Customer Reviews

Affection

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I only listen to top-notch, first rate material. I want nothing less in my music collection, absolutely no filler allowed! Lisa Stansfield's still outstanding U.S. debut is the kind of album that belongs in my library of sounds. It's one of those rare albums that manages to balance the fire and enthusiasm of a brilliant, gifted new singer, sharp, solid production and a batch of songs that still don't sound dated, even 10 years later. You all know the hits; the impeccable "All Around The World" with it's hushed spoken word intro and sweeping orchestral arrangement, "This Is The Right Time" which ushered in a new era of dance music, and fairly explodes with joyful, girlish glee. Just give it a spin and it's techno sound is just as refreshing as it was in 1990. My personal favorites have always been "The Love In Me" featuring a note perfect trumpet solo that actually lifts the song to an ecstatic crescendo and a driving beat that never lets up, "Affection" "Sincerity",& "Just The Way You Want It" the funkiest tracks on the album, and the (well deserved) Number 1 R&B hit "You Can't Deny It" are all flawless. Every one of these songs is anchored by the real star of this set, Ms. Stansfield's miraculous voice. From deep, sensual tones, to throaty, thick, sexy crooning, this woman's instrument is positively addictive. Unjustly criticized for being too 'disco' at the time of it's release, "Affection" hasn't aged a day and has my vote as one of the essential albums of the 90's. It's solid from start to finish, and again there is no filler to be found here. It re-introduced dance music to clubs, pop radio, and blew up on r&b stations worldwide as well, but never comes across as trite or overtly commercial. All modern music should be this good. A Perfect Album. Period.

A well-crafted homage to the Philadelphia soul tradition, Lisa Stansfield's "Affection" was a refreshing change of pace in 1990. "All Around the World" and "This Is the Right Time" were international hits, yet the stellar track remains "The Love in Me" (featuring an impressive horn section). Stansfield also delivers the vocal goods with "Mighty Love," "You Can't Deny It" and "When Are You Coming Back?" This smashing debut represents her best album to date.

When I visited a friend in England in late 1989 he played this disc for me. I thought Lisa's voice back then was incredible. I even liked how the arrangements had a Barry White flavor to them. It was obvious who Lisa's main influence is. This disc is "tight" from top to bottom. It has stood the test of time, when I played it on New Years, I realized tracks like "You Can't Deny it", "Sincerity", and "All Around the World" can still hold their own with today's music. If there is any mention of the word DIVA it should include LISA STANSFIELD!

I still remember my shock on seeing Lisa's picture on the CD cover of affection. You guessed it; the soulful voice fooled me too, as did many other black people. Put it this way, her sound is Visceral! So pure soul voice from such a small blue eyed woman at that.. still european, but that soul? You can't fake that, it is a gift.. I can't imagine what her voice would sound like on a 6.1 dolby digital surround!

Affection album is still my best and there are some truly germ pieces on the album that are not as commercial as say "All around the World". See "This is the Right Time", "When are you coming back", "What did I do to you".. Also loved the classic ballad on Real Love.. Her voice is an acquired taste and it captivates those who truly love the voice. This explains her mild success in the U.S

Affection was released around the time as Maria Carey's other album although I can't remember which of Maria's albums.. Maria has a voice too believe it or not in spite of the whoos and haaas but Lisa's voice is unique, almost with that ambience you can't quite describe..
Affection and some of her truly captivating ballads were ahead of it's time a decade ago.. I can still isolate her voice from the beats, which speaks volumes about the acoustic quality of that voice.. Do I recommend this album? Absolutely!

Erupting on the international scene with the hit "All Around the World", Lisa Stansfield was a definite force and this album justly solidified her place in music of the 90's. Her debut album boasts three top ten hits and several tracks that were popular on the world's dance floors. It is an album the consistently delivers and has not lost the spark that it had upon its release in 1990.

While she still records and charts in her native England, Stansfield has been somewhat absent from American radio airplay.

That, unfortunately, is our loss and we are paying for it with the cookie cutter, soulless ingénues' that comprise most of contemporary pop/R & B.

I have listened to and own many of the Lisa Stansfield's other cd's, but "Affection" is my absolute all-time favorite of hers! I am still, to this day, blown away by Lisa's vocal skills. She is one of the best singers out there. It's a shame that she hasn't released any new material here in the states in a while, but "Affection" fills the void.

Of course, my favorite song is "All Around the World." I don't care how old the song it, it's still a great song! All of the songs on the cd, for that matter, are great! There's not one bad thing I can say about the cd.

Anyone who listens to this cd will not be disappointed. This is definitely a cd to own!!!!!

1990: I was fifteen years old and I was watching MTV one day, and suddenly the song 'All Around The World' came on by this new singer Lisa Stansfield. That was it, I was hooked. I literally felt like this music was speaking to me: the voice, the beat, the catchiness. I sang that song (and all the others on the album) millions of times, wishing I was Lisa. Lisa's debut became MY music, above all else. It shaped my adolescence and I haven't been able to put it down since. Now before you write me off as a Lisa fanatic (which I proudly am, and you will be too after listening to this classic album), let me agree and add to the reviews below.
1. Lisa's voice is intoxicating and hits all the right notes at all the right times.
2. Every song could have been a hit and production is amazing throughout.
3. The music wants to make you dance, cry, sing and chill to.
4. Affection never gets boring, and does not sound dated at all.
5. We Lisa fans need to keep her music alive and help it be rediscovered... it is only a matter of time before the 1990's style becomes fashionable again and this album is given even greater classic status than it already has.
And remember, 'You Can't Deny It', 'This Is The Right Time' to listen to this album 'All Around The World'.
**Update August 16, 2010: OK, it has been 20 years since Lisa crashed the international scene and made a big splash. Considering her amazing talent and esteemed reputation "All Around The World" with fans and in the industry why has Lisa all but disappeared? Since the fiasco that was "The Moment" in 2004 we have heard nothing from her. WE NEED LISA BACK AND NOW!! Of course, her comeback would have to be well planned and fit with today's musical tastes. Here are my suggestions for re-introducing Lisa and guaranteeing that she would be successful..

1. Lisa could record an album of R&B covers of some of her favorite mentors: Barry White, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, The O'Jays, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and so on.. She has already either worked with some of them or recorded some of their hits. Doing an album like this would ensure a lot of exposure since she would be bringing in an audience from each of the artists she covers.. Albums like this are usually well received when done right
and with Lisa's talent this would be a given..
2. Lisa could go the Taylor Dayne route and concentrate on her strengths in the dance/gay/club community.. She already had major success in the 1990's with this formula with her fourth album and scored several #1 singles on the Dance charts.. Why not pull out all the stops and do an album of pure dance music and remixes?

Any other feelings or ideas? Lisa if you are reading this, please come back to us soon! xo

This is the album that proved to the world (as well as Black folks everywhere) that Teena Marie isn't the only white girl with soul. Proclaiming Barry White as her primary influence, Lisa Stansfield was an overnight sensation with the release of Affection. Although not solid all the way through, it's still worthy of being picked up the next time you see it in the used bin if you never bought the album. Affection had a soulful dance groove that can heard in a lot of other music by the likes of the Brand New Heavies and Soul II Soul. Classic cuts like the infectious singles "All Around The World," "You Can't Deny It," and "This Is The Right Time" will definitely have you reverting back to the easy-going times of the early 90s. And even though "All Woman" was a huge single on her follow-up album, Affection still stands the test of time as being the standout album of Lisa Stansfield's career.

Remember 1990? New Kids On The Block? Sinead O'Connor? Earth Day? In 1990, while I was writing a novel that was never published, Lisa Stansfield was having a lot more success with her huge hit, "All Around The World". I loved the song, but for some reason it took me 15 years to get around to buying the CD. Anyway, I'm glad I did. What I found is a fabulous collection of beats, in a lyrical setting where Love is Master, for better or worse. The musical arrangements, to a great extent latter-day disco in the first part of the album, give way to excellent early 90's club music as it progresses. A slight jazz tinge can be heard throughout. Lisa sings with soul and authority, and her warm, expressive voice is complemented perfectly by the swirling strings and glistening synths. By the way, 63 minutes, 13 cuts and none of them bad - this adds up to "your money's worth" on a very good CD.

This is one of the albums that are hard to come by. Lisa's debut album shows that she can write and sing equally well and it shows on the album's highlights, "All Around The World" and "This Is The Right Time". Other standout tunes here are "You Can't Deny It" and "Poison". This is that kind of music that brings in a relaxed feeling. Other artists have tried to emulate her but she stands alone. I highly recommend this fabulous album. Even ten years after it debut, it still is a good listen. Highly Recommended