Much Love

Shola's vocals on the tracks are brilliant but I would recommend you just buy the singles and not the album!


A timeless masterpiece   August 31, 2004
This is the first of Shola Ama's treasures, released in 1997. However, it's age is unrecognisable - it sounds like it could have been released only yesterday. Because - as with every release from Shola - the writing, production and performances are 100% perfect. This is an album that should have a place on every music lover's shelf.


An assured debut by British R'n'B hopeful   January 30, 2001
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Shola seemed to appear out of nowhere in '97 when she was thrust into the limelight with her debut single, a cover of Randy Crawford's smash 'You Might Need Somebody'. Her confident vocal performance wowed audiences and the single reached the upper realms of the UK chart and paved the way for this hit album.

A lot of hope was pinned on Shola to revitalise the flagging state of UK R'n'B at that time and in my opinion this album just about meets expectations. The smooth party jams You're The One I Love, We Got A Vibe and Summer Love are just as good as anything you'll find on the other side of the atlantic and I Can Show You and All Mine are simply classy. Only on the insipid ballad Who's Loving My Baby and lackluster Celebrate does this album border into the mundane.

On the whole this is a very classy sounding album with none of the current production tricks that you'll find on the latest TLC or Destiny's Child CD, just great singing put to quality material.


3 years on and still on of Britain's best R&B albums   July 21, 2000
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Released three years ago when British R&B was rarely found in the upper echelons of the charts, young British singer Shola Ama released her cover version of the Randy Crawford classic "You Might Need Somebody". After it's great perfomance in the singles chart, Ama released another Top3 single "You're The One I Love", and as a result this album stormed into the UK top 10.

3 years after it's initial release Ama's debut still holds up as one of the best British R&B albums by a female solo artist. From the lively "We Got a Vibe", to cool and calm finale "One Love", Ama's astonishing vocal performance lifts the album to the realms of greatness despite times where the quality of songwriting does not match her verve and drive.

Today, when compared to comtemporary female R&B stars, this album lacks the 'Timbaland' style production to be found on Rodney Jerkins produced artists such as Toni Braxton and Destiny's Child, and hence sounds dated - suprising given the album's age, which goes to show how times have changed in the world of R&B.

Part of the appeal of this album is the path Shola Ama carved for contemporary British R&B artists, without which it is debatable that artists such as Jamelia would be enjoying the levels of success they are today.