All Saints Self-Titled (Big Papi) British Pop 1997

In the 1990's the Spice Girls were the No.1 female girl group. They dominated the charts all over the world for three years and became iconic superstars in the process. Naturally, you always get imitators who come along and try to repeat the success of the original and best - but never quite succeed. A British girl band called the All Saints nearly achieved this in 1998 with their self-titled debut album. The Spice Girls were compared to the Beatles in terms of worldwide appeal and a level of insane mania that hadn't been seen in decades. Then the All Saints came along to rival them, almost in a way that the Rolling Stones did for the Beatles. So these two girl groups were symbolic of two 'boy' groups that ruled the 1960's.

Bands like the Spice Girls and the All Saints are big reasons why the 1990's will always be my favourite decade for music. In England the All Saints released their debut album at the back end of 1997 and it went on to sell almost 2 million. Their debut single had just gone Top 5 and they were gearing up for the release of their second single which would go on to become one of the most popular break-up songs of the decade. They were seen as a cooler, more hip version of the Spice Girls. They were older, wiser, more mature, and their music had a certain artistry to it that the Spicies never possessed. Infact, in Britain, for a short while in early 1998 it seemed like a backlash against the Spicies was setting in whilst everyone favoured the All Saints...

The debut album from the All Saints opens with that infamous classic ballad "Never Ever." It opens the album in fine style, and clocks in at six and half minutes of pure vocal bliss. The song made it to No.1 after months on the chart and spent something like seven months in the Top 40, selling more than 1 million copies. Shaznay Lewis wrote the song and her true talent is revealed here. "Bootie Call" was the fourth single to released from the album and became the girls' third consecutive No.1 UK single. This is as raunchy as the girls ever got, and it quite indeed. Simmering beats bubble over the saucy lyrics and deep vocals to make a hot and sweaty R'n'B/pop hybrid classic. "I Know Where It's At" is where it all began. The debut single from the girls, this is a very catchy slice of pop perfection that made them a hit. "Under The Bridge" was the girls' third single and a cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' original. It's no way as good obviously, but I like the funky R'n'B edge that is brought to it. It was the third single to be taken from the album and went straight to No.1 - the video is bad though, gives me vertigo!

"Heaven" opens mysteriously before breaking it down with a hip bass. This is a mid-tempo number that doesn't quite get off the ground, but it's very mature and was very fresh at the time of its production. "Alone" begins off well with a stop-start beat and the chorus makes this even funkier. The beat is very catchy and the chorus is sung in a very stylish and cool way. "If You Want To Party (I Found Lovin')" is a song that follows a similar style to the girls' debut single with a great party vibe and cheesy pop synth! You hear people cheering in the back like it's in a club - very typical of the time it was made. "Trapped" and "Beg" are purely filled to keep the album afloat, but they are the real downers on an otherwise class album

"Lady Marmalade ('98 Remix)" is the second of two cover versions on this album and was released as a Double A-Side along with Under The Bridge in May 1998. Of course, the song went to No.1 as I said before. The girls make this version very poppy and funky - one to definitely get your groove on to. Having said that, the version that Christina Aguilera and co. did three years later is much better! "Take The Key" is another filler and rather disappointing, but is redeemed with the smashing and beautiful ballad "War Of Nerves." Shaznay claimed she wrote this song around the time of Princess Diana's death in August 1997. This was the fifth and final single to be taken from the album and made the Top 10 in the UK. I love the video and this is an overall great song to unwind to, and a fantastic closer to the album.

OVERALL GRADE: 7/10

The All Saints were a very photogenic girl group. Melanie Blatt was often considered the sexiest, whilst the sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton just stood there and look pretty. Because of this, Shaznay was often the least popular member of the group when in reality she was the driving force behind them! She wrote those awesome lyrics, and had the best voice. It was obvious that with inflated egos and a battle between talent that the girls would split up, and they did in early 2001 just a few months after the release of their sophomore album "Saints And Sinners." Their success was short lived as a group, but the All Saints will definitely be one of the most remembered bands of their generation.