Customer Reviews

Big Fun

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When this album first came out, I was only twenty-two and the club scene was my life. "Big Fun" and "Paradise" were staples every single night. In fact, one night the DJ played tracks 1-10 all the way through and NOBODY left the dance floor. This album was just that popular. My own copy was lost in a move and I thought Inner City would be a thing of the past.

At a friend's 40th birthday party this year, all of a sudden "Ain't Nobody Better" was played. Let me tell you, these dinosaurs (including myself) got their carcasses up and began flailing themselves about as if it was 1989 all over again. I had to find this album.

There is not one single disappointing track. "The Power of Passion" may be a bit much, however, it's better than any Trance song ever forced on the unsuspecting public. "Do You Love What You Feel" to me is the best on this imcomparable CD. "Big Fun" and "Good Life" just dare you to keep sitting down without wanting to walk the runway. It's hard to believe that only two people made this classic.

Dance music today is soooo ordinary. If you want a reason to dance buy this CD! THIS is what dance music is supposed to be!

The pairing of Detroit DJ Kevin Saunderson and Chicago vocalist Paris Gray resulted in two of U.S. House music's biggest crossover hits. During the early 1990's, one could not avoid the radio and club play of either "Big Fun" and "Good Life." Both songs mixed the new sound of Detroit Techno with the established sound of Chicago House (think "Techno-lite"). "Good Life" was later featured in a forgettable C. Thomas Howell feature film and in the Halle Barry comedy "BAPS."

"Do You Love What You Feel," a remake of the Rufus and Chaka Khan hit, came along next with that distinctive Inner City sound. The single furthered the duo's niche in the house/club mixes--yet, U.S. radio chose to forsake it. "Ain't Nobody Better" became the final initial release of the album, heralding more club play.

Although "Power Of Passion" is Inner City's ballad for this project, later pressings of this Virgin Records product featured the remake "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" as track four. "Lovin'," first made famous by R&B singer Stephanie Mills, was remixed by Def Mix Productions, b.k.a. Frankie Knuckles and David Morales, into a lush mid-tempo house groove, complete with a tambourine and mellow bassline. The song was subesequently released as a single and included on the later pressings of the full-length album.

Perhaps "Power of Passion" slowed the album down, or took something away from it, hence, the possible explanation of its subsequent removal. "Passion" may come across incoherent to the casual listener, given Paris' moaning vocal delivery.

Overseas, however, "Paradise" reigned surpeme, garnering significant club play. Listen closely to its keyboard riff, it is the keyboard sequence to "Big Fun" played backwards.

Overall, an impressive debut album from a club/house group. The album was released during the time when major U.S. labels were pumping money into club and house artists and groups. This project offered great potential towards the longevity of the group, alas, their follow-up full-length efforts, "Fire" and "Praise," would not reach the caliber or attention of their first album.

hi,

great to see others wrote reviews, though an old album, it's appeal seems timeless. i haven't listened to this cd in years now, and i put it in to drive to and WOOOOOOOO, i forgot the connection i made in my mind when i first heard them, and still kinda hear (though it's a reverse comparison), it would be, don't get angry, dee-lite(shh did he? oh my? how dare you!), this in the sense that dee-lite in essence were an electronic soul dance group, that ventured into breakbeats, trance, dnb, but in the beginning on world clique some of the ambitions heard THERE can be heard realized HERE.

great sound, good to drive to, her voice is more soulful than usually heard on electronic dance albums, it adds ummmppphhh.

In 1989, Virgin records released at least two classic albums: the fearless funk of Soul II Soul's "Club Classics" and the debut album from Detroit's Inner City. Inner City featured vocalist Paris Grey and DJ Kevin Saunderson who created a perfect album of seamless house music. The club anthems, "Good Life," "Ain't Nobody Better," "Do You Love What You Feel," and "Big Fun" are slices of old-school house music that's as good as it gets. The first edition of this album also had a stellar, seductive ballad, "Power of Passion," which was replaced by a formidable cover of Stephanie Mills's signature hit "What You Gonna Do With My Lovin'." Grey's voice is smooth and rich without being showoffy or overemotional, and it's the right match for Saunderson's tight house grooves which sometimes have a slight dash of techno. Most dance albums have one or two songs weighed down by tons of filler, but not this one. "Paradise" is a consistent, thoroughly satisfying album that has as much as a groove as it did in 1989.

What a team - Paris Grey and Kevin Saunderson! Paris had been on the Chicago circuit for a while. When "Big Fun" was spotted as background music for a TV commercial those of us who were househeads went berserk! The whole album is a treat. Track one lays the foundation of original Detroit Techno: the coming together of all people and the preservation of the inner city (by the way, that same theme was reflected in some earlier Chicago records) Track four is a really interesting tune especially being of a slower tempo. Track six is a definite favorite, as it is such a "happy" tune. Track seven is basically a Chicago favorite that dominated the college radio stations. My absolute favorite track is the last one. "Secrets Of The Mind" is very hypnotic and it has the subtle Chicago flavor mixed with the upfront Detroit industrial sound. This is an album you can trust!

when this album came out I was hypnotized by the song good life and to this day consider it to be in the top three of favorite songs. This is the type of music a house party has to have in order to a real house party.Big Fun.

This is one of the few albums you don't get tired of. Soul flows throughout this cd. Paris Grey vocals are powerful but never overdone. My favourites are the two club classics "Big Fun" & "Good Life" and more R&B/Soul songs like "What'cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'". I recommmend this album to anyone that enjoys good music with positive themes.

Maybe I'm being biased, but still... I prefer this album over any current dance music. Paradise has a great collection of catchy, fun, upbeat, and most definately danceable tracks.

Big fun and Good life both bring back memorable, unforgetable times of the early 90's, where music (of all types) were moving in all sorts of directions (just think of how many catagories are around nowadays). They are great songs, great memories and people still dance like crazy when "Good Life" is mixed into a dance set at a club. How often do I hear "OOOh! I love this one, remember this one? Oh I love it!" when they play their stuff.

I prefer it over today's dance music becuase it seems to have a different type of danceable sound. Today its just a fast "Thump Thump Thump" sound. To me, that's boring and repetative. But back then, the dance pop tunes were a bit slower in speed. When the music is slower, you have to fill it in with good beats and synths or else it won't sound right. It seems as though a lot of early 90's dance has a bit more soul too.

This is what real dance music sounds like.

El primer y mejor disco de K.S. en su vida comercial. En Paradise saca a relucir todo lo que aprendió del tecno europeo y lo vuelca a la pista de baile. Ninguna de las pistas tiene desperdicio, especialmente BIG FUN y GOOD LIFE, aunque a mi especialmente la canción que más me gusta es POWER OF PASSION, una excelente muestra de tecno-minimal que muestra el poderío vocal de Paris Grey. Sin lugar a dudas, un disco que hizo un camino.

Excellent CD. Great tracks. I really got into Inner City while in Europe. It will make you get off of your backside and shake what your mother gave ya!