Search - Eternal :: Always & Forever

Fantastic!

Pete Doherty | 07/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An amazing debut album from my favourite group. Eternal have really done well throughout the last 5 years, with 14 UK Top 15 hits, 12 of them making the top 10. This first album from them really started their career well. With 6 Top 15 singles included in the package, this album is really one record you will treasure forever. From the strong opener "Stay" to the short reprise "Amazing Grace" there really is something for everyone on this album of 14 tracks. My personal favourite, like so many other Eternal fans, is the groovy "Just A Step From Heaven", which was the girls' 3rd single in the UK, peaking at no.4 in April 1994; with it's wicked dance routine and catchy chorus, this song shows off the girls' talents to a very high degree, with Easther's vocals setting it off excellently. A truly perfect album from the UK's leading All-girl R & B group. And with the loss of another member, Kelle Bryan, Eternal have kept going, and Easther & Vernie are releasing their new single "Whatcha Gonna Do" in late 1999, which is taken from the long-awaited new album to follow up the massive success of "Before The Rain" and "Greatest Hits"."

ETERNAL "ALWAYS & FOREVER"

Pete Doherty | UK | 10/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the debut album from (the original line-up) Eternal, who were very successful during the 90's in the UK and in other parts of the world. Louise Redknapp left after this album, followed by Kéllé Bryan 3 albums later, which left sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett to continue Eternal as a duo (which still worked just as well when they were a quartet or a trio) for what would be Eternal's last album, simply titled "Eternal".



Other girl groups took over the charts in the 90's too, whether it was the Spice Girls, B*Witched, Destiny's Child or All Saints, now if you compare the material they released (I can only go by the singles from the others) it is the quality of Eternal's music that puts them above all the others and any other girl groups that have come and gone. Easther was the lead singer of Eternal on all 4 of their studio albums (as well as taking lead vocals on the 3 new songs on their "Greatest Hits" album) and although the others do get to sing lead vocals now and then, it was obvious why Easther was the lead singer, her voice is very powerful and has a number of different ranges, the others do a brilliant job with the harmonies.



The album includes 6 UK hit singles, "Stay" (their debut single) starts the album off, within 10 seconds you hear just how brilliant Easther's voice really is, "Crazy" sees all four members singing lead vocals, Louise takes the first verse, Vernie the 2nd, Kéllé sings the first chorus followed by Easther taking lead vocals on the rest of the song. "Save Our Love" is next, another uptempo song which was a top 10 hit in the UK, "Oh Baby I..." was the biggest ballad on the album which became one of Eternal's biggest ever hits, the other two singles were "Just A Step From Heaven" and "So Good" - the 2nd being written by Eternal. Other highlights on the album include uptempo songs like "I'll Be There," "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "This Love's For Real" - midtempo songs like "Sweet Funky Thing" and their cover of "Lets Stay Together" - there's another ballad on here called "Don't Say Goodbye" as well as Eternal's cover of "Amazing Grace" - an excellent album from (in my opinion) the UK's best ever girl group.



"

I love this album so so much.

Pete Doherty | 07/31/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a diamond classic. It is fantastic and so are the band"