...If I Ever Fall in Love: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:11, 28 February 2012

Revision as of 23:48, 22 May 2012

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| Cover = Shai - ...If I Ever Fall in Love.jpg

| Released = December 22, 1992

| Recorded = 1991-19921991–92

| Genre = [[contemporary R&B|R&B]]

| Length = 49:00

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| rev4Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Muze"/>

}}

'''''...If I Ever Fall in Love''''' is the [[studio album|debut album]] byof American [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] group [[Shai (band)|Shai]], released December 22, 1992, on [[MCA Records]]. It was produced by group members Carl "Groove" Martin and Darnell VanRensalier.

The album produced three hit [[single (music)|single]]s, "[[If I Ever Fall in Love]]", "Comforter", and "Baby I'm Yours". On January 13, 1994, ''...If I Ever Fall in Love'' was certified [[RIAA certification|triple platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), for shipments of two million copies in the United States.<ref name="RIAA">[http://riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Shai&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25# RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America]. [[Recording Industry Association of America]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> Although it performed well commercially, the album received generally mixed reviews from most [[music criticism|music critic]]s.

== Reception ==

''[[Rolling Stone]]'' gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and complimented its "crisp, precise harmonies that imply explosive vocal power but display few pyrotechnics", adding that "Shai joins the spiritual yearnings of [[Take Six]] with the secular pull of [[Boyz II Men]]".<ref name="Muze">[http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1103600/a/...If+I+Ever+Fall+In+Love.htm Shai - ...If I Ever Fall In Love CD Album]. [[Muze]]. [[CD Universe]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> [[David Browne]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' found its [[hip hop music|hip hop]] and [[new jack swing]]-oriented songs "fussy [and] unconvincing", but praised the group's [[crooning]] and stated, "They wrap their voices like a thick shag carpet around the choruses of the album's languorous, starry-eyed ballads".<ref name="Browne">[[David Browne|Browne, David]] (January 29, 1993). [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,305397,00.html ...If I Ever Fall in Love Review | Music Reviews and News]. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref>

However, in his consumer guide for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', critic [[Robert Christgau]] gave the album a B- rating and named it "dud of the month",<ref name="Christgau">[[Robert Christgau|Christgau, Robert]] (April 6, 1993). [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv393-93.php Consumer Guide Apr. 6, 1993]. ''[[The Village Voice]]''. [[Village Voice Media]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought".<ref>Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/grades-90s.php CG 90s: Key to Icons]. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> Christgau found the group's singing "indifferent" and panned them as having "no class and no sense of humor; they're too smarmy and too slow", adding that "They epitomize the difference between seduction and betrayal--between shared lie and imposed illusion, rascal and bounder, rogue and complete asshole. There's not a winning wink on the entire album".<ref name="Christgau"/> In a retrospective review, [[Allmusic]] editor [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and stated, "Apart from the gorgeous title track, most of the material on ''...If I Ever Fall in Love'' is underdeveloped; although Shai sound terrific, their material doesn't match their vocal talents".<ref name="Erlewine">[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine|Erlewine, Stephen Thomas]] (August 1, 2003). [http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-i-ever-fall-in-love-r53378/review ...If I Ever Fall in Love - Shai: Review]. [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref>

== Track listing ==

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==Singles==

*If I Ever Fall In Love - November 10, 1992 <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Shai+If+I+Ever+Fall+in+Love]</ref>

*Comforter - January 19, 1993 <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000002PR6]</ref>

*Baby I'm Yours - May 11, 1993 <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000008KLS]</ref>

*Together Forever - November 2, 1993 <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000002PTM]</ref>

==Formats==

{{unreferenced section|date=May 2012}}

*Cassette&nbsp;– December 22, 1992, MCA

*Vinyl&nbsp;– December 29, 1992, MCA