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Rating: "Keep on movin', don't stop"
The splendid voice of Victoria Wilson, so many memories...
They were the last years of high school and I was still searching for my musical identity. My friends already had clear ideas: there were the rock fundamentalists (divided into metal, classic, and dark sub-factions), the electro-pop followers (A-Ha, Depeche Mode, etc.), the "commercials," and the pro-songwriters. I was undecided, perhaps music itself didn't interest me much.
Those were also the times of the first Sunday outings to the disco. Obviously, we went there for only one reason, and that reason was not the music. Unfortunately, however, the approach with the opposite sex (perhaps due to our late-adolescent pimpled appearance?) was not very successful, and so it happened that we were also focused on what was coming out of the speakers. One Sunday in the late '80s, the DJ opened the evening with "Back To Life" followed by "Keep on movin'" and I was impressed. I liked that downtempo rhythm, a mix between soul and dance and a wonderful vocal part. Something congenial to my ears until then not much inclined to those rhythms. And so, through a friend, I managed to get a cassette on which these two singles were recorded (the sound quality was terrible, it was recorded from the radio). After literally wearing it out, in 1990 I got the vinyl that contained them, which was "Club classic volume one". So why take this fourth volume to review? Because, in hindsight, it can be fully considered the "Definite Collection" of Soul II Soul, since from 1994 onwards there are no productions worth mentioning. The glory of these tracks and other successes like "Get a life", "Move me no mountain", and "Missing you" have not been replicated. Despite the success and uniqueness of this groove being relatively simple: a beautiful voice (Caron Wheeler above all or Jazzie B himself) a drum machine or a drummer in the flesh and a rhythm 1/3 dance, 1/3 rap, and 1/3 soul.
A well-conceived alchemy initially experimented with at house parties and then became a cultural phenomenon and chart-topping hit (only in the UK, naturally). Unfortunately, however, the release of this fourth collection was the beginning of the group's downward trajectory. To explain the reasons, an introduction is necessary. When talking about Soul II Soul, only Jazzie B, the singer, comes to mind. But not everyone knows that the real brain of the "group" was Nellee Hooper, who later became a producer (only mentioning the most important) of the first albums of Massive Attack, of Post by Björk, of Bedtime Story by Madonna, and several songs by U2. The beginning of the creative crisis coincides with Nellee's departure to other shores. Even if it lasted a little, the epic of Soul II Soul left to the "posterity" some milestones of black dance-oriented music and constituted, in the same field, an important source of inspiration for subsequent productions. A classic.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) (03:50)
(Back)
To life
(Back)
To reality
(Back)
To life
(Back)
To reality
(Back)
To life
(Back)
To reality
(Back)
To the here and now
Yeah
(Show)
Me how
Decide
What you want from me
Tell me
Maybe I could be there for you
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me)
However
(How)
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
(Back)
To life
(Back)
To the present time
(Back)
From a fantasy
Yes
(Tell)
Me now
Take the initiative
I'll leave it in your hands
Until you're ready
Hey
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me)
Oh, but how do you want me
(However do you need me
However do you want me)
However
(However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
(However do you need me
However do you need me
However do you need me
However do you need me)
(I live at)
Live at
(The top of the block)
Top of the block
(No more room)
No more room
(For trouble and fuss)
No, no, no
There's not
(Need a change)
Oh
(A positive change)
Look
(Look it's me)
Oh
(Writing on the wall)
However do you want me
(However do you want me)
Yes
(However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me)
How, how
(However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me)
Oh
(However do you need me)
Tell me now
How do you want me to be
Yeah
(Back)
To life
(Back)
To the day we have
(Let's)
End this foolish game
(Hear)
Me out
Don't let it waste away
Make up your mind
So I know where I stand
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me)
However
(However do you need me)
Do you need me
(How)
(However do you want me)
Need me
(However do you need me)
Tell me now
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
(How)
(However do you want me
However do you need me)
Tell me now
How do you
(However do you want me)
Want me to be
(However do you need me)
Oh
(How)
(However do you want me)
Oh
However do you need me).
12 Joy (04:12)
life is the answer
to all the questions
take one at a time
cause there’s far too many
to mention
that’s the way of life
c'mon now
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rocking the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rocking the nation
Listen to me now
it’s time that we all joined hands
living together as sisters and brothers
learn to love one another
to survive in this life we live together
let’s get right down to action
where we all can get some satisfaction
that’s the way I wanna live my life
joining hands as we sing this together
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rocking the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rocking the nation
it’s been so long
I’ve waited my time
no more need to fuss or fight
I’ll just enjoy my life
whatever gives you the greatest pleasure and joy
oh joy, oh joy
whatever gives you the greatest pleasure and joy
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rocking the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rocking the nation
joy, so much joy
spread it around the world
oh, oh, oh, so much joy
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rock in the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rock in the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rock in the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rock in the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation
new vibration
rock in the nation
joy
it’s a new sensation...
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