Natural Thing (Juliet Roberts album)
| Natural Thing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Reprise Records | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Juliet Roberts chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Billboard | (favorable)[2] |
| Knoxville News Sentinel | [3] |
| Music Week | [4] |
| The Observer | (favorable)[5] |
| Select |   [6] |
Natural Thing is the debut album by British jazz, rock, soul and house music singer Juliet Roberts, released by Reprise Records in 1994. The album was produced by her with Dancin' Danny D. and features her two successful hit singles "Caught in the Middle" and "I Want You". It peaked at No. 65 on the UK Official Charts.
Critical reception
[edit]In a positive review of the album, Billboard magazine wrote, "This ex-Working Week front woman has the enviable ability to alter the tone of her voice to suit the style of material she tackles. As a result, her first solo outing is a veritable smorgasbord of musical flavors ranging from diva-driven disco and haughty funk to sultry jazz and soul. Aided mostly by producer Danny D., Roberts' songwriting is equally chameleon-like. 'I Want You', a recent club smash that has begun to stride up the Hot 100, is awash in playful, tongue-twisting wordplay, while 'Eyes of a Child' is poetic and pensive. It adds up to an album that is armed with multiformat potential."[2]
Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel praised "the uplifting single 'I Want You', a joyous dance number with a great hook. Ditto the happy, showy 'Free Love'. The spunky title track is almost as catchy."[3] Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "Albums by female soloists have never been so popular and Juliet Roberts has already proved her mettle by pulling a trio of Top 40 hits off this, her debut album, even before it is released. And it's an album to savour, giving Roberts ample opportunity to prove that while she has a great voice for dance music, she's equally at home in more mellow mood. Destined to spin off further hits, and likely to sell well for some time to come."[4]
Track listing
[edit]- "I Want You" (7" Edit) – 4:04
- "Caught in the Middle" – 4:43
- "Free Love" (7" Classic Mix) – 4:11
- "Tell Me" – 4:26
- "Force of Nature" – 4:21
- "Save It" – 5:30
- "Again" – 4:00
- "Natural Thing" – 4:19
- "September" – 4:11
- "Eyes of a Child" – 5:05
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart (OCC)[7] | 65 |
References
[edit]- ^ Gallucci, Michael. "Natural Thing - Juliet Roberts". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Album Reviews: Dance". Billboard. Vol. 106. Issue 17. 23 April 1994.
- ^ a b Campbell, Chuck (6 May 1994). "Date With Smithereens' Is No Dream". Knoxville News Sentinel.
- ^ a b Jones, Alan (26 March 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 15. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ Spencer, Neil (3 April 1994). "Pop Releases". The Observer.
- ^ AH (April 1994). "New Albums: Soundbites". Select. p. 92. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ "Juliet Roberts - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
External links
[edit]- Natural Thing at Discogs (list of releases)