Jermaine Stewart — Say It Again
The Say It Again album appeared in 1988, some two years after the release of Frantic Romantic( which featured “We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off”). And it presented the listener with a selection twelve tracks, which offered a vibrate, often provocative, and mostly caughty late 80 pop song fare. The tracks move from: electro beat bound & synth pumping R &B, onto strutting & cheeky blends of light pop reggae/ soul. Though to stabbing ‘n’ jerking synth funk- that brings to mind a blend of Prince & Janet Jackson. Onto more straight-up & punchy 80’s soul pop.
Sure Stewart wasn’t as distinctive or creative as say Michael Jackson, prince, or Madonna- but he had a cheeky charm and his songs were often memorable, feel-good, and well-produced. I actually picked up Say It Again when it first came out back in the late 80’s on cassette, and at that time the album fast became a favorite on my walkman. And now playing the album again for the first time in many years, I must say it still stands up well- with most of the tracks still coming across rewarding, and the album passes in a fairly varied manner. Sure it got a very typical 80’s pop production, and the remastering has maybe enhanced that even more- but that’s nothing to complain about, if like me you enjoy that periods production.
This deluxe edition takes in two discs- on the first disc you get the album original twelve tracks, plus a selection of single versions & unreleased tracks bringing the total running order of disc one to eighteen tracks. Disc two takes in another fourteen tracks, and these are mostly remixes/ extended versions of singles, plus two unreleased tracks. You also get a sixteen-page inlay booklet- this takes in an interview with Stewart's musical director & drummer, full credits, reproduction of single covers, and a general write-up about Stewart.
It was great to hear Say It Again after all these years, and I must say it's stood the test of time, coming off as one of the more consistent & sassy R&B pop albums of the 1980’s. And as you’d expect from Cherry Red, the label have given the album a classy & well put together reissue.