release date: Mar. 2002
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: David Z, Ben Barson, Roland Gift
label: MCA Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Tell Me You Want Me Back" (4 / 5) - 2. "Looking for a Friend" - 3. "It's Only Money" (4 / 5) (live ?) - 5. "A Girl Like You" - 7. "Superhero" (4 / 5) - 8. "Lady DJ" - 11. "If We Ain't Got Love"
[ full album ]
Solo album debut (and so far only) album by Roland Gift - former lead vocalist of Fine Young Cannibals released on American label, MCA with primary American producer David Z (aka David B. Rivkin), who also worked with FYC on a number of songs for the band's final studio album The Raw & The Cooked (1988).
The album doesn't fall far from the works by FYC, although, it's clearly more polished building on 'pop soul' and pointing at a more (adult) mainstream audience. The album was made while Gift stayed in the US, but unfortunately, also while MCA went through management changes being merged and absorbed by bigger companies (and dissolving in 2003), which meant that the album was practically released without promotion.
Critics were hard on the album claiming that it's without strong songs like "She Drives Me Crazy" and that it simply lacks dynamics. And yes, how could he run away from the ultimate success of Fine Young Cannibals?! The trio had kicked in the door on the world, and then just slipped out the back. Even more than a decade as an actor didn't make it any easier - Gift will forever be linked with FYC and the fact that they couldn't continue as a band after experiencing the downside of the success.
I actually listened to the album shortly after its release, and was completely astonished as to why they never played the album or any of its songs on the radio stations. This is simply too good not to be played. It may not be as strong as the two studio albums by Fine Young Cannibals - but lesser will do more than just fine, and frankly Mr. Shankly, why at all compare a soloist with the works of his former band? Its's completely unjust not to evaluate this album for primarily one of the strongest and most characteristic voices coming out of Britain - ever.
Recommended.
