Tracks

1. Ultra Stimulation

2. It's Great When We're Together

3. Sunday Shining

4. Even After All

5. Ride On And Turn The People On

6. The Way Of The Explosive

7. Your Love Gets Sweeter

8. Supreme I Preme

9. Sweet And Loving Man

10. Red Rolled And Seen

11. Falling

12. I Need A Lover

13. Maverick A Strike

Performer Notes

Producers: Finley Quaye, Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby.
Reggae music combined with soul, rock and pop makes Finley Quaye's debut album, MAVERICK A STRIKE, a pleasant mix of genres. Soft, subtle songs ("It's Great When We're Together,") reggae standards ("Ultra Stimulation") and industrial textures ("Supreme I Preme," "I Need A Lover") come together to create a interesting blend of music, easy to swallow. The Fender Rhodes vibrato on "Even After All" sounds dreamy and distant, giving off a relaxing, comforting feeling. Make sure you check out the title cut, which was co-produced by Kevin Bacon. With most of the cuts at least co-written by Quaye, his songwriting talents are apparent on this thirteen-song release. The Bob Marley-influenced textures make MAVERICK A STRIKE more than worthy of repeated spins.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (1/22/98, p.58) - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...soul-soaked, remix-ready roots reggae music....Studio One bass lines, Stax-era horns and organs, and African drums and thumb piano...reshapes time-tested reggae styles...with subtly applied trip-hop trimmings..."

Entertainment Weekly (1/9/98, p.70) - "...Quaye's modern reggae orbits somewhere between rock and a heart place. On his alluring debut, Quaye weaves soulful vocals through a tapestry of dynamic guitar, spacey keyboards, and funk beats that resonate both pain and pleasure." - Rating: B+

Q (1/98, p.114) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997."

Q (3/01, p.130) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An impressive first album that's still worth revisiting..."

Melody Maker (12/20-27/97, pp.66-67) - Ranked #29 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year."

NME (Magazine) (12/20-27/97, pp.78-79) - Ranked #42 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.