Born to Do It [UK]

• Artist: Craig David
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

In his 2000 debut album, Craig David merges smooth-soul crooning with a cascade of glistening keyboards, circling guitars, and sophisticated rhythms. Displaying a healthy marriage of R&B vocal stylings and U.K. club/dance fused beats, David's music skillfully evades feeling robotic and cold, while still sounding pristine and immaculate. As an artist who is in his late teens, he conjures up a personal and revealing work that delves into both his mature sound and youthful attitude. Co-writing and co-producing with Mark Hill of the British garage act Artful Dodger, David wraps his scorching-cool vocals around a mellow attack of keyboards and drums, while distinctly focusing on romance, relationships, and clubbing. Guitars simmer on "7 Days," a day by day account of an adventurous first week with a woman he magically encounters while in a subway. In "Can't Be Messing 'Round," the performer's razor sharp vocals heat-seek while a keyboard hammers before being covered by a high-sounding whirlpool of strings. With the dance anthem "Time to Party," drums sting and a whispering guitar is faintly heard while he optimistically sings "Friday, payday/Ready to do the things we love." The lyrics do sometimes sound underdeveloped due to David's age, and the music can occasionally lack distinctiveness, yet those two factors do not hinder the celebratory power of Born to Do It. The album features an effortless presentation of limber and carefully articulated vocal talents by the singer that seamlessly glide through the polished collage of songs. ~ Stephen Mercier, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Fill Me In	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David	(4:17)
Can't Be Messing 'Round	Craig David	Craig David	(3:54)
Rendezvous	Mark Hill, Craig David	Mark Hill, Craig David	(4:37)
7 Days	Mark Hill, Craig David, D. Hill	Mark Hill, Craig David	(3:55)
Follow Me	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David	(4:01)
Last Night	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David, F Zagaroli	(4:31)
Walking Away	Craig David, M. Rosena Hill	Craig David	(3:24)
Time to Party	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David, Full Crew	(4:05)
Booty Man	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David	(3:48)
Once in a Lifetime	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David	(3:30)
You Know What	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David	(3:34)
Rewind	Mark Hill, Craig David	Craig David	(5:33)

Credits

Steve Fitzmaurice (Mixing), Andy Ward (Mixing Engineer), Dick Beetham (Mastering), Mark Hill (Vocals), Mark Hill (Vocals (Background)), Mark Hill (Producer), Mark Hill (Mixing), Craig David (Vocals), Craig David (Producer), Craig David (Main Performer), Pete Moss (Photography), Full Crew (Performer), Goetz (Mixing Engineer), F Zagaroli (Vocals)