FEATURE:
Second Spin
Lisa Stansfield – Affection
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IN this feature…
I either include an album that is underrated or received undue criticism upon its release, or it was positively reviewed but one does not hear that album mentioned too much now. The latter is definitely true when considering Lisa Stansfield’s debut album, Affection. Stansfield has turned in terrific albums right through her career and her eighth studio album, Deeper, of 2018 was another great release! Looking back to her debut, and it would have been quite a revelation hearing the Manchester-born Stansfield break through! In 1989, there were some great British female solo artists around, but I don’t think any had the soulfulness and power of Stansfield. Her music was defined by a definite sense of class and depth, whereas a lot of her peers’ sounds would have been fairly commercial and ordinary. Lisa Stansfield co-wrote all songs on Affection with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris – it means the songs are more personal and genuine. Devaney and Morris also produced the album (except for This Is the Right Time, which was produced by Coldcut). Affection reached top-ten on the charts in many countries and has sold over five-million copies worldwide. One of my earliest musical memories is hearing the hit single, All Around the World, played. Released on 16th October, 1989, it is one of those songs that stays with you! This Is the Right Time, and Live Together are other great singles from Affection that I particularly like, but a lot of the non-singles are really strong songs that deserve a bit more exposure.
Mighty Love, and When Are You Coming Back? are beautifully performed and written tracks, and Affection in general is packed with so much great material! Over thirty years since its release, and the songs still provoke reaction and emotion. Stansfield’s singing throughout is wonderful, and I really love the weight and commitment she gives to every song! It is no surprise that critics loved Affection upon its release, and it is still getting love all these years later. It is a shame that people do not rank Affection alongside the best albums of the 1980s, and many of the songs do not get a look-in when it comes to radio. This is what AllMusic wrote when they reviewed the album:
“When Lisa Stansfield took the R&B world by storm with her melancholy, Barry White-influenced single "All Around the World," it was obvious that not since Teena Marie had a white female singer performed R&B so convincingly. Though she didn't shy away from hip-hop and house-music elements, Affection leaves no doubt where the British singer's heart lies -- sleek yet gritty '70s R&B. Though the retro leanings of such updated soul treasures as "You Can't Deny It" and "What Did I Do to You" are obvious, Stansfield's producer keeps things very fresh sounding by embracing a decidedly high-tech and very late-'80s/early-'90s production style. Though essentially a soul diva, Stansfield has a disco masterpiece in the love-and-togetherness anthem "This Is the Right Time".
I think one of Affection’s strengths is the fact that the songs are quite long. Most of the songs clock in at over four minutes, and I think that gives the tracks more room to breathe and express themselves. There is no waste or weak moments on Affection, and the combination of Soul, R&B, New Jack Swing and Pop is incredible! In 1990, Rolling Stone tackled Affection…and they were full of praise:
“Affection is a picture-perfect marriage between house beats and the torchy growl of late-night silky soul. Not since Teena Marie has a white girl pulled off the pure joy and emotionality that Stansfield does, and without the downside of trying to sound authentically "black." Stansfield evokes Chaka Kahn on "Mighty Love" (not the Spinners' classic – oh, what she could do with that song) and Deniece Williams on "You Can't Deny It" but doesn't ape them. She does it her way, with a hint of Brit reserve and a cool, never cold, aloofness. There's no chest thumping or sweating – Stansfield accomplishes what she has to with disarming ease. The way she reaches for the high notes ("What Did I Do to You?") and the way her voice slinks around the line "so-oo sad" in "All Around the World" show that this is someone who knows her roots – even if they aren't really hers.
Written by Stansfield and producers Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, Affection's thirteen songs intermingle sweet Philly soul swing, the elegant string sections of the Seventies and Barry White's better moments of lushness; driving percussive keyboard patterns bring the mix firmly up to date. More simply, the album is an ideal blend of clubland energy and the passion of soul music, a dance record you can listen to. Let others have their faceless Dreamgirls in hot-pink Lycra; Lisa Stansfield rocks the house – with class”.
I have a lot of love for Lisa Stansfield’s music, and I think that her debut is her finest album. It is so complete and confident, and none of the tracks on Affection sound dated or irrelevant. Even though it has been played a lot, All Around the World still sounds amazing; it is a classic for a reason. Some of the songs on Affection are slick and sexy, whereas others are a bit heavier and fuller. It is an album with so much variation and, whilst Stansfield does show her roots and influences clearly on some songs, Affection is an original album that has plenty of nuance and texture. Fabulously produced and defined by Lisa Stansfield’s incredible voice and personality, go and give Affection and a deeper spin. It is an amazing album, and one that boasts so many cracking tracks. Released on 20th November, 1989, Stansfield’s immense debut was…
A classy and amazing way to sign off the decade!