Slicker Than Your Average

Craig David | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B00006JUML
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,176 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Slicker Than Your Average

2. What's Your Flava

3. Fast Cars

4. Hidden Agenda

5. Eenie Meenie

6. You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til The Well Runs Dry)

7. Rise and Fall

8. Personal

9. Hands Up In The Air

10. 2 Steps Back

11. What's Changed

12. World Filled With Love

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

British club DJ turned singer Craig David took the world by storm while still in his teens with his boastful debut, Born to Do It. It sold 7 million copies while he still bunked at his parents' home in Southampton, England. Two years later, David has slogged through the minefields of sudden stardom and lived to sing about it, which he does with stylist aplomb on Slicker Than Your Average. David has sacrificed some of his milk-fed innocence but none of his braggadocio, as the title attests. His sound is harder, more anxious, and much more suitable for clubs than the soft, breezy nu-soul of his first outing. This time, he deals with darker matters, such as the press's relentless scrutiny ("Why are you watching me when you should just let me be Craig") and the dangerous pitfalls of fame ("I'm not the man I used to be"). He's not the man he used to be, for fame seems to have shaken the scales from his eyes. This one-time wide-eyed romantic no longer pines for his perfect love, instead casting a jaundiced eye at the women vying for his attention on "What's Your Flava." But his newfound complexity and makes for a much more interesting album than his debut. It's a relief to watch David trade in his clean-cut pop styling for a more urban edge, rife with old-school R&B and hip-hop élan. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slicker Than Before, November 19, 2002

By 

Gin (Singapore Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slicker Than Your Average (Audio CD)

I am glad that this young talented British came back with a new album. This album is alittle different from the last album (Born To Do It). Craig David has shed the romantic tune to opt for a more R&B uptempo sound. This time he sings about his life in stardom and getting the British music into the masses. My personal fav songs:

Song no.2) What's Your Flava
The first hit single "What's Your Flava" is a sure hit, very catchy and I cant stop listening to it.

Song no.6) You Don't Miss Your Water
A slow balland that will charm you.

Song no.7) Rise & Fall
My next most frequent play on my stereo. This will definately be the second hit singles of the album. A clever collabration with Sting singing the chorus. The chorus has a clip of Sting's song. Weird combination but hey they sound great together! And this song truely tells u about the hardship, rise and fall of star.

Song no.9) Hands Up In The Air
Great rhythm, a perk me up song!

Song no.12) What's Changed
It's growing on me gradually.

Though I am not a fan of the opening song "Slicker Than Your Average", dont fancy the rhythm but great lyrics. Overall, this album is a good buy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting there, still some unrealised potential, January 17, 2003

By 

3rdeadly3rd (Brisbane, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slicker Than Your Average (Audio CD)

Three events took place in music in between Craig David's debut on "Born To Do It" and this, his sophomore offering. Two of them he was directly responsible for, the third not as much so. All three have benefitted this album considerably.

The first is the Craig's writing has matured. Where "Born To Do It" hobbled from cliche to cliche and sounded as though it was put together by someone still feeling his way through the music business, "Slicker Than Your Average" is a much more adventurous offering. Two of the standout cuts here "What's Your Flava?" and "Rise And Fall" benefit considerably from Craig's discovery of (in the case of the former) creative metaphors to describe women (in this case, icecream flavours) and for the latter the discovery that there are other things to sing about.
"Rise And Fall" also demonstrates Craig's increasing maturity in that it features Sting on the chorus. Sting's experience as a songwriter - which is considerable, no matter what anyone wants to say about his work after The Police - is clearly visible throughout that track.
One slight downside of Craig's maturation as a songwriter is the appearance of an expletive (well, that's what it's listed as in the lyrics, it's not exactly clear when he sings it) on the title track. No matter, a bit of swearing here and there never really hurt anybody and for an artist trying to present a slightly tougher image it's probably a sound move.

The second event is that Craig David became a famous person in his own right. Where "Born" covered very predictable lyrical ground - women and parties - in a rather domestic fashion, "Slicker" throws Craig's new-found fame into the mix as well. On tracks like "Eenie Meenie", a relatively straightforward song about a relationship gone wrong, Craig is able to outline the perils he faces of girlfriends who have a "gold-digger's degree". Fame is also the subject of the title track, a protest at his treatment by those who claim that he's sold out to the RnB world - a criticism not entirely unjustified on "Born To Do It" alone.

The third event was that garage music, Craig's musical base, became more recognisable as a viable style. The success of acts like the So Solid Crew and The Streets has fueled a hunger for the sped-up beats of garage - and Craig (who was, after all, discovered by garage impresarios The Artful Dodger) doesn't disappoint. He's always made the point that he isn't just a garage act, but including a track entitled "2 Steps Back" is a sure-fire clue that there'll be some of that about the place. That track delivers on the promise, but to some extent it suffers a bit in that the rest of the album promotes "Craig David the RnB singer" and "Craig David the garage act" seems a bit incongruous. Perhaps some garage influences throughout the album would have been a better decision.

As an album, "Slicker Than Your Average" does the job competently and successfully. "Flava" and a handful of other tracks are strong enough for consideration as singles, and there are enough slower ballads to keep that sector of the audience happy.
The musical backing has improved considerably since the skeletal tracks of "Born To Do It", improved to the point that "Flava" could almost be mistaken for an attempt at G-Funk at times. That quality is a considerable plus for "Slicker".
Having listened to the hour's worth of music, though, it is hard to shake the belief that Craig is capable of more - as many of the remixes from "Born To Do It" demonstrate - and this is merely a foretaste of what he can do. That said, it's quite a good foretaste.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Craig David is slicker than your average!!!!, November 27, 2002

By 

Jassim (Bahrain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slicker Than Your Average (Audio CD)

As a big fan of Craig David, I bought 3 copies of "Slicker Than Your Average"!!!.I'm amazed with his new style.It's kinda different from his debut album "Born To Do It".But in his new, you get to hear his voice more and more. His new album shows that the man (Craig David) can sing and write his own stuff.
Here's what I think of the whole new tracks:

1-Slicker Than Your Average.(Amazing track. Craig replies to all of the people and newspapers who dissed him).

2-What's Your Flava?. (This song has a different style to it. It makes you wanna dance and sing along with it).

3-Fast Cars. (One of the best tracks on the album).

4-Hidden Agenda. (This track has some guitars in it.I like it. In this track, Craig shows that he can reach to the high notes!).

5- Eenie Meenie. (I think it's the best track on the album!!!!!)

6-You Don't Miss Your Water. (A smooth ballad from Craig).

7-Rise & Fall. (Craig duets with Sting on this track. A great duet. Craig sings about the rise and fall of an artist).

8-Personal. (I'm sure this will be a MASSIVE hit!!!!!)

9- Hands Up In The Air. (This song is nice, especially for the clubs).

10- 2 Steps Back. (This is a U.K Garage 2 Step song. Craig samples the chorus of Jimmy Cozier's 2 step back).

11- What's Changed?. (Amazing song. I like the rythim and the lyrics).

12- World Filled With Love. (This song is great. It sounds like "Walkin' away" from his debut album).

Check it out and i'm SURE you'll love it!!!