Carousel is an album by the Jamaican musician Marcia Griffiths, released in 1990.[2][3] It was her first solo album for Mango Records.[4]

The album peaked at No. 26 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart.[5] "Electric Boogie", which was originally a hit in 1982, peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6][5] Griffiths promoted the album by touring with the Reggae Sunsplash festival.[7][8]

"Electric Boogie" is credited with popularizing the Electric Slide.[9]

Production

Recorded in Florida, the album was produced by Rafael Vigil, Lawrence Dermer, and Joe Galdo.[6] "Electric Boogie" was written by Bunny Wailer in 1976; the album contains a house-influenced dub remix of the track.[9][10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Calgary Herald	C–[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[13]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide	[14]

The Boston Globe wrote that Griffiths "drops reggae in favor of a high-tech disco/R&B sound."[15] The Washington Post praised the "radical electro-calypso reworking" of the album's cover songs.[10] The Calgary Herald concluded that "people with happy feet may like this, but reggae fans need not apply."[12] The Advocate stated that "despite the lavish production, the tracks don't sound repetitive ... Approaching Carousel with the knowledge that its not a real reggae record, it turns out to be a winner."[16]

The Austin American-Statesman noted that "it all carries a sort of progressive, Jamaican, middle-of-the-road pop sound guaranteed to offend hard-core reggae fans ... But it may well serve as a crossover point, if admittedly a diluted and somewhat dubious one, for a new audience."[17] The Gazette determined that the "production is all too slick and awash with processed horns and synthesizers ... Yet the collection is also exuberant."[9] The Dallas Morning News thought that Griffiths's "innate sense of rhythm serves her well in the various contexts she sets up."[18]

Track listing

References