Few artists have explored the possibilities of pop-reggae fusion as successfully as Maxi Priest, who is enormously popular in his native Britain and has achieved a level of stateside success that other reggae artists (with the exception of UB40) can only wish for. His smooth voice and his comfort with soul and hip-hop have only increased his marketability; purists may scoff, but there's no denying his talent. CombiNation finds him working in an explicitly soul-influenced style -- "What a Woman Needs" and "Wasn't Meant to Be" are seductive smooth groove ballads that have no noticeable connection to any reggae tradition -- with frequent detours into muscular hip-hop and dancehall grooves. "Mary's Got a Baby" is a monstrously funky collaboration with Beenie Man (a stripped-down remix ends the album); "Tell Your Man to Take a Walk" takes a similar approach, this time in partnership with the DJ Red Rat. Slow love songs predominate, although they don't provide most of the album's highlights. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
Sly Dunbar (Mixing), Danny Browne (Vocals (Background)), Phillip Smart (Engineer), Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law (Mixing), Livingstone Brown (Programming), Wayne Hector (Vocals (Background)), Jason Stasium (Assistant Engineer), Gary Barnacle (Saxophone), Robert Livingston (Mixing), Robert Livingston (Producer), Maxi Priest (Vocals (Background)), Ed Baden-Powell (String Arrangements), Debbie Ffrench (Vocals (Background)), Gadget (Keyboards), Glamma Kid (Performer), Gordon Dukes (Engineer), Paul Emmanuel (Mixing), Hideo Oida (Photography), Ron A. Schafer (Mixing), Rory Baker (Engineer), Lee Hamblin (Producer), Gadget (Rhythm Arrangements), Winston Rollins (Trombone), Lee Hamblin (Mixing), Joe Thomas (Vocals (Background)), Richard Browne (Mixing), Livingstone Brown (Producer), Nicky Brown (Programming), Danny Browne (Bass), Fiona McCapra (Violin), Wondress Hutchinson (Vocals (Background)), Simon Gogerly (Mixing), Gordon Dukes (Mixing), Trevor Skatta Bonnick (Vocals (Background)), Earl Cohen (Mixing), D'Influence (Remixing), Kevin Stone (Engineer), Daniel Maunick (Drum Programming), Joe Thomas (Producer), Lee Hamblin (Multi Instruments), Lamya Al-Mughiery (Vocals (Background)), Paul Robinson (Vocals (Background)), Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis (Guitar), Kevin Robinson (Trumpet), Mark Anthoni (Vocals (Background)), Simon Cotsworth (Mixing), Lain Gray (Vocals (Background)), Robert Livingston (Vocal Arrangement), Robert Zapata (?), Livingstone Brown (Arranger), Robbie Shakespeare (Producer), Toby Ludwig (Executive Producer), Christopher Birch (?), Robbie Shakespeare (Mixing), Livingstone Brown (Guitar), Bill Harris (?), Maxi Priest (Vocal Arrangement), Don Harris (?), Stephen Hussey (Violin), Pharrell Williams (Multi Instruments), D'Influence (Mixing), Simon Cotsworth (Producer), Sly Dunbar (Drums), D'Influence (Producer), Crissy D (Vocals (Background)), Samantha Smith (Vocals (Background)), Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick (Mixing), Heather Cummings (Vocals (Background)), Chris Taggart (Drums), Chad Hugo (Multi Instruments), Robbie Shakespeare (Bass), Jim Janik (Engineer), Dalton Browne (Vocals (Background)), Smiley Culture (Executive Producer), Sly Dunbar (Producer), Delouie Avant (Vocals (Background)), Danny Browne (Multi Instruments), Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick (Producer), Maxi Priest (Executive Producer), General Degree (Performer), Ash Howes (Mixing), Ryan Elliott (Rap), Maxi Priest (Vocals), Danny Browne (Engineer), Gary Sanctuary (Programming), Joe Thomas (Multi Instruments), Danny Browne (Drums), Nicky Brown (Vocal Arrangement), Danny Browne (Synthesizer), Nicky Brown (Piano), Hazel Fernandez (Vocals (Background)), Romeo Williams (Guitar (Bass)), Danny Browne (Mixing), Simon Cotsworth (Engineer), Paul Lee (Vocals (Background)), Maxi Priest (Producer), Gemma Corfield (Executive Producer), Kent Bryan (?), Gordon Dukes (Vocal Arrangement), Maysa (Vocals (Background)), Beenie Man (Performer), Ash Howes (Engineer), Hugh Palmer (Mixing), Gary Sanctuary (Keyboards), Paul Robinson (Arranger), Maxi Priest (Arranger), Dan Hirsch (Mastering), Chris DeMargary (Saxophone), Patrick Viala (Engineer), Danny Browne (Producer), Gadget (Associate Producer), Gordon Dukes (Vocals (Background)), Gary Benson (Producer), Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law (Producer), John Thirkell (Trumpet), Red Rat (Performer), Simon Cotsworth (Drum Programming), Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law (Multi Instruments), Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick (Guitar), Simon Fischer (Violin), L. Yendole (Viola), Gordon Chambers (Vocals (Background)), The Neptunes (Remixing), Gordon Chambers (Vocal Arrangement), Jason Sterling (Engineer), LaJuan Carter (Vocals (Background))
