Original Flava

Brand New Heavies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B000000OHK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,456 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rest of Me [#]

2. Put Yourself in My Shoes [#]

3. Reality [#]

4. Country Funkin' [#]

5. Got to Give

6. Mother's Tongue [#]

7. Dream Come True [#]

8. Never Stop [#]

9. Headhunters [Live][#]

10. A Day at the Seaside

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where is N'Dea When You Need Her?, October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Original Flava (Audio CD)

All but the most loyal fans of the British acid jazz group will be disappointed in this ten track set. This is largely due to the uninspired vocals found on several cuts.

The CD starts off okay with the duet "Rest of Me," between Jay Ella Ruth and longtime Heavies band member Jan Kincaid. "Put Yourself in My Shoes" follows featuring the bland vocals of Linda Muriel. She also sings lead on the Heavies first UK single, "Got to Give" and the original version of "Dream Come True," which both pale in comparison to N'Dea Davenport's later versions. Fortunately, the album also features three instrumental cuts, which are all good.

In short, ORIGINAL FLAVA is a so-so album. For individuals who aren't familiar with the group, they would be better served by checking out their other albums first. However, if you are already a Heavies fan (in particular, if you dig their instrumental tracks), this CD is definitely worth consideration.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An N'Dea-less, more laid back heavies cd!!!, August 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Original Flava (Audio CD)

upon first listening, i was disappointed because i was use the n'dea davenport heavies. but after a couple of listens, it has become by second favorite--after remixes & rare grooves. it's a much more laid back cd, more for relaxin' at your house as opposed to the dance, high-energy bnh cd's. this cd puts more emphasis on the musicians, and is definitely worth collecting.

5.0 out of 5 stars BNH Before The Heavyweights, October 10, 2010

By 

Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Original Flava (Audio CD)

I've always been very curious about this album. The Brand New Heavies were always one of those bands that,while excellent players often had a very strong 'we're out to save music" attitude that's especially strong today. They simply never possessed the strong way with pop savvy and songcraft that other bands of the acid jazz/90's Brit funk era such as Jamiroquai and Incognito. If it came between sacrificing production in favor of sound and style,they'd choose the latter every time. This relatively brief ten song album blends together songs recorded before their debut album Brand New Heavies;some are outtakes from that session,others are unreleased A and B side singles recorded in 1988 and one live track. Thanks to very clever editing everything presented here sounds perfectly cohesive and reasonable. Songs such as 'Rest Of Me","Reality","Mother's Tongue" and "Never Stop" all feature the swoony,new romantic style vocals of keyboardist and drummer Jan Kinkaid and have a very likeminded sound and production,with plenty of layors of sonics,sutble guitars and keyboards. It's a great diversion from this bands tendancy towards a well recorded but bland overall sound quality. The songs,by the way are in fact very well crafted sophistifunk. Nothing against the bands better known vocalist N'Dea Davenport the presense of singer Linda Murial on yet more sophistifunk numbers as "Put Yourself In My Shoes","Got Tp Give" and an earlier (and much funkier) take of their breakout hit "Dream Come True" she brings a more deep,passionate and jazzy style of singing to the forefront. She may not have N'Dea's more contemporary,fluttery qualities but it's a different and somewhat more mature vocal sound. The album is rounded out with three instrumentals with "Country Funkin'" being a superb early funk styled groove with a stronger soul element that was likely left off the debut disc. "Heathunter",recorded live in an Austrian radio show around the time that first album dropped and another outtake "A Day At The Seaside" actually possess grooves that owe a bit more to organ based 60's soul/jazz more in keeping with the James Taylor Quartet but all the same the bands acid jaz flavor is still apparent. Being an outtakes collection cobbled together to sound like a cohesive statement this actually emmerges as one of BNH's more varied and well crafted production they'd done up to this point and,for those who may tire of the spare clishe's of modern retro funk will likely give more of what they're looking for.