Give Me the Reason

Lady Saw | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 1996)
• Original Release Date: May 23, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vp Records
• ASIN: B000001TLA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,037 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Good Wuk

2. What Is Slackness

3. Give Me The Reason

4. Darnest Things

5. Husband A Mine

6. Glory Be To God

7. Saturday Night At The Movies

8. Name Nuh Stand Fi Sex

9. Condom

10. Lonely Without You

11. Life Without Dick

12. Love And Understanding

13. Ain't No Meaning

14. Over And Over

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Saw. . ., September 21, 2006

By 

Achis (Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Give Me the Reason (Audio CD)

2 of my most appreciated vibes in all of music: 1 is the seemingly forgotten wickedness of Beenie Man spar Silvercat who was one of the first dj's to prove that he coudl actually make a point and yell at you at the top of his lungs at the same time, forgotten because of his fondness of travelling but not recording these days. The second being the absolutely diving Marion Hall (Lady Saw) over ANY pure dancehall riddim 1994-1997. Lady Saw had a way of just gripping her claws and sticking to any riddim from that era which she rode, and while she never really (and still hasn't) got it to work on a complete album to the perfect level (at least partly do to her love of the odd country ballad her and there) prime and vintage Lady Saw is about as good as any artist from any period of the dancehall.

Saw definitely had a bubbling to her at that which maybe only a few, if any really, have ever had, each tune was easy listening although she would always say something, be it sexual or relationship-wise, that would make you think, but all of the tunes were danceable and not just because 'bubbly' could firmly describe that period in dancehall riddims, many other artists were riding the same productions but not getting the effect and probably besides Beenie Man, no other artist could literally pack a dancefloor in JA better than Saw.

Released way back in 1996, a decade ago (am I really getting that old!) Give Me the Reason was just Saw's second full length studio album (and what a shame she's only released 3 since) and it was a very very solid album, probably not as spectacular as her debut Lover Girl, but still a fine fine effort.

The best song here without a doubt is What is Slackness? A prime example of Saw's talent in the era and a denouncement of the sickly amount of she was receiving at that point in her career for recording slack tunes similar to what her male peers were recording and receiving virtually no criticism at all.

Also check Good Wuk which is probably the biggest hit on the album. Good Wuk was more of a typicla dancehall tune over a Shocking Vibes riddim and at a much faster pace. Check the clever Darnest Thing and Husband a Mine both 2 really 2 fine tunes for Saw. Also check both Condom and the cool message on Love & Understanding which ranges in that fine fine old school dancehall vibe.

Then you have 2 really big tunes for different reason. First is the now infamous Life Without Dick, which is sung as if 'Dick' is her actual man and not. . . something else (as she says, 'lef up to your imagination). The song is shocking and after laughing for a good while you will thoroughly enjoy the story style of the tune. Then there's the second best tune her Name Nuh Stand fi Sex. The song is not too dissimilar to What is Slackness in that it displays an excellent message and at the same time gets the heads rocking back and forth and the hips gridning, just wonderfully done and while there are without a doubt more powerful lyricists out there, NO ONE in the dance could do Lady Saw's songs besides Lady Saw herself.

Overall, I equate this album similar to Vybz Kartel's sophomore (actually it is Kartel holding the candle to the far more veteran artist Saw) album JMT. Both their firsts were much more typical to the artist and in the second they showed they can actually vibe off of something that wasn't, in Saw's case, sex, typical to them as an artist. In the decade since, Saw has proven herself to be quietly quite versatile in the dance and if he is ever so lucky Kartel can do half the work Saw has done. Good album from one of dancehall's finest.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Queen of Dancehall Reggae !!, December 18, 1998

By 

Duane Harris([e-mail]) (Hotlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Give Me the Reason (Audio CD)

Lady Saw is better than Patra and better than most male Dancehall artist. Slammin' beats and raw lyrics. This will be a heavy rotation in your car ride!