What is Soul II Soul
Um, yeah, well we're a sound system...
Way back in the early 90's, a production team came out of England called Soul II Soul that created a whole new sound that became a prevailing one in the years that followed. The combination of great backbeats and melodies, combined with sweet lyrics and equally tasty vocals by singer Caron Wheeler, made them an act to be reckoned with. In the end, Soul II Soul made only two albums, but each and every track from those two records still gets plays off my iPod.
My favorite song from Soul II Soul is this one, Back to Life. It not only fits my situation today, as I return to work after a great summer, but it is probably in the top ten of my all time favorite songs. You probably know it from the radio version, which I've placed below this original album cut here, which is done in acapella. The harmonizing in this version is splendid, but the best part comes around at about the 2:44 mark, when everything crescendoes into an absolutely chill-inducing drum outro. On the album, the song blends into the set's final cut, Jazzie's Groove, which is equally stunning. I wish there were a video for the two tracks together, but alas there is not. I guess you'll just have to buy the whole album to find out. In the meantime, here's Back to Life...
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