Finley Quaye | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Finley Quaye emerged on the U.K. music scene in the mid-90s, delivering a unique amalgam of pop, trip-hop, soul, and jazz with his critically acclaimed 1997 debut, Maverick a Strike. His first appearance on record came in 1995, providing vocals for "Finleys Rainbow," a track from A Guy Called Geralds seminal breakbeat album Black Secret Technology. He recorded and co-produced Maverick a Strike, working in Sheffield with Kevin Bacon from the Comsat Angels. The album earned critical and commercial success worldwide, and also gained him a BRIT Award for Best Male Solo Artist. Quaye delivered two more LPs for Epic in 2000s Vanguard and 2004s Much More Than Much Love, the latter of which featured a collaborative single with Beth Orton and William Orbit called "Dice" that became a minor hit. Although it would be another eight years before he delivered a follow-up album, 2008 saw the release of both a new EP, Pound for Pound, and a greatest-hits package, The Best of the Epic Years. A release on the French label Sakifo titled 28th February Road arrived in 2012, followed two years later by a reggae LP called Royal Rasses, which saw Quaye working with Norman Grant of long-tenured Jamaican act the Twinkle Brothers. An album of demos, appropriately titled Demos, was released in the spring of 2016, followed in 2017 by a pair of digital-only concert recordings, Live in Geneva and Live in Jerusalem. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 6 Title: Maverick a Strike Released: 1997-11-04 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:18:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ultra Stimulation (03:52) 2 It’s Great When We’re Together (03:39) 3 Sunday Shining (03:41) 4 Even After All (03:56) 5 Ride on and Turn the People On (03:49) 6 The Way of the Explosive (04:44) 7 Your Love Gets Sweeter (03:12) 8 Supreme I Preme (04:59) 9 Sweet and Loving Man (03:23) 10 Red Rolled and Seen (04:08) 11 Falling (03:18) 12 I Need a Lover (04:05) 13 Maverick a Strike (04:59) 1 It’s Great When We’re Together (Fun Lovin’ Criminals remix) (03:45) 2 Sunday Best (03:31) 3 It’s Great When We’re Together (live) (03:50) 4 Even After All (live) (03:59) 5 Can’t Be Left Alone (07:32) 6 Morning Practise (04:08) |
| Maverick a Strike : Allmusic album Review : A fusion of his own light reggae singing, urban-contemporary production qualities, and mid-tempo trip-hop rambling, Finley Quayes debut album is an enjoyable effort. Particularly impressive is the range of Quayes voice, from a distinctive high tenor to barely audible whispering. In fact, the only problem with Maverick a Strike is the singers lack of emotion; even while his voice stretches out on the highlight, "I Need a Lover," it doesnt appear as though he cares much about the song. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 6 Title: Vanguard Released: 2000 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Broadcast (02:53) 2 Spiritualized (03:37) 3 The Emperor (03:25) 4 Burning (02:45) 5 Everybody Knows (04:06) 6 Feeling Blue (04:23) 7 When I Burn Off Into the Distance (02:53) 8 Chad Valley (03:25) 9 Calendar (02:59) 10 British Air Rage (03:03) 11 White Paper (04:38) 12 Hey Now (04:17) |
| Vanguard : Allmusic album Review : Vanguard, eh? Envision a penny dreadful being sung aloud inside a pub while Roni Size tries to squeeze drunken gospeltronica out of his sequencer banks. Preternaturally naïve, unintentionally hilarious, whatever -- unpredictability oozes into every beer in the room. So feel free to applaud -- amidst boy bands and Tim Buckley replicates, thats got to count for something. Finley Quaye rattles off a spliff-induced Iggy Pop tribute ("Spiritualized") just a few tracks before he shows off how he didnt learn the lesson Liam Gallagher taught everybody with "Little James" (true couplet: "Dont you take my, my liberty/Boys and their toys bring noise"). Class. Theres also something about a mongoose and Suzy in a Jacuzzi, but the less one thinks about that the better. Which is probably the best way to approach Vanguard: keep your distance, dont make eye contact, and nudge up the volume while you slowly back away. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 6 Title: Much More Than Much Love Released: 2003 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Something to Say (03:35) 2 Beautiful Nature (03:26) 3 Dice (04:15) 4 Waiting for You (04:15) 5 Lovers Return (02:47) 6 Face to Face (03:05) 7 Overriding Volunteer (04:30) 8 Living Without You (03:45) 9 Now and Forever (03:56) 10 This Is How I Feel (03:23) 11 Pearls of Wisdom (03:25) 12 Adorable (04:00) 13 Overcome (04:02) 14 Your Love Gets Sweeter (03:12) |
| Much More Than Much Love : Allmusic album Review : Finley Quaye, a marginal artist with an exceptional voice, might not ever be able to live down the fact that he titled one of his albums Vanguard. Much More Than Much Love wont help the matter. It shows all the signs of a valiant attempt to "bring real music with real soul and real honesty back" -- Memphis soul, delicately plucked country ballads, throwbacks to the cutout-bound adult alternative class of 1995, and nods to Quayes reggae roots all included -- and its safe and bland to the point of making an argument in the opposite direction. Quayes unique vocals, as have always been the case, remain the greatest draw. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 6 Title: The Best of the Epic Years Released: 2008 Tracks: 16 Duration: 59:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sunday Shining (03:41) 2 Its Great When Were Together (03:41) 3 Dice (04:17) 4 Your Love Gets Sweeter (Abbey Road version) (02:52) 5 Even After All (03:57) 6 Something to Say (03:37) 7 Ultra Stimulation (03:54) 8 Living Without You (03:46) 9 Spiritualized (03:37) 10 Maverick a Strike (05:00) 11 When I Burn Off Into the Distance (02:54) 12 This Is How I Feel (03:25) 13 White Paper (04:40) 14 Hey Now (04:17) 15 Sweet and Loving Man (03:24) 16 Burning (02:47) |
| The Best of the Epic Years : Allmusic album Review : This 2008 compilation from Sony/BMG collects 16 tracks from genre-bending British trip-hop artist/producer Finley Quayes seven-year tenure with Epic Records. Quayes heady blend of dub, reggae, rock, and trip-hop won him a sizable following on the strength of a handful of hits, some of which ("Sunday Shining" and "Even After All") appeared on his 1997 debut. Later singles like "Spiritualized," "Dice," and "This Is How I Feel" reflected his gradual shift into singer/songwriter/adult alternative rock territory. Fans looking to avoid picking up Quayes three full-length releases (which were arguably spotty) would do well with The Epic Years. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 6 Title: Pound for Pound Released: 2009-02-20 Tracks: 4 Duration: 13:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 For My Childrens Love (02:49) 2 Royal Rasses (03:49) 3 Street People (03:49) 4 I Need You (02:56) |
 | Album: 6 of 6 Title: 28th February Road Released: 2012-11-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 My Love (03:44) 2 Weight in Gold (03:53) 3 Shine (03:28) 4 Sure (04:33) 5 After the Fall (03:00) 6 With Your Love (03:55) 7 Point of Blue (04:46) 8 I Think About You (02:24) 9 Sharp (03:27) 10 Troubadour (03:25) 11 White Trash (04:23) 12 All I Ever Wanted (03:37) |