Customer Reviews

CHERELLE / AFFAIR

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
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Cherrelle is abosolutely one of the most UNDERRATED songstress EVER! How in heaven's name does someone with the backing of geniuses Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis get pushed aside and only know for TWO major hits????!!! It boggles my mind that Janet Jackson (who I like as well) became Jam and Lewis's "High Priority", yeah, she's Michael's little sister but Cherrelle had more class, funk and sass than Miss Jackson EVER! If you don't know about Cherrelle, ya need too because with one listen you will be hooked! Especially with her third effort which is her greatest effort.

"Affair" is a gorgeous masterpiece that cronicles Cherrelle's roller coaster whirlwind romance and divorce with her ex-husband Randy Ran of Flyte Tyme/Jam and Lewis team. It's quite the adventure music thrill ride and the music is simply Jam and Lewis's best. With it's New Jack vibes, smoky soul and uplifting gospel tones, "Affair" ceases to bore and it brings you into the tale of "sex, lies and deception". Cherrelle sings each song with clarity and assurance as well as painful injections in the final songs. Cherrelle has a nice vocal range and she belts out chords with maginficent flair. She comes across as a performer, this woman performs and tells us, "Hey, I'm Cherrelle, I love music so I'm gonna sing MUSIC" That's what Cherrelle is, she is what alot is lacking today, MUSIC and she's a person who enjoys doing it! With "Affair" she gets to explore music though voice and words.

With the growing keyboard introduction that starts off the kicker New Jack swiing of "Looks Aren't Everything", you can tell that this album is going to be good. The lyrics are funky, humorous and couldn't be more true. She also injects some of her 1986 hit, "You Look Good To Me" into it. "Pick Me Up" follows and is a nice funky little number while "Discreet" is anything but with it's humorous lyrics (Alexander O'Neal's "Hearsay" makes a guest apperance) and a tight keyboard and New Jack sound. The repetitive and blaring drum machine starts off the perky yet catchy, "Happy That Your Happy With Me" which is probably one of the best tracks. It soars, dips and dives and has a gorgeous keyboard backing it up. Great song. The title track follows and is just as upbeat and scandolous as the first three tracks. Great vocals by Cherelle as she wails on at the end and more of that New Jack dance vibe is here. Laughable lyrics like, "Maybe you'll buy me an engagement ring" and "Cause baby I won't take all the business in my face". The almost Janet Jackson "Rhythm Nation" sounding, "What More Can I Do For You" has mehcanical drums and a grooving laid-back vibe to it. The verry 80's soul groove of "Foolin' Around" has chiming keyboards and a slapping bass that gives this song a good edge to it. The #1 hit "Everything I Miss At Home" is gorgeous and so beautiful. From it's soaring beginning to it's classy ending, this song is the best off of here. Has a smoky blue lights night club feel to it and the piano is just brilliant. Gorgeous. Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal team up to duet on the mid-tempo R&B groove of "Keep It Inside", once again these two pull off a smoking duet. "My Friend" is the cheesiest sounding and the most pop sounding on here but it's still a pleaser and has some nice lyrics to it. The sorrowful "Crazy" is a deep and tear-jearking jazzy ballad that Cherrelle pointed out that she cried while making this track. Talk about heavy! The inspirational "Lucky" rounds out the album, and it's gospel themes and inspiring lyrics give it a special touch.

"Affair" is one of those albums that you NEED to own. It's just an all around good album that takes you back to the great music decade of the 80s. How I wish artists today would put together concept albums that actually mean something and has good music to boot. I also wish that Cherrelle herself would come back, we need her humor, sass and spunk back on the air waves. Her music has always been a favorite of mine because it's always surprising, great to dance too and it has hilarious themes behind it. With "Affair" you get an awesome singer, some great production work by the masters Jam and Lewis, a story that we can all relate to and most importantly good music. Get caught up in the "affair", you will not be dissapointed!

JEN'S TOP 5

1. Happy That Your Happy With Me

2. Everything I Miss At Home

3. Looks Aren't Everything

4. Affiar

5. Crazy (tie w/Discreet)...I'm lying, the WHOLE album is GOOD TO THE LAST DROP!

Complete powerhouse of a singer. How did Cherelle miss being a mega superstar??

This is by far her best album. Strong vocals thumping beats make it hard to stand still. She jumps from funk to sweetness without missing a beat.

Hard to find CD is worth the extra $$$$.

the best i can say for this work of art?! I don't know if anyone payed close attention to this masterpiece but this album set the stage for the groung breaking work that the two master producers, jam and lewis, were about to un-leash on the 90's. Of all of there works of art this is bar far one of the best! to say the least about the artist! Cherrelle was way before her time but thank god i had the chance to live in the times of her moments! So i own this item and i salute the people behind it's mastery.

Cherrelle is not only one of the best singer's (underrated), but also one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. The list for this c.d. on this site appears to be missing the great track "Happy That You're Happy With Me" If I am mistaking, someone please correct me. Let's keep Cherrelle's music alive!

Thanks

April Reign

A talented and charismatic singer, Cherrelle was at just about the right age in 1988 to make a broadly appealing album. Old enough to get adults in the mood, but young enough to appeal to the teen set as well, and this robust album offers the best of both sides, featuring the gorgeous hit ballad "Everything I Miss At Home" and the sneaky, percolating "Discreet."

"Crazy (For Loving You)" is another nice ballad, and there's also another catchy tune with "Keep It Inside." One of the artists to benefit from the superior production work of Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis, this album is filled with the signature hooks and robust production that would also serve Alexander O'Neal, Karyn White, and especially Janet Jackson well over the years.

The special thing about "Affair" is that it represents Cherrelle's very first #1 R&B hit, "Everything I Miss at Home" courtesy of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis' Flyte Tyme Productions. Hot on the heels of her sophomore CD, "High Priority," which featured her almost #1 hit, "Saturday Love," Miss Cheryl got back in the studio and really got down! From the beautiful aforementioned first single to the second single in the title cut, this CD kicks out one jam after another. If you enjoyed "Fragile" and "High Priority," you'll no doubt enjoy "Affair." It's sad that her association with Flyte Tyme was so shortlived because it's apparent that Jimmy & Terry would have had many, many more years of hits with her after this, her last real GOOD CD. If you dig the Minneapolis sound that Flyte Tyme is famous for, you'll LOVE this! If you're a TRUE Cherrelle fan, why not check out "Ladies Night Out," which features Cherrelle, Jean Carne and Shirley Jones all LIVE doing their own segments on one CD. It should be available here on Amazon as well. It's incredible! :-)

The "Affair" album was one the very first CDs I ever bought! Well, it was the very first CD I ever bought that wasn't Classical or Baroque music. I played this disc over and over and over again in my apartment on Darling Street, off Toorak Road in South Yarra. Between this and my CDs of Handel's "Belshazzar" and the Parrott recording of Schütz's Christmas Historia, I must have driven my neighbours mad! And confused them, too!

I already had "High Priority" on LP and a bunch of 33cm singles by Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal and I was a total Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis nut. Hearing their work on CD with such high quality sound was a special event for me.

This album was the one I listened to early on Saturday night when I was getting ready to go out - while I was showering, doing my hair and getting my black linen double breasted padded-shouldered suit ironed! The best part of the night!

I hope that this CD is re-released with the original cover and artwork. It was all perfection at the time and it still looks great.

Viva Cherrelle!

dont get me wrong cherrelle first two albums were good but her third was excellant for instance the spong lucky the girl can song its the kind of music that you can listen to all day and never get tired my favorites are happy pick me up the whole album is very very good