Positivity is an album by the British band Incognito, released in 1993.[1][2] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[3]
| Positivity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Acid jazz | |||
| Length | 66:27 | |||
| Label | Talkin' Loud Verve Forecast | |||
| Producer | Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick | |||
| Incognito chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 55 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] It has sold more than 350,000 copies in the United States.[5]
Production
editThe album was produced by band leader Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick.[6] He was chiefly inspired by Stevie Wonder's Talking Book and Innervisions.[7]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Calgary Herald | B[9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |  [10] |
| USA Today | [11] |
The Washington Post wrote that "the band mines familiar funk grooves with more than enough imagination and horn power to keep things fresh."[12] The Calgary Herald praised the "free flowing numbers that eschew harder edge riffs for music suited more for spliffs."[9] USA Today stated that "the commercially oriented backbeats and vocals (more singing than on their previous two albums) are counterbalanced by a tight horn section and jazzy, crisp arrangements."[11]
The Orange County Register opined that "the strength lies in vocalists Maysa Leak and Mark Anthoni, whose rich-sounding voices glide through each track as easily as a hot spoon through ice cream."[13] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution listed Positivity as one of the best R&B albums of 1994.[14]
AllMusic wrote that "group leader Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick's vision of intertwine various genres of music (bebop, soul, classical, dance, etc.) into one incomparable sound is exemplary."[8] MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide called "Deep Waters" a "landmark acid-jazz track."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Step into My Life" | 4:13 |
| 2. | "Still a Friend of Mine" | 5:37 |
| 3. | "Smiling Faces" | 5:09 |
| 4. | "Where Do We Go from Here" | 5:21 |
| 5. | "Positivity" | 3:51 |
| 6. | "Inversions" | 5:54 |
| 7. | "Givin' It Up" | 5:08 |
| 8. | "Talkin' Loud" | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Deep Waters" | 6:37 |
| 10. | "Do Right" | 5:29 |
| 11. | "Pieces of a Dream" | 4:19 |
| 12. | "Thinking 'Bout Tomorrow" | 5:53 |
| 13. | "Keep the Fires Burning" | 5:20 |
| Total length: | 66:27 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] | 108 |
| UK (Official Charts) | 55 |
References
edit- ^ "Incognito Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Smith, Andrew (2 June 1995). "Still rising after all these years: Andrew Smith talks to Bluey Maunick, the Mr Consistency of jazz fusion". Features. The Guardian. p. 18.
- ^ Stoute, Lenny (19 May 1994). "Incognito came to the Palladium with a rep as acid-jazz veterans...". Toronto Star. p. J11.
- ^ "Incognito Full Official Chart History". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (August 19, 2001). Funk. Hal Leonard Corporation – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 468.
- ^ Murray, Sonia (6 May 1994). "Acid jazz: Hard to define, easy on the ears". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P9.
- ^ a b "Positivity". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Muretich, James (1 May 1994). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ a b MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 281.
- ^ a b Jones IV, James T. (20 Apr 1994). "A trio of jazz funk crowd-pleasers". USA Today. p. 6D. ProQuest 306694647.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (13 May 1994). "Inventive Incognito". The Washington Post. p. N16.
- ^ Montero, David (April 22, 1994). "Galliano, Incognito albums blend a heap of influences". Show. Orange County Register. p. 48.
- ^ Murray, Sonia (25 Dec 1994). "The Year's Best". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. K14.
- ^ "Incognito ARIA chart history to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 21 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.