Whoever happens to listen to Blue Zone’s album Big Thing without having the minimum idea that the vocalist is Lisa Stansfield, could easily think of finding themselves in front of another 80’s pop group and considering the singer as another none big hit that was “in” during that period. So if anybody would eliminate Lisa’s voice and would substitute it with the one of Tracy Spencer’s or Ivana Spagna’s, there probably wouldn’t be any big difference, when we refer to a fresh POP sound without a big impact and capable of sliding away rapidly without obstacles. On the other hand for those who perfectly know the Queen of british soul’s entire album collection, to listen for the very first time Big Thing represents a sort of a circle closure. The album is infact more than dignitious and listening to it carefully one can understand how Stanfield’s group (Devaney and Morris) stile, has had a precise identity which is eager to explode definetely. But lets get to the analisys of the CD in which the particulars don’t lack, as well present as a huge dose of repetitivenes from one track to the next, something that was present in many big celebrities’ albums of the same era.
The album begins with Jackie, probably the most famous song of the group, which for other reasons is the only one that wasn’t written by any member. This is a very rhythmical track, with an interesting gap of sax, realized with a good radio and discoteque sound in a remix version. Accopanied by a modest video it also featured as a single, Jackie obtains good ratings, but it doesn’t reach any of the main charts. Track number 2 Thinking about his baby, taken as a single is also supported by another video of modest ratings, it’s a sof t song with a chorus that easily remains in your mind after a few times you’ve listened to it, we see Lisa Stansfield sing accompanied by Devaney and Morris chorus’. It wouldn’t reach significant positions in the charts. At number 3 we find Without a word to say, I might advise it’s one of the best moments of the album, because we finally find Lisa’s voice highlighted and because it contains an arragement in “crescendo” that demostrates the Blue Zone’s huge composition capacity. Followed by Sugar Tree, another simply listening track, with tipical 80’s bass and electric drums and some interesting vocals.
Number 5 is Her seedy life, introduced by very intense bass that clearly allows you to notice the next world success All around the world, where Lisa’s voice is not in accordance with her characteristics. The following track Perfect crime, from my point of view it’s the song with the best rithyms in which finally we can find the queen of british soul. It seems Jackie but it’s far superior, because the of the perfect arragements for Lisa’s voice. Even number 7 One kiss, classical ballad rithmitic the grows slowly, can highlight the vocal part and enrich by sax and trumpet that give a pure 80’s atmosphere. It’s time for Greedy love, maybe the only track with a soul-funky taste, unfortunately attached by sounds and instrumentals of that period. Even if not one of the most brilliant moments, it contains a must not miss pearl, a sort of bridge in swing/jazz style that mixes suddenly and which represents the true dna of Blue Zone.
On fire, number 9, the album’s third single, again accompanied by a discreet videoclip (but what can one ask from a group of youngsters?) it’s surely simply and rithmytic, in my opinion it’s quite simple for arrangement and musical structure. By the way, in this song in which Stansfield follows mainly her famous vocals hidden in the rest of the album. In the end we can find what is to me the best moment in the album with We will cry. Finally we find an intense text, strong and personal in which Lisa Stansfield is the real Lisa Stansfield that we all know, actually with a stronger force, that fits perfectly in the atmosphere of a splendid ballad, that reminds us of the beatiful Madonna’s Live to tell. For me, is Big thing’s perfect song, that we can listen over and over with our eyes closed.
Big thing contains, even in a simple way and pure electronic 80’s stile, good ideas that the members of the group show later in pieces to come. After Big thing, is easy to expect an almost entirely soul album like Real Love. During the 80’s chaos, Big thing went by almost without being noticed, however let’s not forget that this is a Lisa Stansfield’s real album, with the difference that it wasn’t based on Lisa’s capacity but we can sense that the singer was forced to adapt to a musical arrangament tipically pop. Very few people know that besides the album, the group also produced singles, promos and b-sides that still today are a must for collectionists, and that in part have been recovered and inserted in 2003 The Complete Collection (for further information please refer to the Blue zone’s present site).
In the CD version of Big Thing with the exeption of the United States, we also find the song Feel it from inside as a bonus track, another pleasant song very much like the others of the album, in which we can find Lisa’s vocal talent and a mature and clean arrangement, as if the track could effectively have had more carefulness at the moment of the recording. In the wake of the discographic work that has driven to the release of The collection 1989-2003 box set, on 14th October 2016 Edsel announces the re-edition of Big Thing in a new deluxe double cd version. This is the chance for collecting all the best material released by the Rochdale band (also promos, rare b-sides and remixes). Even if unreleased works are not included, it is worth pointing out Chance it: the song was chosen to open the album and present in the final master, but at the end it was replaced by the famous Jackie.
Singles extracted from album
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Thinking about his baby
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On fire
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Jackie
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Videoclips
- Thinking about his baby
- On fire
- Jackie
For more information on the history of videoclips visit the appropriate section.
