Wish the late comedian
Phil Hartman was still around for a lot of reasons, but especially so he could deliver his patented "Sassy!" after every track on
Mis-Teeq's American debut. On one hand it's a shame Yanks had to wait three years to get their groove on with these three fabulous women. On the other hand, the album does away with some limp filler by picking the best tracks from the group's two U.K. releases,
Lickin' on Both Sides and
Eye Candy. Better yet, slick remixes are chosen over lesser album versions, making this a Mis-Teeq mixtape that album owners might want to check. Lyrics are light but lively, swaggering but not standoffish, and maybe a little more risqué and hedonistic than parents would like. Production is where the album really shines. Whenever producers
StarGate or
Mushtaq are at the controls it's stunning, and when
Starship gives "All I Want" the garage treatment you can't help but dance. The bits of garage -- the totally British blending of drum & bass beats with an urban-pop sheen -- are overblown in the band's press releases, but the genre's nocturnal-cool bravado is obvious throughout the album and a welcome alternative to the stale thuggish stomps and crunk shouts dominating America.
Joe's minor contribution is barely worth mentioning, but
Baby Cham's appearance is a winner as he tries to seduce these neva-gonna-get-it gals. Check the original albums and you'll find Mis-Teeq aren't as versatile and cunning as sweet-harmony sistas
En Vogue. Think about how
the Spice Girls would have benefited from this doing-away-with-dreck format and drop the laser anywhere for top-notch, boisterous fun.
![Field of Dreams [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0012416306027_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Field of Dreams [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
![One More from the Road [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0008811265724_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "One More from the Road [Deluxe Edition]")
![Live at Leeds [Bonus Tracks]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0008811121525_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Live at Leeds [Bonus Tracks]")
