Unity is an album by the American band Big Mountain, released in 1994.[2][3]
| Unity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Reggae, pop | |||
| Label | Giant[1] | |||
| Big Mountain chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 174 on the Billboard 200.[4] "Sweet Sensual Love" was released as a single, peaking at No. 51 on the UK Singles Chart.[5][6] Unity sold more than a million copies.[7] The band supported the album by headlining Reggae Sunsplash in 1994 and 1995.[8]
Production edit
The songs were written by frontman Quino; many of the lyrics contain political themes and criticisms of U.S. governmental policy.[9] Quino sang in Spanish on some songs.[10] "Border Town" is about undocumented workers.[11] The cover of "Baby, I Love Your Way" first appeared on the soundtrack to Reality Bites.[12]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |    [13] |
| The Buffalo News | [14] |
| Calgary Herald | B[15] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [16] |
The Calgary Herald wrote that the band "is never less than soothing, often inspiring, and its lyrics of love (personal, spiritual, political) is a welcome respite from the below-the-belt toastin' so common today."[15] The Baltimore Sun praised the cover of "Baby, I Love Your Way" but determined that, "unfortunately, that sort of trick works only once an album, and anyone expecting more of the same from Unity will be sorely disappointed."[17] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution stated that Unity "offers Rastafarian vibes for summer beer decks everywhere."[13]
The Los Angeles Times noted that "the seed planted by Jamaican music and reggae culture is filtered through an American perspective."[18] The Los Angeles Daily News called the album "too pop oriented, too lightweight," writing that "it lacks the pathos that made Marley, at even his most chirpy, believable."[16] The Orange County Register concluded that "this group is extremely commercial; at its most hard-hitting, Big Mountain sounds like a more accessible Steel Pulse."[19]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Joaquin "Quino" McWhinney, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fruitful Days" (McWhinney, Brett Fovargue) | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Border Town" (McWhinney, Lance Rhodes) | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Upful & Right" | 3:24 |
| 4. | "Sweet Sensual Love" | 3:45 |
| 5. | "I Would Find a Way" (Dianne Warren) | 5:01 |
| 6. | "Tengo Ganas" (McWhinney, Rhodes) | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Baby, I Love Your Way" (Peter Frampton) | 4:25 |
| 8. | "Young Revolutionaries" | 3:47 |
| 9. | "Revolution" | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Time Has Come" (McWhinney, Lynn Copeland) | 3:39 |
| 11. | "Big Mountain" (McWhinney, Jerome Cruz) | 6:22 |
References edit
- ^ Bratt, L. Erik (June 22, 1994). "The big test lies ahead for Big Mountain". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. E7.
- ^ "Big Mountain Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Snadowsky, Leslie Tamar (Oct 1994). "Music reviews — Unity by Big Mountain". Seventeen. 53 (10): 130.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Top Pop Albums 1955–2001. Record Research Inc. p. 71.
- ^ "A swarm of new albums...". The Province. 26 June 1994. p. B7.
- ^ "BIG MOUNTAIN | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). MUZE. p. 528.
- ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music. Greenwood Press. pp. 29–30.
- ^ Barton, David (June 24, 1994). "BIG MOUNTAIN: REVOLUTIONARY REGGAE". The Sacramento Bee. p. TK18.
- ^ Beal, Jr., Jim (November 11, 1994). "Reggae in the U.S.A. – San Diego's Big Mountain due Friday". San Antonio Express-News. p. 12J.
- ^ "Album reviews — Unity by Big Mountain". Billboard. 106 (31): 50. Jul 30, 1994.
- ^ Bratt, L. Erik (August 4, 1994). "Big Mountain – HASN'T PEAKED YET". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 13.
- ^ a b Dollar, Steve (July 31, 1994). "SPIN CYCLE". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. N4.
- ^ Gaughan, Liz (August 12, 1994). "Big Mountain's promoters call their music...". The Buffalo News. p. G33.
- ^ a b Muretich, James (24 July 1994). "Big Mountain: Unity". Calgary Herald. p. B8.
- ^ a b Shuster, Fred (July 29, 1994). "Big Mountain/'Unity'". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L20.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (29 July 1994). "'Baby' remake is summit of Big Mountain album". Features. The Baltimore Sun. p. 5.
- ^ Snowden, Don (3 Aug 1994). "Big Mountain Mixes Optimism, Second-Generation Reggae". Los Angeles Times. p. F3.
- ^ Darling, Cary (July 29, 1994). "Poppy molehills spoil a Big Mountain effort". Orange County Register. p. P42.