Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 4, 1997)
• Original Release Date: November 4, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002C1E
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,194 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A 23-year-old singer of mixed heritage--he's part Scottish, part Ghanaian--Quaye can bust a smooth groove like Al Green or offer a straight reading of roots reggae (listen to his jaunty arrangement of "Your Love Gets Sweeter"). "It's Great When We're Together" skirts too close to Green in sentiment and sound, but the blues guitar and deep bass rumble of "Ultra Stimulation" goose an otherwise conventional reggae number. Still, Quaye isn't afraid to explode convention completely. Despite its hippy-dippy title, "Ride on and Turn the People On" is a thrilling duel between Quaye's elastic wordplay and a hyperactive bassist (who goes uncredited in the CD booklet but deserves star billing throughout). Quaye is best when he takes all the music he's heard and fashions a new pastiche that doesn't sound like one. His take on Marley's "Sunday Shining" is one such marvel, a glorious smear of slide guitar, Rastaman imagery, '60s soul horns, and a rhythm track that belongs squarely to the '90s. It may be the brightest light on Maverick a Strike, but this 13-track album never really dims much. --Keith Moerer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're looking to Try Finley Quaye...this by far his best, March 22, 2004

By	fetish_2000 (U.K.) - See all my reviews

Having liked this album the first time around, it was interesting to see if returning to it years later would prove a worthwhile listen. Surprisingly my appreciation has substantially grown for this album (admittedly due to my significantly wider range in music), but the fact remains that "Sunday Shining's" languish horns or keyboards is the musical equivalent of spending a memorable sunny afternoon outdoors. "Your Love gets Sweeter" is the acoustic strum exploring the romanticised side of Finley's music. Title Track "Maverick A Strike" leans strongest to his reggae roots taking a reggae ideal, and fusing it was popular music to make something, although not authentic reggae, is largely accessible to those normally intimidated regional reggae. But a track that largely goes unmentioned by deserves equal recognition is the instrumental "Red Rolled and Seen" which has a tribal moody rhythmic presence, not a million miles away from something that 'Tricky' would create. Finley successive albums may have been a case of playing to diminishing returns, but this debut confirmed his potential to make a largely coherent album by swiping sensibilities from other genres resulting in an immensely enjoyable album.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handles like a dream., June 17, 1999

By A Customer

Don't listen to machine99. The album is brilliant. He is trying to be Bob Marley? What? I didn't know Bob Marley flirted with Trip-Hop and sampling. Maybe he did, who knows, but personally, I think the album is smoov and charismatic, a terrific aural experience. Some great mood songs. Prime cuts are Ride On and Turn the People on and Your love gets sweeter.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hyper!, January 17, 2006

By	M. Sigh (Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The finest blend of old-school reggae vibe with sounds and structures from the future. One of my all time favorites.