| Fe Real | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Label | Charisma [1] | |||
| Maxi Priest chronology | ||||
| ||||
Fe Real, stylized as fe Real, is the fifth studio album by the English musician Maxi Priest, released in 1992. [2] [3] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Reggae Album". [4] The title character of Terry McMillan's novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back listens to the album while on vacation in Jamaica. [5]
The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart, [6] at No. 130 on the Australian ARIA Chart, [7] and at No. 191 on the Billboard 200. [8]
The album was recorded in Jamaica, England, and the United States. [9] Many producers worked on the album, including Sly Dunbar. [10] [11] Junior Giscombe toasted on "Make My Day". [12]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | |
The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote: "Built on a subtle foundation of reggae dance-hall riddems, Priest rides the Caribbean groove and never allows it to become monotonous—rare for the genre." [16] Rolling Stone considered "Hard to Get" "the best of the reggae-tinged tracks." [17] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the "infectious mix of reggae and R&B arrangements." [18]
Three singles were released from the album. The first single was "Groovin' in the Midnight", [9] which reached number 50 in the UK Singles Chart [6] and number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [19] The second single from the album was "Just Wanna Know", released as a double A-side with the song "fe Real", which features British singer-songwriter Apache Indian. Despite sharing the same title, "fe Real" wasn't included on Priest's album of the same name, but is included on Apache Indian's debut album, No Reservations . The double A-sided single reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart. [6] "One More Chance" was the third single released from the album, reaching number 40 in the UK. [6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Turn Away" |
| 5:02 |
| 2. | "Promises" |
| 4:02 |
| 3. | "Just Wanna Know (U.K. Mix)" |
| 3:50 |
| 4. | "Groovin' in the Midnight" |
| 4:58 |
| 5. | "Make My Day" |
| 4:54 |
| 6. | "Ten to Midnight" |
| 4:24 |
| 7. | "One More Chance" |
| 5:25 |
| 8. | "Sublime" |
| 5:35 |
| 9. | "Amazed Are We" |
| 4:47 |
| 10. | "Hard to Get" |
| 6:20 |