Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002652
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,075 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The mother of them all. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force's "I Wonder If I Take You Home" is often cited, along with Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and Jellybean's "The Mexican," as one of the first freestyle tracks to gain recognition. Ms. Lisa's winsome bleat is the perfect expression of the hard teenage realities she faces in the song, which is a more lyrically graphic update of the sturdy themes in "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" Meanwhile the melody (such that it is) and the beats goose the track into a giddy, cosmopolitan distillation of urban youth. The huge single "All Cried Out" follows up on "I Wonder If I Take You Home": she did take him home, and lived to regret it. Also contains the essential early freestyle smash, "Can You Feel the Beat." --John Sanchez

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Landmark Freestyle Album, January 2, 2001

By	Luis Hernandez (New York, New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Before starring on the new Nickelodeon-network children's series, "Taina" (she plays the title character's mother), a young girl by the name of Lisa Velez was transforming the music scene inside out. Going by her stage name, Lisa Lisa, she teamed up with two other local musicians to form one of the 1980's most famous trios. Shattering the mold of pretty white kids singing pop, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam showed the world that three Latino kids growing up in one of New York City's tough neighborhoods, Hell's Kitchen, can make memorable dance music.

Partnered with the talented songwriting/singing group Full Force, Lisa Lisa, scored hit after hit with such songs as "All Cried Out" and "Lost in Emotion." On their debut album, they rocked the dance world with their very own brand of freestyle music.

Freestyle, a musical style popularized by young Puerto Ricans living in New York, would capture the world by storm in the upcoming years as many artists and groups such as Lissette Melendez, George Lamond, Expose, and Safire became well-known names on radios and music video shows throughout the United States.

On this debut album, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam hits us with three memorable songs: The hit "I Wonder If I Take You Home"; the love ballad "All Cried Out"; and the dance-hit "Can You Feel The Beat?". Their first hit, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" sealed their fame as one of the 1980's most memorable songs due to it's catchy beats and lyrics. "All Cried Out," a slow, yet soulful ballad was one of the first freestyle-love songs out there and it paved the way for more such songs (e.g., Brenda K. Starr's "I Still Believe"). "Can You Feel the Beat?" is a lengthy, fast-rhytmn song that made waves throughout all of the major clubs in New York and Miami. While the other songs are good, these three songs stand out as the top songs on this landmark album.

If you are an 80's-phile and need a dose of freestyle music in your musical diet, then add this album to your shopping cart. While no longer together, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam will forever be pioneers in the emergence of Latino artists in the English-language market.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Freestyle, August 31, 2003

By	Kent Browning (SPRINGFIELD, OHIO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's debut is a freestyle classic. With each song a extension of the other, all leading to a complete finish. "I wonder if i take you home" is their well known classic. A listen to "Behind my eyes", "You'll never Change", and "Private Property" and you'll realize each of those cuts are just as good. The whole album is consistent. The ballad "All cried out" with FULL FORCE is essential. A song to note as well is the dance hit "Can you feel the beat?". FULL FORCE produced this effort and it is one anyone interested in 80's r&b and freestyle should have. A winner!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CLASSIC DANCE NEW YORK STYLE!!!!!!, February 15, 2002

By	Michael James Carmona "michaeljamescarmona" (South Austin, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

LISA LISA.......LISA LISA'S MUSIC TAKES ME BACK TO THE GLORY DAYS OF DANCE MUSIC,HER STRONG VOICE WITH THE GREAT DANCE CUTS MAKE A GREAT COMBINATION. I CAN STILL REMEMBER GOING TO THE DISCO BACK IN 1984 AND DANCING TO "CAN YOU FEEL THE BEAT", "TAKE ME HOME", AND OF COURSE MY FAVORITE "I WONDER IF YOU TAKE ME HOME", THIS SONG REALLY BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE BACK IN THE 80'S. TODAY WHEN I HEAR IT BRINGS BACK VERY FOND MEMORIES. BUY THIS CD AND KEEP IT IN THE ARCHIVES, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!