Back by Popular Demand is the eighth album by the American rapper Kurtis Blow, released in 1988.[2][3] It was his final studio album.[4][5]
| Back by Popular Demand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Rap | |||
| Length | 44:32 | |||
| Label | Mercury[1] | |||
| Kurtis Blow chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 84 on Billboard's Top Black Albums.[6]
Production
editBlow sang on the remake of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's "Express Yourself".[7] Salaam Remi helped to produce a few tracks on the album.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
Trouser Press wrote that the album "finds the venerable but passé rapper in an understandably insecure mood, circling his wagons in a vain attempt to get with the new hip-hop generation."[12] The Orlando Sentinel opined that "by the time Blow gets through the first side of the LP, he's delivered three songs that do little more than brag that he's the greatest rapper since the dawn of time, etc ... Yawn."[7]
The Omaha World-Herald praised the album's "melodic tunes": "Express Yourself", "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Feeling Good", and "Blue Iguana".[13]
AllMusic wrote: "The first track and initial single has Blow putting himself on the ropes and the defensive as he proclaims his return, but he never really went anywhere. The song, like the majority of this effort, employs a harder, James Brown sample-laden sound."[9] MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide deemed the album "stale-sounding."[14]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back by Popular Demand" | 5:25 |
| 2. | "Only the Strong Survive" | 6:01 |
| 3. | "I'm True to This" | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Get on Up" | 2:23 |
| 5. | "Suckers in the Place" | 4:41 |
| 6. | "Love Don't Love Nobody" | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Still on the Scene" | 4:32 |
| 8. | "Express Yourself" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Blue Iguana" | 3:57 |
| 10. | "I'm Feelin' Good" | 6:10 |
References
edit- ^ McKinney, Rhoda E. (Jan 1989). "What's Behind the Rise of Rap?". Ebony. 44 (3): 67.
- ^ "Kurtis Blow Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Soonachan, Irwin (19 Nov 1997). "Rap pioneer hops out of retirement". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Cue. p. 1.
- ^ Thompson, Clifford (October 7, 2020). "Contemporary World Musicians". Routledge – via Google Books.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter (2001). The Rough Guide to Hip-hop. Rough Guides Ltd. p. 31.
- ^ "Kurtis Blow". Billboard.
- ^ a b c Cote, Mike (21 Aug 1988). "Kurtis Blow, Back by Popular Demand". Orlando Sentinel. Calendar. p. 8.
- ^ Concepcion, Mariel (Oct 18, 2008). "6 Questions". Billboard. 120 (42): 44.
- ^ a b "Back by Popular Demand - Kurtis Blow | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 693.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 69.
- ^ "Kurtis Blow". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Healy, James (September 25, 1988). "Kurtis Blow 'Back by Popular Demand'". Omaha World-Herald. Entertainment. p. SD.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. pp. 57–58.