smile2k1's Full Review: Born to Do It by Craig David
I have been longing to write an epinion on this album for ages. After all, it’s been sitting in my CD rack (or more usually my CD player) for nearly a year! This is because I am lucky enough to be British, like Craig himself, and have had a headstart on his smooth grooves. USA, you have sorely missed out. You have given Britain enough artists to fill the Grand Canyon and now it’s time for us to return the favour. Its release date will be the day for you to remember.
By the way, if you haven’t heard his name much, you will have done by the end of the album. Be warned, almost every song opens and closes with a name-check! You’ll end up wondering which is bigger – his talent or his ego. Tricky one…
OK, so here’s the background info. Craig David is twenty years old, an R’n’B singer from the South of England and back home has been nominated for just about every musical award you care to mention. He blends the smoothness of Usher and the fun of Sisqo with the soul of R Kelly, and there’s a bit of garage thrown in for good measure.
The album was recorded when Craig was just eighteen years old. He has been described as a sickeningly talented infant prodigy. He’s also sickeningly good looking. If you’re a young guy with an inferiority complex, this album will probably make you commit suicide. If you are a young girl with an imagination, this album will probably … well, I’ll leave that up to your imagination!
So what was Craig born to do? From looking at his song lyrics I could make an educated guess. Dancing, romancing, lots of partying and erm … bedroom activities. He’s a bit of a ladies’ man. However, above all, he was born to sing. His voice is suave and sleek and incredibly versatile. It ranges from the high, melancholy notes of ‘Walking Away’ to the fast, rhythmic rap of ‘Last Night’. If he wanted to, Craig could make foot fungus sound dreamy and romantic. And he could win over any girl by serenading her with songs of toe cheese. Luckily, he has better things on his mind…
Although my CD only has twelve tracks, I’ve heard that the American version has fourteen, so maybe it was worth the year long wait. Here is my rundown on the better tracks in this showcase for Craig’s amazing vocal range:
The album opens with ‘Fill Me In’, the first single release and understandably so. It’s pure Craig David. If you’re a Craig virgin, then this makes a great introduction because it’s such a fresh sound and pretty typical of the rest of the album. Like a lot of the tracks, it tells a story – the story of a young girl and her overprotective parents, desperate for her to ‘fill me in’ on ‘why were you creeping round late last night? Why could I see two shadows moving in your bedroom light?’. Hmmmm, it’s pretty obvious! It’s a song with appeal for all groups of people, especially teenagers who know the situation well.
In ‘Can’t Be Messin’ Round’, ‘Time to Party’ and ‘Last Night’ Craig paces up the tempo. I challenge you to sing along because there’s a ten to one chance you won’t be able to keep up. Never mind, it’s good fun to try. The songs are packed with enjoyment and life in the fast lane.
‘Rendezvous’ ‘Once in a Lifetime’ and ‘You Know What’ give us a taste of some slower, mellow vibes. They are very daydream-ish, orchestrated tracks and so smooth you will either want to vomit or fall in love. If angels are men, they probably sound like Craig David in ‘Once in a Lifetime’. I did warn any guys with inferiority complexes not to listen!
7 Days – if he doesn’t release this as a single in the US then I don’t think much of his judgement. It’s a very catchy song and gives me the impression that he doesn’t wait around much – ‘I met this girl on Monday, took her for a drink on Tuesday, we were making love by Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday’. Nice to know he takes the occasional break from the ladies.
‘Walking Away’ is a highly soulful tune and one to stick on whenever the pressure of life is dragging you down. It’s one of the few tracks on the album that isn’t actually themed around lurrrrve, although it still sounds pretty sensual. At first, it was actually my personal favourite, but too much airplay in England has turned it a bit stale. Lucky you if it’s your first listen – you’ll probably love it, especially if you need to de-stress, which most of us do.
‘Rewind’ is two-step bliss. Whereas most of the album is ideal for dinner party DJs, ‘Rewind’ is one to dance to. Trying to work out what its lyrics mean may cost you many sleepless nights! What could rival the line ‘Re-e-e-e-e-e-wind, when the crowd say bo selecta’? As for its meaning – your guess is as good as mine.
His songs are jam packed with other peculiar lyrics. Here is a selection of some Craig classics:
‘We be kicking mad flava in yah ear’ – from ‘Time to Party’
‘www.cd.com, International Bomb’ – from Booty Man
‘My body all over your facciamo amore, damn sure’ – from Last Night…
I could go on. I also like the bit in ‘Can’t be Messing Round’, where he unashamedly rips off Sisqo and says ‘thong, th, thong, thong, thong’. It is best not to take the words too seriously because
1) they’re mad
2) do we really believe Craig is such a one woman man as he would have us believe?
Mind you, the lyrics are all part of the charm of his songs, so I can’t hold that as a criticism. In actual fact, finding a way to criticise this album is extremely difficult because it just oozes talent. I am not usually a huge fan of R’n’B, but believe me something sets this album apart. Craig himself seems too good to be true. Anyone who does not acknowledge his genius is probably jealous. This guy is the future of music. If you think I’m overstating it, you’d have to hear the album and I’d be surprised if you’re not surprised.
At age 18, the Southampton, England-based Craig David became the youngest British male ever to score a number 1 hit, when his debut solo single, Fill ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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