off about the sound, then I found out the guy is from Edinburgh, not Jamaica, and recently he headbutt a guy with cancer because the guy said Game of Thrones was more relevant than him. Aside from that, the sound isn't for me.
What a freaking awful album! Absolutely nothing going on of any interest...just a boring slog. Maybe the worst album yet...would give zero if I could. 0/5
I’m not really into Raggae. I’ve tried to get into what Quaye is saying here and to a certain extent I loved that. Musically is interesting enough if not altogether somewhat samesy. A decent listen for sure.
A beautiful one
Scale: 1: Dissapointing 2: Didn't enjoy 3: Decent 4: Enjoyed 5: Would listen again (My first impression if not mentioned otherwise in a comment) Ultra Stimulation: 2/5, weird ass intrumentals It's Great When We're Together: 3/5, fine Sunday Shining:3/5, ok Even After All: 2/5, idk Ride On and Turn the People On: 1/5, worst one so far The Way of the Explosive: 2/5, idk Your Love Gets Sweeter: 2/5, idk Supreme I Preme: 4/5, cool Sweet and Loving Man: 1.5/5, dont like it Red Rolled and Seen: 1/5, idk why this is here Falling: 3.5/5, cool I Need a Lover: 1.5/5, boring Maverick a Strike: 1.5/5, a song Overall: 2.23/5, pretty mediocre
Wrong list. Forgettable
Pretty good if you ignore a few bad songs like "I Need a Lover"
pretty meh, some good songs but felt baffled at times cuz i couldnt believe it was still the same album with how often it changes genre
I'd forgotten just how good this album is! But the second half does let it down a bit.
This is a great album, 4.5 stars. Reggae influences without being full-on reggae/repetitive. Balances blending lots of different instruments with still feeling simple. Vocals set a tone that feels 'relatable' and guitar is given freedom to shine at times. Pace changes throughout but is never too fast or too slow. Standout is "Sunday Shining"
2.9 - Music for those once free-spirited white dudes I used to meet at music festivals and youth hostels who have since “graduated” from listening to bootleg recordings of Phish concerts. Now, at the urging of their wives, they have cut their dreadlocks, and traded in their Bob Marley tee-shirts for smart business casual attire. They've settled into their mortgages. "I Need a Lover" and other cuts from this album may pop up on their “Smooth 90’s Reggae” playlist. As they drive their kids to soccer practice, their fingers tap to the beat against the minivan steering wheel.
This is not a good album. The overly nasal vocals with singing in what turns out to be an affected Jamaican patois. When you get a different sounding song like Sunday Shining, you remember it until you go right back into the most generic dub-sounding instrumentation on everything else. This might be the most soulless "reggae" album I've heard.
2/13, 15%
Très bien!
More like a 2.5
This was all over the place. Like the songs came from different albums
Good but I don't like it enough to buy the CD.
Reggae (with other genres mixed in) updated for the 90s. Like everyone who lived through that era, I've heard the catchy hit "Sunday Shining" (now I know it's not "Sun is Shining"). Finley Quaye seems like a bit of a one-hit wonder. The music is fine but the rhymes are sometimes stilted and occasionally make little sense ("I'm a hero like Robert de Niro" - um, de Niro usually plays a criminal.)
I really don’t like reggae 3/10
Had some moments but overall pretty resident sleeper
L + Reggae
Loved this album back then Great to go back to the dub grooves … top musicians on it … Great bass, guitar and drums even after all … A strong 4
Decent 3rd (4th?) wave reggae with some infectious hooks
Just wanna bend my knees and bop
One of those 90s album covers that is super familiar even though I never owned it. Turns out it's packed with familiar singles too. Surely his voice is cultural appropriation? I'm not sure specifically why this is on the list.
Kind of a grower. Apart from happy-go-lucky songs there‘s a certain depth to the whole project which cannot only be explained by the use of dubby reverb. Sincere 3.6
Chill
Although this album isn't completely without its charms, it starts rough. The quality improves on the second half, but it's ultimately fairly forgettable. I had a hard time connecting with that vocal, which is frequently tuneless and doesn't sync with what's going on musically at the same time. Fave Songs: Your Love Gets Sweeter, Red Rolled and Seen, Sweet and Loving Man, Supreme I Preme
I don't get why this is on the list. It's just ... not that great. Inoffensive, but also uninteresting.
None of the songs stood out to me except for the last track ‘Maverick a Strike’. I’m still listening to it as I’m writing this and I kind of love it. The instrumentals were interesting throughout the whole album I guess, but again nothing stood out to me that much. The song ‘Red Rolled and Seen’ annoyed the shit out of me it was really repetitive I might have to listen to this album again to actually like it but I don’t think I will. Still, not the worst thing I’ve listened to.
Great songs, great music - just feel good vibes
Best Song: It's Great When We're Together. The chorus here is excellent, and repeated in an almost mantra-like fashion to great effect. Worst Song: Supreme I Preme. Too sleepy for me. Overall: Pleasantly chill background music that I can definitely see myself throwing on in while cooking or reading. For someone who typically doesn't like this genre of music, I found it pretty compelling.
1.9
This was fine -- but not sure there was anything about it that seemed like it needs to be on a list like this. Oh well
I wasn't in the mood for this style of music at all today but it was still a good listen.
Não entendi bem, tem alguma coisa de reggae.
Reggae is...already a tough genre for me to enjoy. Bob Marley can make it listenable, nice even. Finley Quaye cannot.
Boring and annoying
jahas chillia pokkaa sellasta se on no joo kiva ku nkuuntelin mutta jos kerran on 1001 parasta albuia kuulemma koskaan niin eihän tässä ovi eihän täässä eihän tässä nyt voi pisteitä montaa antaa kiva oli joo maverick a strike
Listened to this on a cold, dark November Monday morning so it wasn’t exactly the best setting for a reggae album. Nothing too memorable but nothing bad either, chill enough, good voice, good vibes. 3 stars
Tracks 1-5 are all undeniable bangers. This is way better than I remember (I think I borrowed it off a mate, taped Sunday Shining and Love Gets Sweeter and bunned off the rest of the album as boring). The second half of the album may have justified my young opinion, but this album was SO strong out of the gates it's still great.
I really like some reggae but this album doesn't do much for me. I listened to it all the way through to be able to judge it fairly but was just left a little unimpressed. It just feels like 90s coffeehouse reggae, which is not something I'd ever put on in my everyday life. Tried to find a few standout tracks though that weren't just boring to me. Standout Tracks: Your Love Gets Sweeter, Sweet and Loving Man
Eh
At the time I really like this and although I get and agree the comments about the wannabe Jamaica gangsta pose are a put off there's still a few great tracks on here. The style is pretty light and breezy and easy to listen to. Not really Reggae but a smorgasbord of things he's thrown in there.
There were some good songs, and even more good arrangements, but this man just cannot make a catchy melody for his life, and his vocals probably couldn't pull one off anyway. Couple that with some honestly bland attempts at reggae and soul, and we have a pretty mid album.
Well, this is coffee shop reggae in my opinion. Inoffensive, and a little lackluster at parts, but overall ok.
Nothing special
This is a great record. Definitely has its faults (not least the questions around Quayle’s authenticity in assuming the role of reggae vocalist), but there’s some great tracks on here and the production is stellar. The real dilemma I was pondering centred around this album’s place on a list of 1001 records to hear before you die. And ultimately, while I accept arguments to the contrary, it’s a great representation of the direction of traffic for the genre towards the late 90s, incorporating rock and trip hop sounds to make something pretty unique. The latter half is a bit forgettable, but overall I enjoyed this record.
Hearing this for the first time, I'm surprised this guy is not more of a household name. He's like a modern sounding Bob Marley, but even more accessible to a mass audience. I found these songs to be great listens, really grooving.
Not immediately off-putting or anything, but not sure how this ended up on the list. The album got more annoying as it went on, particularly when it hit "Ride On and Turn the People On."
Decent chill reggae-esque sound. A fun bop but beyond that that’s about it.
Funkade bra, hehe funk
This is the debut album by Scottish musician Finley Quaye. It is a reggae pop album that peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums charts and has been certified double platinum in the UK. This was a relaxing, and vibey album to listen to during my workday. I only wish there were more songs that stuck out to me as amazing.
☑ Terrible coverㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ☑ Terrible voiceㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ☑ Terrible instrumentals Kudos for the worst reggae/reggae+ album that I have ever heard.
Not bad
Didn't hate it but its a one and done for me.
It's really, truly, awful.
I dont like GOOD reggae at the best of times and this album isnt even that. How this album ended up on this list is completely beyond me.
I'm writing this about ten minutes after listening to this record, and I can't say I remember much. I remember some reggae and dub influences, mixed with some modern-ish techniques. Honestly, the whole package was a little bit yacht-rock-ish to me. The performances are listless, just very wallpaper. I think I can say I enjoyed "Supreme I Preme", because it was a least a little bit interesting. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to feel that there's no way this album should be here.
3-
Great vibe.
Really hated this at the time, background music for hipster students trying for street cred. Now the highlights sound a bit like TV on the Radio (a compliment) but the whole thing is pretty weak and inessential. Shouldn't be on this list, poor effort
Would revisit
Smooooooth AF
Listenable but it wasn’t hittin
I only liked one song on the album
Overall enjoyable, sans plus
Loved listening to this again.
This one is nostalgic for me
NICE TUNES
Yea not bad
I liked this more than I expected to
Easy to listen to on a nice summers day, with good beats and vibes. Personally the album as a whole doesn’t grab me but absolutely love the standout track Sun is shining, which bumps the album up to 3 stars
Wasn't bad, but I couldn't get over the Scotsman trying to sound Jamaican.
Let's be honest, it's soft rock/Reggae from a Scotsman trying to sing with a Jamaican accent. The singing could also be better. That being said, there are some great chill songs here, the composition and musicianship is great.
Decent musicianship and the Indie Rock/Reggae is... experimental. A dear and trusted friend recommended this album to me 25 years ago. He really shouldn't have. The two stars are for me committing to the project and getting through those 52 minutes again.
Starts off with a couple of decent tracks, but after that gets more and more boring.
Interesting to see him hailing from Scotland, but the album’s songs fail to leave an impression. I personally prefer the more grassroots reggae from the 70s.
Reggae from Scotland, not a combination I would have ever expected. But regardless of that novelty, it was a fairly decent album
I'm a very casual reggae fan but this is fine if somewhat middling. Hits a variety of styles but nice and upbeat and chill throughout.
Норм, не запомнилось
Maverick A Strike occasionally hits a nice groove, Your Love Gets Sweeter especially, but only a 2/5 as it's quite bland at times.
Not listened to this before, I knew one of his songs that wasn't on this album, and don't have any nostalgia for this at all. Not particularly fond of it to be honest, it's fine background music but doesn't offer a lot more than that (although it goes a bit weird sometimes). Voice sounds quite similar to Maverick Sabre, but compares unfavourably I'd say? Can't give this any more than a 2, there's a couple of good tracks (I liked Sunday Shining most) but nothing much more.
Reggae is just not my thing, and Finley Quaye is trying too hard to be the next Bob Marley. 2/5
there isn’t much to say about this album… like words just don’t really come up. i feel like it was interesting for what it was but i wouldn’t voluntarily listen to it again and that’s all.
Don't have my usual litany of words for this one, I've just never been drawn to reggae so I was never going to love this album. It sounds good, has a clean production, good playing. It's probably a decent mix of 90s pop/reggae - I can see how people might like it, although it's just not my bag. 5/10 2 stars.
A dub and reggae album with flourishes of the then-contemporary sounds; this is a rather ambitious and auspicious debut album from 1997, a year chock full of ambitious albums that looked toward the future rather than mine from the past. Maverick A Strike seems to have gone under the radar, which is a shame seeing as though it is looking to be re-discovered and re-evaluated as it should. A hidden gem, for sure. Favorites: Ultra Stimulation, It's Great When We're Together, Sunday Shining, The Way of the Explosive, Your Love Gets Sweeter, Sweet and Loving Man.
First three tracks so awful I couln't bear any more.
Listened Before? N Unique without being art-rock? Check. An eclectic sound? Check. A singer that has a good voice? Check. I really liked this one. It's kind of forgettable overall, just because there's no pure bangers here, but very listenable. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: Supreme I Preme
I thought it was fine. I liked the back half more than the front
Kinda unusual reggae/soul something
This is a really nice discovery. Fantastic mix of reggae and trip hop that sounds amazing. Beautiful production and I love his voice; sort of a mix between Winston Rodney's gravely intensity and Gregory Isaac's silky smoothness. 4.5 🌟
Nice Debut from this gifted singer and composer. I love "Even After All" & "Your Love Gets Sweeter" Shame this seems to be the highlight of his career, I know that he was touted by the stars for big things. Wonder what happened Finlay? I understand he has fallen on hard times. Not sure if this merits inclusion on this list though?
Alright
Not really my style but versatile and interesting. 6.5/10 Fave: Sunday shining
Het helpt ook echt dat de Sun is Shining
Na 5 seconden wist ik al dat dit niet iets is voor mij, toch het einde gehaald. Erg trots op deze prestatie, vandaar 2 sterren; 1 voor het album en 1 voor mijzelf.
Dit heb ik na een paar nummers afgezet.
Het is allemaal wel braaf en de veilige weg, maar heb toch wel aardige dingen gehoord.
Leuk. Al kan ik me voorstellen dat je er op een slecht moment laaiend van kunt worden.
I thought this was mostly boring. There's artistic merit here, it's just not doing anything for me.
Zonnige zomervibes en feel good reggae muziek. Met veel plezier naar geluisterd
first listen great vibes and atmosphere, but not enough variety for me
It's fine. Reggae isn't really my jam so after a couple of songs I just feel like I'm listening to any reggae.
I'd meant to listen to this album for about 20 years and when I finally did, about 4 months prior to getting it pop up on this list, I was so disappointed to hear it wasn't some kinda killer rock album but just some sunshine-y positive vibes mon kinda reggae thang.
Surprisingly ok reggae
Interesting but more like an album of demo
Bro who even is this guy. I google his name and the first result is "Finley Quaye found guilty for headbutting terminally ill friend over Game of Thrones" and the image is some black-and-white Gilbert Gottfried lookalike (rest in peace by the way) and Peter Dinklage. Then the literal next result is "Finley Quaye admits criminal damage after he threw metal road sign through glass bus door". The third result is "Finley Quaye threatened to stab cop and 'get a grenade' for bar manager he vowed to shoot". This guy is just smashing everything in his path, pulverizing innocent citizens with his laser beam eyes, and I'm supposed to listen to his album? I listened to his album and it was pretty alright. Not a huge fan of reggae or obliterating people with metal rods, but I enjoyed "Sunday Shining". Hope he doesn't throw a comically large piano down a flight of stairs at me for giving his album a 2/5.
God I hate reggae singing so so so much. The sometimes nice-ish trip-hoppy background music isn't enough to make the horrendous singing bearable. How can people stand, let alone enjoy this? Wikipedia also doesn't offer any hints on why this album might be relevant in any way.
Good combination of genres( reggae and pop) but the songs are just mid in my opinion. Also the dudes Scottish not Jamaican lol
I won't ever listen to this again and will forgot just about everything about it. It's not that is bad it's just that its nothing exciting.
Odd thing, grew on me a bit
The wheels really fell off this one. I started off enjoying it and then suddenly it was just waffling on with no discernable melodies.
I remember the name from the 90s, because it's a bit like mine. Didn't listen to it then and that was a pretty good decision based on how much I wanted to punch myself in the face whilst listening to it today.
I wasn't expecting much from this but really enjoyed it. It sounds very Bristol influenced. A bit dubby, a bit trip-hoppy. Thumbs up. Smiley face. Sun is shining emoji.
I’m not a huge fan of most reggae. There want too much for me to hold on to here to overcome that.
Another new artist for me. When the album started with a reggae style, I was not very optimistic. However, I really got into the sound and was groovin' right along. Then about halfway through the album, it lost my attention...and never regained it.
I'd never heard of Finlay Quaye before and did not know what to expect. I found it an absolute delight, a terrific mix of reggae and pop unlike anything else I've heard. Really enjoyed it.
My younger sister was into reggae, and despite her best efforts it really never “took” for me. A Scottish singer singing with a Jamaican accent? I’m not sure how I feel about that. The production of the music was good. There was some variety in the songs that was welcome. This hasn’t won me over to reggae music. It was pleasant enough but I’m not motivated to listen to this again.
Was not familiar with this artist. Basically Adult contemporary reggae. It was decent, I doubt I'll listen to the whole album again but might got back to a few tracks.
I must admit this isn't my usual cup of tea when it comes to music, but it was an enjoyable listen. There was nothing that stood out as particularly bad, but on the flip side nothing really struck me as being amazing. It was an easy going, generic reggae album.
Even After All was the only song I was familiar with, and the only one I kind of liked. Ultra Stimulation got me optimistic that it might be a more dub reggae flavor, but nope.
Gosh I love when I am caught off guard for an album! This album was so mellow to listen to. Perfect for a workday. Some real gems could be found--"Sunday Shining" is such a beautiful song, full of hope. "I Need A Lover" reminds me deeply of Prince. I love this combination of blues, reggae, soul, jazz in this album. Such creativity! I am looking forward to listening to this again.
Who knew reggae music could come out of Scotland? I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The artist and album seem relatively unknown compared to others that have crossed this project. I am not super familiar with the reggae genre, but this album felt very light and was easy to listen to; it brightened up a cloudy, gloomy day, and I'm sure would make a sunny day feel even sunnier. For whatever reason, "Sunday Shining" was a big hit with me; I haven't stopped listening to it!
Pleasant enough reggae album with lashings of acid jazz, trip-hop, pop, jazz, soul and rock vibes. Smooth but slight. Inoffensive.
Unconventional mixture of reggae, retro-soul, African root beats and current DJ rhythms. (6/10) FT: It's Great When We're Together
Was ok, 2, not bad thou
Meh 3/10
Decent
Dope
02/02/2022 Nice little album to kick-back and listen to on a sunny weekend.
Langweiliges Reggae Zeusch
Quality album, shame there was no more.
Nothing exciting here.
ganska trevligt emellanåt
Pretty chill reggae, but including this while having 0 Toots & The Maytals albums should be illegal.
I can see why this is on the list, it's just not very engaging for me.
No idea what to expect with this, and the album cover doesn't give too much clue as to what's inside. Now I'm listening and I'm sure not sure what to make it. The first song is like Bob Marley meets inspector gadget? It's Great When We're Together is appealing, gets a heart. Sunday Shining is good. But by Even After All the forced accent and thin reedy voice is starting to grate. The groove through these songs is simple but quality, the music does its part. But the vocals don't float like they need to if this reggae / jazz mashup is going to work. A star for the music, a star for the originality, a star for the generally positive vibe. On the plus side I learned the word trip-hop so that's something.
Though it came out in `97, I always associate this album with the middle of 1998. At the time, this album along with Eagle Eye Cherry's Desireless and Ian Brown's Unfinished Monkey Business were my Sunday afternoon chill out albums. Shaking off the hangover from the night before they hit the rest button before I went off and did it all again. I remember getting paid out for liking these albums but they were important to me at the time. Listening with fresh ears after not having played Maverick a Strike for over a decade, the parts I loved are still as good as I remember. Flawed in places, it still deserves the acolasdes it got in Britain and I wish it took off more in Australia.
Great album, r&b, reggae influences
I dig this, smooth, mellow
Full Reggae, chiant Sunday Shining bien
Lots of heart and actually quite a variety of sounds from this album. Happy to listen to it again.
6/10
I think this author just puts random stuff down as this album sucks and in no way needs to be listened to before you die.
Super mellow and smooth, especially for a Sunday afternoon. Very chill with hypnotic (but not numbing) vocals.
Loved it. I knew Quaye from Massive Attack and Tricky, but this was the first time I have listened to this album. Sunday Shining must have been on a soundtrack or mix tape or something. Def a good bop. Very listenable album, but some of the tracks were just a little too empty of sonic or emotional value to make this a true five. A *lot* of highlights, though.
Ah, more like it, some traditional Scottish music. It's the sound of late 90s sophistication again. Nice enough lite reggae with a sprinkling of trip hop. Inoffensive.
The only good song is "Sunday Shining". The other ones pretty much consist of a beat with some talking over it.
Nearly gave this 5 stars for sentimental reasons, spent many a hazy afternoon listening to this in the 90's. Really enjoyed playing it again.
This might be the most recent reggae album I've ever listened to. Really deep grooves here.
Ach i dunno ein Song war gut der rest blendet zusammen
I guess for reggae it could have been worse. Just barely.
Wow! Did not expect this. Fantastic listen
Did not enjoy this much, thought this was a mediocre attempt at fusing reggae with other sounds but it wasn't very successful. His voice is interesting but I didn't enjoy most of the songs
Not my thing.
I wanted to like this album. I like reggae, but I feel like this was very light on the reggae. Just not a fan, overall.
I don't know much 'modern' reggae and don't often listen to it, but this is good stuff. I can see myself listening again in the right mood.
Meh, some bangers bood as a whole not that good
I've never heard of this dude at all, but this music is great. Right up my alley. Some cool funk/reggae vibes.
Starts out a typical reggae album… sidesteps into straight rock… and then proceeds to mix the two throughout? While the vocals did wear on me after a while, this LP managed to keep me on my toes for its entire runtime with an eclectic mix of genres that somehow works way better than it should.
This album is like a plane that taxis to the runway but doesn't take off. It seems like the pieces are there and I kept waiting for it to get good but it didn’t come together.
Finley has a beautiful voice and knows how to write catchy tunes. I had "The Sun is Shining' on high rotation back in the day and there are a bunch of other great songs here, though the CD is a bit front-end loaded. He dips in and out of reggae the way k-os dips in and out of rap.
This album struck a wrong chord with me, a Scottish musician with Ghanaian roots playing pseudo reggae with a fake Jamaican accent. I was born in Jamaica so I just found it to be so wrong from the get go. This was a big miss for me
A bit of good reggae, a bit of chill rock... I'm not surprised that this did well in New Zealand! It makes me think of Fat Freddy's Drop. Not quite my vibe but it's pretty good for what it is. My top pick is 'Supreme I Preme' but I also liked the title track and 'Your Love Gets Sweeter'.
Mjeh...
This was pretty cool. I think it's definitely more of a collective vibe that a collection of songs? I'm not sure if there's any songs I'd pick out in particular but I enjoyed it a lot regardless - a strong 3
Generally anything reggae related gets a big fat ZERO stars for me. But I found myself kinda getting into this a little bit, bobbing my head, and taking giant bong hits in between songs and was able to chill out. Finley Quaye is an artist I'd never heard of and despite the British slant to this I was able to tolerate it much better than I thought.
I don't know what's more interesting - the cultural history of the Ga-Dangbe ethnic group of Ghana, from which Quaye's father is from; or the fact that Quaye once headbutted a terminally ill friend in an argument over Game of Thrones. I'll tell you what is not most interesting. This album. I mean, I think he probably thought he was making interesting music, but I didn't find it interesting.
Ok, trip hop reggae, this could be interesting. I am not sure it really worked.
While I don’t find the music particularly engaging, I do like the reggae voice. I like it even more that it’s not paired with stereotypical reggae beats. I would definitely listen to this again if someone else puts it on.
Blah blah blah
It's a Scottish dude doing chill reggae. Not as bad as that description, but not good, either. Best track: Even After All
no idea lol
Great album. Really enjoyed listening to this one again.
It's very pleasant. Sunny. Lyrics not always sunny. Like the production in headphones. Red Rolled and Seen is good. Sone interesting stuff going on here.
Easy listening
First song is pretty shit, but the second one kinda picks up some feeling. This is actually really good. Had some really good ones like Sunday shining, Your love gets sweeter and supreme I preme. so it's a half half to me 3.5
Couldn't really keep my attention.
Could barely pay attention to it, just real boring.
No
A lot of forgettable nothing
Finley Quaye asks the listener if they would like a little more straight reggae to go with their trip-hop, and I think I can live without it. He's got a pretty good voice for the music, and the album has its moments when it moves its needle closer to the dub end of the spectrum, but the lyrics are a little too repetitive (drink every time you hear "ultra," "satellite," "sonic," etc.) and there's a lot of simply unremarkable music to be found here. My best guess as to how this record could've possibly ended up on this list (beyond a bias towards UK artists) is that its radio-friendliness serves as an example of trip-hop breaking into the mainstream, but it's not like this album really charted outside the UK. Just listen to his (disputed) cousin Tricky's debut from two years prior. It's much more interesting than this. Key Tracks: Supreme I Preme
so boring
Pretty catchy smooth jazzy.
Pretty meh album. Definitely not pop closer to reggae but didn’t feel like it had enough to be something special. Got through it but didn’t feel excited to hear it again. 4.4/10
Not great. I liked "Sunday Shining" and that's it. Completely forgot about that song until I heard it again. Probably going to forget about the rest of these songs real quick.
I should like this since it's largely reggae (or at least reggae-adjacent), but it's not doing it for me.
It was fine, kinda of weird. I liked some songs, but then other just seemed repetitive.
So-so
There is a breezy light feel to the album and some memorable tracks (Sunday Shining, Even After All), the arrangements are pleasant and the musicianship is great. Overall, though, there’s not enough consistency to make this a great album but is a noble effort nevertheless.
I was excited by this one as I had the album when it came out. But was still disappointed. Also though it was Maverick Strike with no A - you live and learn
I didnt know what to make of this album - but loved it, some really great tracks on it. A great discovery this one.
Fantastic find
nice sound
ja man
Just OK
At first, I was pretty harsh on this album, but as I listened more, I started to soften to it. The soft reggae rock vibes it puts out are pretty great, and though I initially thought it was just a mediocre voice combined with mediocre lyrics, I found myself being carried away by the melodies. Sometimes it was too heavy, and I think those moments take away from the lighter ones, which really make the album.
My initial reaction to this wasn't great, but I found it grew on me. More going on but instrumentally and vocally than the pop-reggae first impression suggests.
Had not heard of this artist or heard his music before. It's nicely done - kind of pop-reggae (I think that's how to describe it?), with some nice grooves. After most of the tracks, things kind of blending together, maybe a little to same-sounding, but it's not bad. Don't think I'll come back to it or seek out his other work, but glad I got to hear it.
2/5
Fun album with innovative production, and a great vocalist. Didn't blow me away but still a great album!
Interesting. Not bad. Never heard of this before. I am sure it will just get better each time I hear it. This is a nice refreshingly different sound. Little reggae mixed with some rock.
Dull and uninspiring. Some decent (not great) tracks that blend reggae and soul: "Ultra Simulation", "Sunday Shining", "Even After All", and "Your Love Gets Sweeter". But everything else is utter garbage.
Interesting vibes and some pretty groovy tracks, would listen again.
not the biggest fan of reggae. :(
This genre wasn't my style.
Pretty nice vibe. Very new Sound for me
Fantastic album👌🏽 The track Even After All was especially good.
Soul songs with a reggae vibes and a bit of post-grunge thrown in the mix. Undeniably 90's, but Mr. Quaye has a beautiful voice and we get a bit of psychedelic elements in the middle of the record to mix things up. Quite good honestly.
I could see enjoying this if I were high. This is definitely good, but definitely not my jam.
This is the first 1 I've encountered where I was completely unfamiliar with the subject matter. The vocals feels completely divorced from the music and both are absolutely inane. This is directionless and passionless and reflective of bad 90s reggae in general. I have no idea how this made the list.
Un mélange de soul et de reggae sur fond d'ustensiles de cuisine ; Finley Quaye a réussi son pari. Tout y passe : les casseroles, les poêles, la râpe à fromage... on peut même entendre un épluche-légume marquer le rythme sur plusieurs morceaux. Un véritable tour de force.
3.5
is pleasant reggae
Bland and forgettable. I hated the singles from this at release and they haven't improved, especially with Quaye's cod-Jamaican accent. Could pass as background music but shouldn't be on this list.
Amazing album!
adequate reggae music
not the vibe, too experimental/groovy
Cheesy Reggea, Even after all allerdings großer Hit. Mir auf Dauer bisschen zu seicht.
mais qui diable écoute et apprecie le reggae, quelles sont vos revendications, laissez nous tranquille par pitié
ну. что-то в этом, наверное, есть, и какого-то своего слушателя это находит. Но для меня это вообще самый худший вид музыки, даже в концепции. Какое-то водянистое регги с дебильной наркоманской улыбкой на лице, скрипучим и одновременно писклявым вокалом, отсутствием внятной структуры, а также припевов, проигрышей и вообще чего бы то ни было цепляющего. Ну да, песни 2 и 3 в целом напоминают обычные песни с претензией на хитовость, но весь остальной материал — это болото какое-то, завеса непродыхаемого конопляного дыма и ленивых спокен-вордов поверх унылой музыки. С трудом заставил себя дослушать.
Безликая аморфная масса регги-попса, положительные моменты которой не вытягивают альбом даже на середняк. Более того, некоторые моменты скорее раздражают. Кто-то, может, скажет, что это - треки для расслабления. Но, внимание, вопрос, нахуя врубать аморфную массу, когда можно врубить внятную чиловую музыку? Или сразу ASMR на худой конец. Радует: Supreme I Preme Душит: Ultra Stimulation
I was not familiar with this guy and really liked this, particularly on a sunny Sunday.
A fine blend of reggae roots and rock. Finley has found a way to generate real music from his experiences that can have some impact, although it is debatable how much.
Liked it! A little groovy, liked his voice. Sunday Shining was my favorite song.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected I would. Great beats and fun vibes all around.
Knew one of these songs. It’s fine. Interesting.
Feel like I should be sat drinking lattes and reading the guardian in a penthouse flat in Chorlton on a Sunday morning in the 90's.
Decent album - sun is shining is a tune. Voice grates after a while.
Would be 3 now, 5 when it came out. Not dated that well as I find the voice a bit irritating
I wanted to give it a 4 as there are some absolute belters on this, but the weaker tracks are pretty awful. There was no need for this album to have 13 songs on it. Bloated with filler.
Three great tunes, the rest is 100% filler. Listening with a critical ear you could have predicted his critical downward spiral due to his anemic lyrics.
Front four tracks impeccable for me and the rest is really nice although some barely registers - still on rotation today. It’s great when we’re together is suchhhh a tune. Heart says four but got to go with the very very strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it deserves
I have some issues with Maverick A Strike. Finley Quaye's take on dub and reggae is so light it almost floats away; he makes someone like Alpha Blondy look like an exemplar of hardcore roots reggae, which takes some doing. While I was listening to this album, my immediate thought was, \"This is some Brit pretending to be a Jamaican,\" and it turns out that I was almost right. Finley Quaye is actually a born and bred Scot. He can't even claim to be a 2nd generation Jamaican because his dad was born in London and has Ghanaian roots. Now, this is not the same as what bands like The Specials were doing, because it was clear they were playing Brit fanboy versions of their favorite music. Rather, Finley Quaye is trying to pass himself off as a Jamaican singer. This is a little like someone putting on a Southern drawl to sing country when they were raised in Newark, NJ or Michael McDonald trying to sing soul. To be clear, I'm not offended or anything. Hey, if Finley Quaye can pull it off, more power to him. And he almost can, but his singing is by far the weakest element in Maverick A Strike. I suspect you could throw a rock in Jamaica and hit someone with more dub and reggae skills.Which brings me to the music itself. While, compositionally speaking, these songs are as simple as nursery rhymes, they sound amazing. I fully expected to find some star producer calling the shots in the background, but surprisingly, given his weakness as a singer, all of this is due to Finley Quaye himself! He arranged all of the tunes and wrote the originals. And the band consists of his buddies instead of studio musicians. His half-brother was a guitarist with Elton John, so that gives some indication of the pool of talent he had available. And you've got to give credit to Quaye for how tastefully and naturally he has managed to incorporate rock, soul, pop, and triphop touches into the dub and reggae. I've never heard this particular combination of genres--it's wholly original, and pretty darned cool. And the sound! There isn't one horrible sounding synth patch anywhere! The horns and strings are tastefully arranged, never overwhelming the slight songs.If Quaye had been as gifted a composer and singer as he is a producer and arranger, Maverick A Strike would have been a masterpiece, but I'm sorry to report that, as it is, Maverick A Strike is just listenable.
Hmm nja nä inte riktigt min grej, gick att lyssna på, rätt chill men ikke bra va... hmmm 3 tror jag
This album looks like it smells bad.Thank god I only have to listen to it once. Best Tracks: Ultra Stimulations, Sunday Shining, Your Love Gets Sweeter
it was pretty good, but i am not the biggest fan of this style of reggae. I liked Your Love Gets Sweeter and Sunday Shining the best.
Totally fine and listenable but not sure why it’s on this list. More of 7 out of 10 but bumping it down just to being a bit bland
Definitely in the top ten of my favourite albums of the 90s. An absolute Eton Mess of styles and sounds all mashed together deliciously.
A pleasant enough listen, but didn't really grab me.
Awful. Absolutely awful
Not as bad as I was expecting considering it's reggae. Only knew 1 song
Grooooovy (reggaeish)
Bob Marley 'cover' is interesting
Tranquilo, con ritmo y con toques reggae
false
Feo feo
First "reggae" album here and, although I don't knew the artist, it's easy to note the innovations brought by the artist in the '90s that are used until today.
Es como reggae. No está mal. Pero es un poco rollo al final.
Loved it
just a lot more reggae
Finales de los 90, suena bien. Me trae recuerdos el Sunday Shining pero puedes morirte sin haberlo escuchado.
good but thats it
I have no idea why this album totally escaped my radar back in the day, but it's an enjoyable one, totally capturing the essence of those late 90's years. Would listen to it again.
Fine. Unremarkable.
Reggae muy fino, estoy seguro que le encantaría a mi Johnny Greenwood.
Se sintiera como alguien que intentaba innovar y fusionar con algo único... Y quizá lo logró pero el producto a pesar de ser bastante particular no es realmente muy bueno. Toma reggae, agarra los ritmos lentos del reggae... ahora mezcla con trip hop... en su mayoría con las partes de trip hop que son lentas y aburridas tipo música lounge. En realidad no puedo decir que sea terrible el disco, trata a ratos de cambiar poquito pero sigue siempre con el mismo sonsonete, simplemente fue aburrido el 90% del tiempo, ya sea que le meta un poco de electronica, trip hop, soul... simplemente no cuaja. Las canciones Supreme I Preme y I Need A Lover son las únicas que se me hace proponen algo que pudiera haber sido interesante pero 2 de 13 simplemente no vale la pena. El reggae no es lo mio eso ya lo sé pero incluso en el género hay cosas que noto más digeribles y aguantables, esto no jala. Parece que fue un disco que pego a lo pendejo en Reino Unido justo en esa época en que los británicos se creían Ali G y fue alabado como la 5a maravilla y luego desapareció y todo lo que sacó después fue olvidado. Quizá esto también se hubiera quedado mejor como un olvido en un cajón del Bar Lounge donde lo tocaban.
I don't get it. I little weird alternative funk reggae. Nothing too unpleasant but nothing i really want to listen to again.
Solid reggae grooves
Reggae. Ya vamos complicados porque no me encanta. Letras sencillas, que no es necesariamente bueno o malo pero creo que están de relleno. 4 canciones en la misma línea y la 5ta Ride On... Que no está mal pero como que no va ahí. Regresamos con el raeggae... Olviden lo de las letras, "The stronger the breeze, The stronger it blow" o "El reggae de las obviedades". Un par de canciones instrumentales y la misma línea del inicio y se acabó. No estoy muy familiarizado con el reggae, menos con la escena de reggae en Escocia y creo que musicalmente tiene cosas muy interesantes pero la mayor parte del tiempo es aburrido y las letras y la manera de cantar me suenan forzadas. Si le quitaran toda la voz y letras, el disco quedaría mejor, pero como no es así, tenemos 1.5 estrellas que bajan a 1 porque en verdad no disfruté nada este disco, salvo las canciones que no suenan a reggae. Songs: Sunday Shining, Ride On
ehhhhh...i mean...i dunno, i like the bass. not my style, but it's, you know, fine.
This is not for me.
This one is going on the playlist
🌴
Dope album of modern reggae. I was really groovin' on this one.
Quisiera ponerle más pero no se puede. Sí me gustó pero mnada más.
Era regae? era Pop.... era Regae-pop... Igual no me terminó de convencer.
Strike this off the list. I just wasn’t in the mood, which is fine, but I tried. Generic reggae turned into WTF?!? I heard enough.
Initially it is ok I am not crazy about it so far. Very chill vibes though. The more I listen the more I like it. I was not expecting reggae
Some good tracks mixed with some misses
Es un escocés cantando Reggae. ¿No es suficiente para explicar por qué este disco es importante? Creo que el disco sería mejor si se quitaran unas 3 o 4 canciones. Tiene algunas muy interesantes, como “Ultra Stimulation”, pero siento que se pierden entre varias que son tediosonas.
muy buen Soft con una producción muy nítida y canciones bastante digeribles aunque al final va cayendo lentamente Esto es lo que pueden hacer unos hermanos que si se quieren y no tienen problemas de ego Sorpresa ver que son los de Don't dream it's over
Bastante bastante bastaaaaante aburrido disco. El raggae lo tolero en dosis controladas y agregarle su ondita triphop o lo que sea no le ayudó nada. No le veo mayor caso de estar en la lista (vamos, ni en Wikipedia está el disco) pero igual rescato una rola (Your Love Gets Sweeter) que de hecho hasta ha sido covereada.
false
Pretty good. Not earth shattering, but good.
Jammy, psychedelic reggae. I liked it.
Nein danke.
it's great when we're together