In this week’s “Cover Derby” we only have two contestants. Well, four I suppose. It’s a tag-team match! Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam featuring Full Force vs. Allure featuring 112. Which version of “All Cried Out” comes out on top?
Oldies first. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s debut album featured the instant classic “I Wonder If I Take You Home”, an early example of the hybridization of R&B, hip-hop and dance music that may not yet have been equaled and the club classic “Can You Feel the Beat”, but “All Cried Out” was the biggest hit of them all going top 10 Pop and R&B. Lisa Lisa wasn’t a spectacular vocalist, but she had personality galore which always gave her performances extra “oomph”. And here she milks her Latina charisma for all its worth. As for the contributions of Full Force, it’s competent singing but none of the personality of Lisa Lisa. You can see why she’s tired of their sorry act. Aside from the vocals, things in favor of 80s “All Cried Out” is actually the era of its recording. The track isn’t just vintage, it sounds vintage. This is a nice trait for a song detailing past heartache. The cherry on top is the oh-so 80s, power ballad guitar solo. The angst!
Oldies first. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s debut album featured the instant classic “I Wonder If I Take You Home”, an early example of the hybridization of R&B, hip-hop and dance music that may not yet have been equaled and the club classic “Can You Feel the Beat”, but “All Cried Out” was the biggest hit of them all going top 10 Pop and R&B. Lisa Lisa wasn’t a spectacular vocalist, but she had personality galore which always gave her performances extra “oomph”. And here she milks her Latina charisma for all its worth. As for the contributions of Full Force, it’s competent singing but none of the personality of Lisa Lisa. You can see why she’s tired of their sorry act. Aside from the vocals, things in favor of 80s “All Cried Out” is actually the era of its recording. The track isn’t just vintage, it sounds vintage. This is a nice trait for a song detailing past heartache. The cherry on top is the oh-so 80s, power ballad guitar solo. The angst!
Flash forwarding to the 90s, Allure was an extremely poor woman’s version of En Vogue. Their rendition of this classic produces no difference in arrangement, although, it being the 90s, everything is louder and more bombastic from the drum machine to the lead singer’s histrionics. Switching to over to 112, their contribution is generally better. Their lead singer, Slim, has always had a nice voice but his exuberant “oh ohs” and superfluous “woo” detract from an otherwise good performance. The backing vocals supplied by the rest of the group are the same hush-a-bye baby tripe that dominated 90s R&B. Their vocals are so soft and whispered I swear they’re trying to date rape me. A successful release, this version also went top 10 Pop (#4) and R&B (#8). It ain’t beatin’ Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, though.
Flawless victory for the Spanish Fly.
Flawless victory for the Spanish Fly.
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