Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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After nearly a full decade in the music industry, singer and actor Lisa Stansfield reached the mainstream as the featured vocalist and co-songwriter on Coldcut's 1989 single "People Hold On," a number 11 pop hit in the U.K. and a number six hit on the U.S. club chart. Later that year, the solo single "All Around the World" gave Stansfield a tremendous boost by reaching number one in several countries, as well as in the U.K. From that point, throughout her distinguished – if sporadic – recording career, she was known for sophisticated, soul-inspired releases that appealed to a broad audience. She was the most convincing white R&B singer since Teena Marie.

Born in Manchester, England, in 1966, Stansfield grew up listening to soul music. In 1980, she won Search for a Star, a singing competition, and released her first single, "Your Alibis" – a dramatic ballad seemingly made for a film – on the Devil label in 1981. Stansfield sounded significantly older than her age. Subsequently signed to Polydor, she was pushed toward slick new wave pop for a handful of singles released during 1982 and 1983. None of them charted. Longer strides were made with Blue Zone, a short-term group formed with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris. Their biggest hit, a mature dance-pop single titled "Jackie," reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.

Stansfield's most momentous year was 1989, when she co-wrote and fronted Coldcut's "People Hold On." Arista signed her as a solo artist, though she continued to record with Devaney and Morris, who co-wrote and produced the majority of her debut album, Affection, released in the U.K. that November (and in the U.S. the following February). "All Around the World," a platinum seller in the U.S. and a gold release in several other territories, was its biggest hit by far, but the Coldcut-produced "This Is the Right Time," along with "Live Together" and the number one U.S. R&B hit "You Can't Deny It," were also successful. Stansfield was nominated for Grammy awards in the categories of Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.

Stansfield continued to work with Devaney and Morris on Real Love (November 1991) and So Natural (November 1993), both of which reached the Top Ten in the U.K. The latter album, heavier on ballads with less dance-oriented material, wasn't released in the U.S. Stansfield made several appearances on soundtracks and compilations prior to the more widely distributed Lisa Stansfield (March 1997), which featured covers of Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" and Phyllis Hyman's "You Know How to Love Me." The album was produced by Devaney and Peter Mokran and did not involve Morris.

In 1999, Stansfield made her film debut in Swing, for which she recorded ten songs – produced by Devaney – that were included on the soundtrack. After Face Up (June 2001), which barely cracked the U.K. Top 40 and completed her contractual obligation to Arista, she signed with Trevor Horn's ZTT label and worked with the producer on The Moment (September 2004), a set that did not fare well in the U.K. but went gold in Germany. Acting in a wide variety of television series and films, including Monkey Trousers, Gold Plated, Agatha Christie's Marple, The Edge of Love, and Northern Soul, kept Stansfield away from recording studios, but she returned in October 2013 with Seven.

Biography by Ron Wynn, Allmusic.com

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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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."

Review by Alex Henderson, Allmusic.com

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Expectations ran incredibly high when the time came for Lisa Stansfield to deliver a second album, but unfortunately, she didn't escape the infamous sophomore slump. Real Love, although far from a bad album, clearly falls short of Affection's unmitigated excellence. Nonetheless, there are some definite gems here – including the poigant and heartbreaking ballad "All Woman," the spunky "Soul Deep," and the sleek "Set Your Loving Free." While most of Real Love is at least decent and is far superior to most '90s R&B, Stansfield is a major talent who – as the outstanding Affection quite clearly demonstrated – can do much better than "merely" good.

Review by Alex Henderson, Allmusic.com

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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After achieving minor success as the lead singer of the U.K. trio Blue Zone and providing vocals for Coldcut's dancefloor classic "People Hold On," Lisa Stansfield established herself as a solo artist with her immensely successful 1989 debut album Affection. The combination of lush, Barry White-influenced arrangements and Stansfield's soulful voice proved wildly popular, and Stansfield became one of the hottest new international artists of the late '80s. Unfortunately, Stansfield's popularity slipped a bit with the follow-up, 1991's Real Love, but the album was still a respectable seller. So Natural, from 1993, failed to reestablish Stansfield as a major commercial force, but since the album was never released in the U.S., it's easy to understand why. Though So Natural pales in comparison to Affection and even Real Love, it certainly isn't bad, and the lack of an American release remains a mystery.

Stansfield almost abandons the R&B-flavored dance-pop of her debut with So Natural. The album is definitely consistent, but the ballad-heavy approach wears thin. So Natural also lacks a surefire hit single, like Affection's "All Around the World" and "This Is the Right Time" or Real Love's "Change." But So Natural still offers many pleasant moments. The steamy ballads "Never Set Me Free" and "Be Mine" rank with Stansfield's best work, and the album does offer a couple of sunny, up-tempo numbers with "Too Much Love Makin'" and "Marvelous and Mine." So Natural does flow along quite nicely – the only real clunker here is the bland, dated-sounding synth pop throwback "Little Bit of Heaven" – but the album fails to deliver the memorable hooks of her biggest hits. Still, So Natural could have easily found an American audience, considering the success of her previous work. So Natural is only available in America as an import release. The album is certainly a worthy find for Lisa Stansfield fans willing to search the import bins. The casual fan, however, is better off with the considerably easier to find Affection or her 1997 American comeback effort, simply titled Lisa Stansfield.

Review by William Cooper, Allmusic.com

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Face Up is Lisa Stansfield's first offering for the new millennium, and on this disc she treads similar waters as on previous albums, except for a few more adventurous outings. The album's first single, "Let's Just Call It Love," incorporates the British garage 2step beats introduced to Americans and popularized earlier in 2001 by fellow Brit Craig David, and makes for an unusual but interesting leadoff single. The album's opener, "I've Got Something Better," is classic, funky Lisa Stansfield at her best, and the song gets more and more fun with each repeated listening. Other standouts include the Burt Bacharach-ish show-stopping ballad "How Could You?," the pleading "Don't Leave Now I'm in Love," and the set's most obvious hit, the breezy, disco-laced anthem "8-3-1." The title track is the album's requisite Barry White tribute, and the album's irresistibly funky closer, "All Over Me," is this set's answer to her previous album's "The Line." This disc does have its share of filler, including the Destiny's Child-sounding "Boyfriend," which is quite immature for a sophisticated gal like Lisa, and the silly ditty "Candy." Stansfield's pipes get quite gritty on the ballad "Didn't I," and "Wish on Me" is as sensitive and acoustic as the "Rochdale Queen" gets. Once again, this reliable singer, without straying too far from her signature formula, delivers a high-quality set, despite the presence of a few dull moments.

Review by Jose F. Promis, Allmusic.com

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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Lisa Stansfield - Albums Collection 1989-2001 (4CD) [Japanese Releases]

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