Happy 30th Anniversary to Lisa Stansfield’s second studio album Real Love, originally released November 11, 1991.
I have never truly understood the concept of the “curse of the sophomore album.” Not so much because such a curse isn’t likely to exist, but more because of the idea that maybe the artist in question isn’t looking to replicate their debut. Delivering a “follow-up” anything is always going to be met with criticism, constructive or not.
Riding high on the phenomenal success of her debut global smash Affection (1989), all eyes were firmly on Lisa Stansfield to replicate the album’s success, if not achieve even more. Continuing with the Northern Soul sound that surrounded the singer’s childhood, Stansfield returned with her follow-up album Real Love nearly two years to the day. A slightly more mature sound and essentially a collection of breathtakingly beautiful and varied love songs, all cowritten by Stansfield and long-time collaborators and former Blue Zone band members, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris.
One of the first things that stands out about this album is its impeccable production. Released in 1991 and celebrating thirty rotations around the sun, the sound is still as fresh as it was then. Leading the singles charge is the soulful homage to an undying love, “Change.” From the breathy opening to the playful beats—to say nothing of the stunning visuals of Lisbon and Cascais in the music video—“Change” continued Stansfield’s pop dominance with an inevitable healthy dose of soul. Without a doubt, the song exemplifies the fact that Stansfield’s voice is instantly recognizable and put to superb use across the entirety of the album.
Real Love slows things right down and demonstrates that whilst the pop stratosphere can most definitely belong to Stansfield whenever she commands, her moment to shine is when things are somewhat stripped back, allowing her vocality to be put on full display. That vocality is used extensively on this album, with one of its finest moments surfacing on “All Woman.”
“All Woman” is without a doubt the most affecting song on this album. As Stansfield gently delivers each word with a kind of emotional depth usually reserved for the darkest of hollows, an immense amount of light is still able to shine through. A cry for help in a relationship that neither party knows how to resolve, it’s impossible to think that Stansfield didn’t write this from experience. A raw and spectacular moment that centers Real Love into so much more than the credit it has been afforded.
The original release of Real Love houses 13 tracks (with reissues of the album in 2003 and 2014 adding extra tracks and remixes) and a total of five official singles emerged, including the two aforementioned tracks. The album’s namesake and second track is a solid indicator of the overall vibe of the album, with clear inspiration derived from ‘70s pop, along with thick lashings of soul and disco undertones in equal parts. Other tracks like “Set Your Loving Free,” “I Will Be Waiting” and the delicious “Symptoms of Loneliness & Heartache” only cement this further.
On repeat listens, even after all these years, it’s very hard to fault this album. There are so many moments on this album that deserve to shine, too many in fact. From the exuberant and uplifting “First Joy” to the melancholic essence of “Tenderly,” Real Love is one of those albums that everyone should turn to when love hits or misses.
In hindsight, it’s easy to now see that Stansfield was destined to continue her foray into even deeper territory where soul music is concerned, culminating in the duet with Barry White on both his classic hit “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” and a reimagined version of Stansfield’s “All Around the World” shortly after this album’s release.
Real Love was Stansfield’s moment to show just how soulful her music and lyrics could be. She delivered on every account and whilst the commercial success of this LP may not have matched that of Affection, there is no denying that this album has been severely underrated by some critics. There is a sincerity and maturity here that belies the then twenty-five old Stansfield, qualities that all added to the beauty and organic feel of one of the best albums to arrive during the ‘90s.
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