Soul II Soul Vol.1 - Club Classics (10th Anniversary Edition)

Muzik - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...The singles...remain their lasting testament - a statement of British black musical intent that is now bearing fruit everywhere....Club classics indeed." Q - Ranked #49 in Q's "100 Greatest British Albums" - "...A good UK soul record....Melding reggae, hip hop and soul, CLUB CLASSICS unveiled that since-oft-imitated laid-back bassline, strewn with sweeping strings, flutes, and melodic vocals..."

This tenth anniversary reissue of Soul II Soul's groundbreaking debut album provides a good opportunity to look back and see how influential it really was -- these dark, jazz-inflected grooves still resonate in the deep house, acid jazz and illbient music of the late 1990s. And even if "Keep on Movin'," the album's lead track and centerpiece, is way overrated as a song, Caron Wheeler's voice still cuts through it shiningly; Rose Windross isn't far behind Wheeler on the more substantial "Fairplay." Bandleader Jazzie B, on the other hand, is a great arranger and a passable rapper (at his best on the very fine "Feelin' Free," which features the future members of Massive Attack on background vocals), but his singing sounds pretty sorry in this company. But the vocals are less important than the grooves, of course, and these are consistently excellent, often spiced up with jazz flute or buoyed by the strings of the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. The reissue adds an extra 30 minutes of remixes, including a great drum n' bass treatment of "Keep on Movin'" and an equally compelling remix of the Caron Wheeler showcase "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)." ~ Rick Anderson|