Time for another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we raid our cassingle collection in search of a lost gem.
Artist: Neneh Cherry
Song: Homebrew, 1992
What happened: After the success of 1989′s Raw Like Sushi, Cherry took her time crafting a follow-up, and by the time she came back with Homebrew, dance-happy pop fans were too busy with Sir Mix-A-Lot and TLC to notice.
Why it should have been a hit: Even though there’s nothing here to compete with the mighty “Buffalo Stance,” the guest-heavy Homebrew (which featured cameos from Michael Stipe and Gangstarr’s Guru) didn’t deserve to nosedive so quickly: “Move With Me” is a dreamy slow jam, while “Money Love”
would have been a hit for Rhythm Nation-era Janet Jackson.
Neneh Cherry – Money Love [MP3, link expired]
Neneh Cherry – Move With Me [MP3, link expired]
The public can accept a lot of things, but not a long Lyme disease-induced absence. Or perhaps it was the sins of the Eagle Eye being visited upon the sister.
Oh, WORD! This whole album is brilliant and definitely makes my “most underrated of the ’90s” list.
Totally dating myself here, but: I reviewed this for my college paper in 1992. The review is too dated and embarrassing to share in full, but I did decide back then that Homebrew was rap’s answer to Carole King’s Tapestry, and I still think I’d stand by that.
As long as you’re posting links, I’d also pimp for “Buddy X” (a modest pop-radio hit, and the only one; “Money Love” fizzled on the charts) and “Somedays,” which is the closest I’ve ever heard a hip-hop act come to the Carpenters’ “Rainy Days and Mondays.” (I know: Karen Carpenter, Carole King – I can’t make up my mind!)
I guess it was third album that was pretty difficult to track down in the pre-Napster days. A friend had me pick it up for him on a trip to London cause he couldn’t find it in NYC. Honestly I never listened to it, though I trust his taste in music. Hearing this makes me want to seek it out.
Seriously??! I got a face going that looks like I took a dive into some overdue mustard. But it may just be me. The beats are solid, but her singing reminds me of Dream Theatre, where it just doesn’t sound right over the music. Not off-key, but something else.
She does have a quality afro tho.
i wasn’t living in the states at the time but i also thought “buddy x” was a minor hit, with a seemingly made-for-MTV video: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD1zwIunBuU. is that a young adrien brody?!
It’s way past time this album got the respect it deserves. Yeah, it was out there for the time, and sunk like a rock, but I think it still holds up today.