Jermaine Stewart - The Word is Out
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CD Details
Artist: Jermaine StewartEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
Music Label: Bmg Music
Music reviews of The Word is Out
Music Review: A Good Place to Start: Only Gets Better From Here
Rating: 4 Stars
"The Word Is Out" was released in 1984 and the lead-off single, with its thunderous opening and Jermaine's looped, layered vocals was a local Top 5 hit and a big Dance Club hit. I am not sure if it was intentional, but the mix of this song always felt a little "muddy" to me, but since this CD offers no improvement, I suppose this is the sound the producers were aiming for. The song still sounds great over 25 years later, and is definitely the best thing about this album.
The slightly faster "I Like It" was released as a 12" single in order to gain popularity in clubs, but this one has odd phrasing and is a little bland. Jermaine sounds quite spunky at the start of each chorus and it has appealing strings and keyboards during the instrumental break.
Another fast number is "In Love Again", on which the intro is a little like MJ's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with that "salt-shaker" effect.
The synth-heavy "Spies" sounds similiar to "In Love Again" except it has a James-Bond-ish interlude and machine-gun and helicopter sound effects. It's a very '80s-sounding track.
"Reasons Why" is a slower '80s power-pop ballad that is one of the better offerings here. It climaxes with an a capella finish that is quite memorable and effective.
"Get Over It" was also released as a 12" single for the clubs. It has a slowly simmering intro that breaks into a faster chorus. A searing electric guitar tears this song up mid-way. Strings, keyboards and synths all come together to finish it off memorably.
The unusual, calypso-flavoured "You" is a cute, foot-tapping number with a twangy guitar break. It also possesses these odd, distorted, industrial-sounding musical "tics" throughout. This is another of the better songs because of all these weird little touches.
The reggae feel carries over into the beginning of "Month of Mondays". This is another strange cut because it really doesn't possess a steady beat more than it has this strange calypso percussion holding it all together.
The rousing "Debbie" has a real doo-wop feel to it, like the 80s meet Ricky Nelson or Bobby Vee. The organ, saxophone and guitar all blend perfectly. There is an unusual echo effect on Jermaine's vocals here.
Some fans think that the closer "Brilliance" is the best song Jermaine ever recorded and I am starting to see why. On paper, this song probably sounds like a hodgepodge but everything strangely works. A reverberating, industrial-sounding opening gives way to a gorgeous piano ballad with Jermaine's soaring falsetto. A Giorgio Moroder influence appears about half-way in before the industrial noises reappear and bring us to a fake-out ending.
It's great that "Brilliance" appears last because Jermaine was smart enough to open and close this album with two of the best songs.
Unlike many arists in the producer-driven dance genre, Jermaine actually penned all these songs and must be given credit for that.
Jermaine totally knocked it out of the park on his next album "Frantic Romantic"; but get this one as a warm to the perfection of that LP. I like this one much better now than I did back in the '80s. This is an above-average debut that manages to surprise you. Just when you think it's going to be your typical mid-80s sounding LP with drum machines and synths, it takes a few interesting twists and turns.
This album is very hard to find on CD but well worth the search.
RIP, Jermaine - you were taken way too soon.
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Description of The Word is Out
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