Unity | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1994 | |||
Genre | Reggae, pop | |||
Label | Giant [1] | |||
Big Mountain chronology | ||||
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Unity is an album by the American band Big Mountain, released in 1994. [2] [3]
The album peaked at No. 174 on the Billboard 200. [4] "Sweet Sensual Love" was released as a single, peaking at No. 51 on the UK Singles Chart. [5] [6] Unity sold more than a million copies. [7] The band supported the album by headlining Reggae Sunsplash in 1994 and 1995. [8]
The songs were written by frontman Quino; many of the lyrics contain political themes and criticisms of U.S. governmental policy. [9] Quino sang in Spanish on some songs. [10] "Border Town" is about undocumented workers. [11] The cover of " Baby, I Love Your Way" first appeared on the soundtrack to Reality Bites. [12]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Buffalo News | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Calgary Herald | B [15] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Daily News | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Calgary Herald wrote that the band "is never less than soothing, often inspiring, and its lyrics of love (personal, spiritual, political) is a welcome respite from the below-the-belt toastin' so common today." [15] The Baltimore Sun praised the cover of " Baby, I Love Your Way" but determined that, "unfortunately, that sort of trick works only once an album, and anyone expecting more of the same from Unity will be sorely disappointed." [17] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution stated that Unity "offers Rastafarian vibes for summer beer decks everywhere." [13]
The Los Angeles Times noted that "the seed planted by Jamaican music and reggae culture is filtered through an American perspective." [18] The Los Angeles Daily News called the album "too pop oriented, too lightweight," writing that "it lacks the pathos that made Marley, at even his most chirpy, believable." [16] The Orange County Register concluded that "this group is extremely commercial; at its most hard-hitting, Big Mountain sounds like a more accessible Steel Pulse." [19]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Fruitful Days" | |
2. | "Border Town" | |
3. | "Upful & Right" | |
4. | "Sweet Sensual Love" | |
5. | "I Would Find a Way" | |
6. | "Tengo Ganas" | |
7. | " Baby, I Love Your Way" | |
8. | "Young Revolutionaries" | |
9. | "Revolution" | |
10. | "Time Has Come" | |
11. | "Big Mountain" |