Gerald Levert - Groove On (RNB)

1. Groove On 

 2. Rock Me (All Nite Long) 

 3. Let The Juices Flow 

 4. I'd Give Anything 

 5. Answering Service 

 6. Someone 

 7. How Many Times 

 8. Can't Help Myself 

 9. Have Mercy 

 10. Same Place, Same Time 

 11. Nice & Wet 

 12. Love Street 

 The late great Gerald Levert was undoubtedly one of contemporary R&B's best male vocalists. This 1994 release was (for my taste) his most enjoyable solo CD. The David Foster-produced, Adult Contemporary-influenced Soul ballad "I'd Give Anything" was this CD's big hit but it (sadly) failed to cross over onto the Pop charts. Nonetheless, this CD is chock-full of romantic Urban Soul ballads that should appeal equally to both fans of 1970s and '80s R&B as well as contemporary music fans. Like the late and equally missed Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hayes and Barry White, Gerald Levert was a balladeer par excellence and his music will be cherished forever.

Ralph Tresvant - Ralph Tresvant (RNB)

1. Rated R 

2. Sensitivity 

3. She's My Love Thang 

4. Stone Cold Gentleman 

5. Do What I Gotta Do 

6. Love Hurts 

7. Girl I Can't Control It 

8. Love Takes Time 

9. Public Figure (Ordinary Guy) 

10. Last Night 

11. I Love You (Just For You) 

12. Alright Now 

13. Sensitivity 

14. Sensitivity (Ralph's Rap) 

 Ralph Tresvant is undoubtedly one of the most attractive, smooth heartthrobs in the music industry. He has this subtle sexiness about himself that women just can't deny. Further, he also has a very nice singing voice. Hey, he wasn't New Edition's lead singer for nothing! His self-titled debut, although solid, is more of a hit and miss than anything. The best songs on this album are memorable, but his more lackluster tracks really brought the album down. His biggest missteps were his rapping and that a lot of the material on his debut sound dated, with so much of the New Jack sound infused. The New Jack sound is all over the tracks "Ordinary Guy (Public Figure)", "She's My Love Thang" and "Girl I Can't Control It." "Girl I Can't Control" is one of the weaker songs on Ralph's debut. The lyrics are corny and the production sounds like it was created within five minutes. Vocally, though, he sounds good. "Ordinary Guy (Public Figure)" is a decent song. Ralph needs to leave the rapping to the rappers, but the rap on this song? The lyrics are good. He's letting everyone who doubts him know that he is very intelligent and can do more than just hold a note. "Rated R" is the opening track, however, it's also the weakest track on the album. The production samples James Brown, he is once again rapping and there are these annoying women in the background. He definitely could have opened his album better than he did. Ralph really had a hit on his hands with "Sensitivity". This song was a hit when it was released and it's no wonder: The lyrics are fantastic, the vocal arrangement is great, and the production is good too. This is overall a superb song. "Alright Now" is another great song. This song was co-written by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Ralph makes a great rendition of this song, and I found myself going back to listen to it several times because it's just that good. "Do What I Gotta Do" emotes a lot of pain and uncertainty. Here, Ralph is deciding whether or not he wants to end a relationship. He brings much personality to his voice in this song. "Do What I Gotta Do" is one of Ralph's all-time best songs. Overall, this is a solid album. Ralph Tresvant is a truly talented artist and should be recognized for his vocal skills. This album is worth investing in.

Mary J Blige - What's the 411 Remix Album (RNB)

1. Leave A Message

 2. You Don't Have To Worry

 3. My Love

 4. Real Love

 5. What's The 411?

 6. Reminisce

 7. Mary & Andre

 8. Sweet Thing

 9. Love No Limit

 10. You Remind Me

 11. Changes I've Been Going Through

 12. I Don't Want To Do Anything 

 Of course, the Queen of Hip Hop Soul got her start with What's the 411? in 1992 along with a blowout single 'Real Love' that proved she wasn't just an ordinary R&B singer. With famed success, of course we knew that she'd release a remix CD for her hit album (common back in the day) a year later to create a teaser for her November 1994 album 'My Life', which was evident from Diddy repeatin 'In 94, we got somethin new 4 yo azz'. All the remixes are the bomb, especially with teaser beats on the beginning of 'Real Love' & 'Love No Limit'. Mary also has appearances from Heavy D, Biggie Smalls, Sean Combs, Grand Puba, Craig Mack, & her alter-ego Blige J. Blige. They replaced Intro Talk & Slow Down with You Don't Have to Worry & Slow Down, which is kinda weird seeing as Mary/Andre is kinda useless & you could just have 13 tracks instead of 12. Nonetheless, my favorite is Changes I've Been Going Through which has a better beat than the original & the pain in Mary's voice is so tender. Hardcore fans this is for you. New fans, I'd recommend that you get this album, the original CD, & My Life seeing as the 1991-1996 period was her best experience.

Dwele - Subject (RNB/Soul)

1. Poppa Yo (Intro)

 2. Truth

 3. Find A Way

 4. Twuneanunda

 5. A.N.G.E.L. (Interlude)

 6. Day At A Time

 7. Subject

 8. Sho Ya Right

 9. Money Don't Mean A Thing

 10. Hold On

 11. Kick Out Of You

 12. Without You

 13. Whoomp (Interlude)

 14. Lady At Mahogany

 15. A.N.G.E.L. (Reprise)

 16. Let Your Hair Down 

 One-man show Dwele’s debut, Subject, comes correct with neo-soul staples in place. That is to say, there are enough acoustic guitars, stacked harmony vocals, mid-tempo grooves, and sound effects of scratchy vinyl to power an old-school symposium. What the Detroit-bred associate of backpack-rappers Slum Village lacks in depth, he makes up for in sheer summer-ready listenability. Dwele’s genre could be called neo-neo-soul; he seems to owe as much to the foundations laid down by D’Angelo as to obvious idol Stevie Wonder. While lacking the idiosyncrasies of those artists, Dwele manages to slide out of the speakers with enough skills to convince a casual listener to let the languid mood take over. Subject’s title track is its most fully imagined; the needle-on-record gambit that obscures its likable chorus could actually be heard as a conceptual gambit rather than a mere irritation. Elsewhere, Dwele piles on the quiet-storm stuff so masterfully that he sows confusion, while at least seemingly hoping to settle down with one conquest. Vision is hardly up to talent here, but for now, Dwele gets a pass on winning sonics alone.

Mint Condition - Definition of a Band (RNB)

1. Definition Of A Band

 2. Change Your Mind

 3. You Don't Have To Hurt No More

 4. Gettin' It On

 5. What Kind Of Man Would I Be

 6. Let Me Be The One

 7. Definition Of A Band

 8. Ain't Hookin' Me Up Enough

 9. Funky Weekend

 10. I Want It Again

 11. On & On

 12. The Never That You'll Never Know

 13. Asher In Rio

 14. Raise Up

 15. On & On (Reprise)

 16. Sometimes

 17. Missing

 18. If It Wasn't For Your Love 

 Throughout the 90's most artists in R&B,even famed legacy artists with a huge influence on the music scene were being forced to be pigeonhold into one or several catagories in order to survive. During the time this album was recorded you basically had two options:neo soul or some varient of hip-hip/R&B and it's a state in the R&B,soul and funk world that fifteen years on has yet to be improved upon to any serious degree. This Minneapolis sextet put the city into relevenece on the music scene for the 90's the same way that Prince did for the 80's and Mary Tyler Moore did in the 70's. One reviewer wisely put it that while Mint Conditions main claim to fame was the use of live instrumentation. Well...so what?We heard that before with The Roots and Toni Toni Tone. The question is in a musical environment that was totally dominated by very commercial styles of hip-hop based R&B that was sounding predictable what use was it to have strong instrumental skills anyway since the commercial enviroment worked against you? This album finds itself in that same situation. Cover art flaunting their instrumental nature aside a good bulk of this album,about half actually is unoffensive but rather generic sounding hip-hop/R&B that,frankly sounds as if it could've been made by anyone. There's nothing wrong with songs like "Change Your Mind" and "Gettin' It On" but these songs could've been ten other songs from ten other artists in the mid 90's structurally. Interestingly enough the bands instrumental ability finds the most creativity in their interludes,similar to EWF although that band was thriving in such a more creatively stimulating commercial music environment no one noticed as much with them likely. "Asher In Rio" and the title opener,with their jazzy latin flavors are the best of them and should've been worked into more full songs. In terms of sheer funkiness this album really breaks out on "Funky Weekend",which does show their strong groove potential outside the hip-hop relm with it's bass oriented rhythms while "Raise Up" and "Missing" have some wonderully progressive jazz style chord sequences. Even the majority of the more commerical of these songs have some excellent instrumental turns on piano and sax I cannot say this is an absolutely terrible album but one with an ear towards well produced live instrumentation can tell this band could and still can do a whole lot more than they do. Perhaps it was the need to be commercially relevent in their time,which meant sticking like glue to some variet of hip-hop styling. And I am not bashing the last two decades of music here even if I don't feel it was at all creatively stimulating as what came before. In the end Mint Condition became mainly based on a slogan and there are many of them:"they're such great singers" and,in their case "they play REAL music". And as we're finding out more and more,even in past decades all the live instrumentation and production in the world will never take the place of innovative,forward thinking songcraft and harmonic sophistication. I truely believe from what I hear on this album Mint Condition have that in spades but they try to keep up with the times and the result is a sound the underscores their own abilities as a result. Suppose it all depends on what your looking for in modern R&B.

Al B Sure - In Effect Mode (RNB)

1. Nite And Day 

 2. Oooh This Love Is So 

 3. Killing Me Softly 

 4. Naturally Mine 

 5. Rescue Me 

 6. Off On Your Own (Girl) 

 7. If I'm Not Your Lover 

 8. Just A Taste Of Lovin' 

 9. Noche Y Dia 

 "In Effect Mode" was released in 1988, the year in which New Jack Swing was starting to bloom, but to call this album merely a New Jack record is to do both the LP and Al B. Sure a disservice. It's more than a great album-- it's a textbook lesson on how an r&b record is done. A CD with a mere 8 tracks with no samples is pretty unthinkable in today's creatively bankrupt music climate, but "In Effect Mode" is a triumph of quality over quantity. Sure sings these songs in an impressive style that distinguishes smooth from slick; the ballad "Ooh This Love Is So" is faultless and honey-smooth, while the hit single "Night and Day" still sounds like it could have been recorded in 1998 and not 1988. But just when you think Sure can't top himself, we move on to the second half of the disc, which gets more uptempo. "Rescue Me" and "Off On Your Own Girl" are New Jack at their finest; the beats still have bite and the rhythm has roll. "In Effect Mode" is a stroke of r&b brilliance that many of today's upstarts would do cartwheels to achieve. It's a collection of finely crafted jams that serve as a reminder of how records used to be made.

Saunders Sermons - Classic Delight (RNB)

1. Day Dreaming

 2. Don't You Understand

 3. Straighten Up and Fly Right

 4. I Need

 5. Gee Baby, Aint I Good To You?

 6. In A Sentimental Mood

 7. Most Beautiful 

 That's 5 "U Betta Go Boy's!" out of 5! Classy, classy, classy! He deserves to be heard! There's nothing like the execution of REAL musicianship cohesive with REAL stylistic vocalization, especially since it is so prevalent for young, "so-called musicians" today, to bestow the contrary! Utilizing a smooth, sensual, whispery, 'Lovely Lana Luna' on The Jetsons, media advertisement voice, I would say, "Silky Saunders Sermons the Second, "Classic Delight". Get yours today, right away and don't delay!

Luther Vandross - Never Too Much ( RNB, Soul )

1. Never Too Much

2. Sugar And Spice (I Found Me A Girl

3. Don't You Know That?

4. I've Been Working

5. She's A Super Lady

6. You Stopped Loving Me

7. A House Is Not A Home

With this 1981 debut, former session and jingle singer Luther Vandross ushered in a new, lush, and shamelessly romantic era of male R&B--from the opening kick of "Never Too Much" to the sweeping ecstasy of his cover of "A House Is Not a Home" (covering pop standards would become one of Luther's trademarks). Never Too Much showcases seamless song craft, impeccable arrangements, and a voice that defines nuanced passion. Listen to Luther work his sensual magic and imagine a young Maxwell listening to Mom and Pop's albums and knowing that this is the way to get the girls.

R.I.P.

Tony! Toni! Toné! - House Of Music ( Soul, RnB )

1. Thinking Of You
2. Top Notch
3. Let's Get Down
4. Til Last Summer
5. Lovin' You
6. Still A Man
7. Don't Fall In Love
8. Holy Smokes & Gee Whiz
9. Annie May
10. Let Me Know
11. Tossin' & Turnin'
12. Wild Child
13. Party Don't Cry
14. Lovin' You


House of Music is the fourth and thus far final studio album by R&B group, Tony! Toni! Toné!. It was released on November 19, 1996 for Mercury Records and was produced by Tony! Toni! Toné!, Quik, Tracy Riley and Tim Riley. Though the album was a success, peaking at #32 on the Billboard 200 and #10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and being certified platinum, the album only had two charting single "Thinking of You" made it to #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100, another single "Lets Get Down" made it to 6 on the Rhythmic Top 40.

DeBarge - In A Special Way ( Soul, Funk, RnB )

1. Be My Lady
2. Stay With Me
3. Time Will Reveal
4. Need Somebody
5. Love Me In A Special Way
6. Queen Of My Heart
7. Baby, Won't Cha Come Quick 4:35 $0.99
8. I Give Up On You 3:46 $0.99
9. A Dream

 

In A Special Way is a 1983 album released by family singing group DeBarge released on the Gordy label.
Produced, by El DeBarge and the writing credits varying from El, Marty, James and Bunny, the album reached gold after the releases of the following singles "Time Will Reveal" and "Love Me In a Special Way", which hit number one on the Billboard R&B and adult contemporary singles chart respectively.
The album is most memorable for not only its singles but album tracks such as "Stay with Me" (led by El DeBarge) and "A Dream" (sung and penned by sister Bunny). The album has been regarded by some critics as a "classic" in the family group's catalog.

Musiq - Juslisen ( Soul, RnB )

1. Intro
2. Newness
3. Caughtup
4. Stopplayin
5. Religious
6. Babygirl
7. Halfcrazy
8. Time
9. Future
10. Intermission
11. Realove
12. Onenight
13. Previouscats
14. Solong
15. Bestfriend
16. Dontchange
17. Motherfather
18. Something

 

Taalib Johnson (born September 16, 1977) better known by his stage name Musiq Soulchild or Musiq is a soul artist whose style blends contemporary R&B, soul, funk, alternative, blues, jazz and hip hop.
The second album from Philadelphia's Musiq keeps the quality level high, mixing equal parts Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, and D'Angelo to good effect. Musiq's voice has noticeably matured--the puppy edge of Aijuswanaseing is gone--resulting in a rich tone that reflects a stylistic progression in his music. He's also expanded into new areas, including a slight touch of bossa nova on the excellent "Half Crazy." Meanwhile, "Caught Up" and "Religious" have a late-'80s Big Daddy Kane and Public Enemy feel, heralding a tougher hip-hop sound than the spangle-eyed, jelly-kneed love paeans Musiq included on the first album (such as "Girl Next Door" and "143"). Having said that, Aijuswanaseing remains the essential Musiq starting point, as there's little here that matches the genius of "Speechless" or "You Be Alright." But for those who want to hear the sound of an artist growing up, Juslisen is required listening.
Musiq states “I like to make music that means something to people, nowadays there are so many categories and labels, I just wanna make music that matters!”