Was this really necessary?
Søren Jensen | Copenhagen, Denmark | 09/09/1999
(2 out of 5 stars)
"At first this album comes as a deep, deep disappointment to any Boney M. fan. The frontcover doesn't feature a group photo, not even their logo, and vocally it sounds more like a Reggie Tsiboe (new male member) / Frank Farian collaboration rather than a Boney M. album. Liz Mitchell is only featured on lead vocals on two songs - Marcia Barrett on non at all. Furthermore the whole album concept is really vile. But if you're able to abstract from this first disillusion, it is possible to enjoy some of the songs separately. The single "Young Free & Single" - although not sounding anything like Boney M. - is in fact quite catchy. "Todos Buenos" has some hit potential too but it lacks Farian's usually brilliant production. The title track may be the album's best song, a duet between Farian's deep male voice and high falsetto voice. Although Boney M. has done some quite surprising cover versions (that worked!), "Dreadlock Holiday" does without question not fit on a Boney M. album but it's not that bad when you imagine it as a Reggie Tsiboe solo track. Nevertheless it's strange how such a wonderful track like their 12" version of "My Cherie Amour" comes off so uninteresting in this edit version, and it's downright painful to listen to the inane closing track "Bang Bang Lulu", yet another Caribbean traditional but not at all so charming as "Brown Girl In The Ring". Only "Chica Da Silva" has Boney M.'s name written all over it, even so the album were better left unreleased."
Give It Up
Marnix ten Brinke | Doetinchem, The Netherlands | 02/04/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"By 1985 Boney M. was no longer a commercial succes on continental Europe. Whilst their previous album (Ten Thousand Lightyears) was the groups best album, this is one of their worst. The leadsinger of the group, Liz Mitchell, almost doesn't appear on this album at all. The typical Boney M. sound was gone and a year later the group itself was gone as well.Young, Free And Single is perhaps the best song on the album. It has a nice chorus, with nice happy lyrics.
Todos Buenos has a great chorus, but the rest of the song is just awful. It's a shame really how they destroyed this song, it could have been so much better.
Give It Up is just filler material, this whole album actually sounds like filler material.
Sample City is an okay song, but it indeed sounds like a sample, like a demo recording.
My Cherie Amour is a dreadful cover of the Stevie Wonder song. They just don't do it justice. They should have left this song alone.
Eye Dance is plain awful. I can't understand that they choose this as the title track.
Got Cha Loco is again just filler material. It sounds quite nice, but it just isn't convincing.
Dreadlock Holiday is okay. Of course the 10CC version is million times better, but this is an okay attempt.
Chica Da Silva is the only song on this album that has Liz Mitchell on lead vocals. It brings back the old Boney M. feeling a bit, but the song is too long and boring. It sounds like a rip-off of many Boney M. songs.
Bang Bang Lulu is so stupid that it actually sounds funny. This song tries too hard to be another Brown Girl In The Ring. The lyrics are so abysmal. A terrible closing song for a very disappointing album.After another commercial failure Boney M. split up in 1986. The original group never made a new album together after this one. Although several different "versions" of the group with at least one original member in them are touring around the world. Those new groups, however never create the magic that Boney M. had during their most popular period."
Sounds like it was recorded this year, not 14 years ago...
Marnix ten Brinke | 06/24/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Thanks Amazon - great to finally get hold of this album! Young Free and Single sounds very modern, the whole album is timeless. A fitting farewell for one of the greatest groups of this century. Fans; add this album to your Boney M Collection."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1