CASTLE MUSIC

The Deele - Shoot em up

Released on 19 August 2002 this album by the Deele features LA legends Babyface and LA Reid. This albuim features 17 tracks from the 80's, including the hits and the top cuts from 3 albums between 1983 and 1987.

I've said this before on reviews from this particular series that the cuts that were upfront at the time sound so incredibly dated. You only have to listen to, for example, the intros to 'Body Talk' and 'Material Thangz' and you know exactly what is going to happen. Deele here are very much like time and there are some Prince influences that come through. (I still expect them to cry 'Kiss' in the middle of Can you dance!!) What is fascinating however is how much other stuff is on here hidden beneath the surface, mainly slower and extremely soulful, that is a delight to listen to now. Do we therefore have 'disco' or trend following bands that padded albums out with downbeat soul ballads, or do we have quality soul outfits looking for a 'buck' on the disco train, but still being allowed to put some better stuff down. Clearly here we have the beginnings of something that was going to be one of the biggest things in the music business.

Forget the disco, techno- pop as the band dubbed it at the time, unless you are a die hard of that particular electro beat, and try 'Shoot em up movies', which is a great soul ballad that made it top 10 R'n'B, and cut at a time near to the end of the life of Deele. Similarly, 'Two Occasions', penned by Babyface from the same album hit the pop charts, and is probably the pick of the album. 'Let no one separate us' and the haunting 'Dry your eyes' are also quality soul tunes. 'Just my luck' is the pick ballad from the first album.

Of the uptempo cuts probably 'I surrender' (which is less hard and electro) and Video Villian (which is electro synthesised and penned by the Calloway brothers, who were also responsible for taking the outfit to Solar) are the picks.