Underrated R&B Albums Of The 90's...What The F*ck Made Y'all Sleep On Them?!
Nov 04 '03 (Updated Jun 25 '04)
The Bottom Line These are albums that, if you don't have them, will make you wonder why the f*ck you don't. I promise.
I love making lists. Even though it's really f*cking hard. I've recently spent a lot of time listening to older records. Lately, the music scene, R&B and hip-hop, hasn't really moved me. I personally feel like the good artists on the scene right now, including Dwele, Anthony Hamilton, Keith Murray, aren't visible enough. It made me think about all the albums that I have that people are always shocked I own and then, upon listening, want to burn copies for themselves.
LONG PREAMBLE
The 90's was a divergent time for R&B. If you are a member of my generation you could easily have fallen into 2 camps. Either you were a throwback who believes black music fell off forever after Marvin was shot and Al Green gave himself fully to the lord (side note--how ILL is it that Al Green is makin' music again?!!!) and will never recover or you were of the mind that Teddy Riley was the ILLEST n*gga alive.
Teddy Riley is arguably the single most important force in black music of the past 25 years. And like many who create a sound (in this case, new jack swing), his catalogue vacillates between being severely dated, not very good, and outstanding. So don't expect to see BLACKstreet's Another Level on this list. When someone like Quincy Jones says it contains the best engineered vocals he's ever heard, you pretty much don't get to be underrated. Teddy's work is under appreciated, yes, but rarely underrated.
But the point is, much of 90's R&B was mired in cheap knockoffs of the new jack swing sound. And like much of any trend you can name, few if any people ever made a truly great new jack swing album. New jack swing has the unpleasant distinction of being, primarily, a singles driven genre. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s one of the criticisms leveled at it in cultural criticism of late, in an attempt to diminish its impact and its creativity. That being said, Keith Sweat (I'll Give All My Love to You) is the only one to really pull off the feat of creating a truly great new jack swing album., and that was in 1990.
It can be argued that SWV (It's About Time) and Mary J Blige (What's The 411?) made the best new jack swing albums and it'd be a valid argument.
But the rise of the black owned or black A&R'd labels flooded the market with new jack swing. It made just about everyone tired of the trend by the time BLACKstreet's first album was released in 1994. No one will concede that it was the last, and strongest, new jack swing album proper. Even though it is. However, by then, producers like Dave Jam Hall, Chucky Thompson and Devante Swing started to make more interesting music that had elements of new jack swing, but was really far reaching in its craft than Teddy would have allowed himself at the time.
Sad fact about new jack swing was that much of it was artful, messy posturing. Creative, yes, but rarely truly great music on the whole. But interestingly, much of what was good about the 90's was the music that attempted to be different than just singin' over "hip-hop beats" (a demonizing classification of a style much more complex, but I digress). There was a return to acoustic instruments (read: soul) as well as a healthy dose of sampling.
The 90’s saw a return to what mainstream mags like Vibe or Rolling Stone would later call "neo soul" from the likes of Tony Toni Toné, Brand New Heavies, Tony Rich, etc. This music was funky, kinetic, and often times socially relevant. And since the 90's were such a volatile time racially, any music that even entertained social relevance automatically got a certain amount of kudos from people over 35.
But the flip side of this resurgence of soul music is buppie culture really did rule the roost, so to speak. Afraid to rock the affirmative action-provided boat, they latched onto everything going that didn't make us look bad. And so on some level, purists were right to be skeptical of the "neo soul" movement. Most of the early stuff was derivative, passionate and moving, but lacking in a decided unique identity. But for instance, the D'Angelo album, Brown Sugar, was so far reaching in its scope and so damn listenable, that you almost forgot that the man had yet to find his own style or identity. The exception to this rule is Tony Toni Toné’s Sons Of Soul which I contend is one of the best albums of the last 20 years. Yet, despite being credited with spearheading the “neo-soul’ movement, Tony Toni Toné are still considered a cheap Sly rip-off.
This lack of an original identity is the biggest criticism of this strain of music in the nineties. As much as purists hated Teddy (and his less talented copycats), few could argue with the ingenuity and grace that his best works showcased. Teddy was an original and many of these "soulsters" were considered derivative wannabes.
In fact, this strain didn't start to pick up creative, commercial, and critical momentum until D'Angelo and Erykah Badu released their albums in the late 90's. And ironically, every major label release since 1997 fitting, even loosely, into this strain has been met with a fervor and critical lauding so extreme it makes the drubbing Tony Toni Toné (and most of their contemporaries) received all the more baffling and ridiculous. To this day, DAngelo and Jill Scott are reigning supreme as the saviors of music by purists, despite the lackluster stench of overreaching and, sometimes, indecipherable music in their work.
THE POINT OF THE PREAMBLE--Picking The List
I don't really fall into any of these camps, but interestingly, I am of the mind that on a good day Teddy Riley can write a song better than anyone of his generation. The man is a genius and as such there is a fine line between genius work and genius attempt. He's wildly inconsistent, (occasionally) frighteningly misogynistic, and damn good fun.
So of course now you wanna know what kind of albums I put on this list and why.
The first thing I did was remove any albums that I truly think are derivative and tried to remove albums that were just interesting and enjoyable for me as an exercise in nostalgia. As such Jodeci's Forever My Lady, INTRO's self titled 1993 debut, and Silk's entire catalogue (although their Keith Sweat produced debut, Lose Control is a very good album) didn't make the cut, although they were all on my preliminary list.
Devante Swing, it should be noted, is perhaps the single most maligned and underrated artist of his generation. But Forever My Lady, as a production showcase, is a mess. The vocals are muddy and K-Ci's oversinging makes the album (unintentionally) hilarious in retrospect.
The second criterion was that there had to be something distinctive or interesting that might explain why the album was unfairly maligned or ignored, critically and commercially. So while I really think Patti Labelle's Burnin is still overlooked, it did win a Grammy so it looses out. And I left out Keith Sweat's catalogue because I think he gets his due critically (though, by no means is he commercially where he deserves to be).
The last criterion was simple. The album had to be memorable for me. It had to have a "timeless" quality that most albums lack. The work needed to shout the arrival of the artist. Or confirm what earlier work only hinted at. And most importantly, it needed to be an album in the classic sense of that term. It needed to be complete, cohesive, thoughtfully tracked (so exec producers are pivotal influences). For this reason Brownstone's From The Bottom Up (a gorgeous yet uneven record) and very good work by acts like Blackgirl, Shanice, and Tracie Spencer although quite good, don't make the cut, because, frankly, their voices are way better than the material. Tragically, but interestingly from a theoretical viewpoint, this is a common occurrence with many of the younger acts and vocal groups.
so...
FINALLY-The List
11. VANESSA WILLIAMS--The Comfort Zone
Vanessa Williams is maligned for two very valid, but overarching, reasons. One, her phrasing is far too stagy and melodramatic and two she put Save The Best For Last on us.
As such, the fact that this is one of the most cohesive pop/R&B albums in recent memory is overlooked. What is immediately noticeable about this album is the attempts to do new things. Her covers of Etta James' What Can I Tell My Heart and the Isley Brothers' Work To Do are incredible. Both give her a chance to rework classic songs, and by extension, hone her interpretive powers.
But what stands out on this album, for me, are two songs that get buried amongst some of the clutter. Strangers Eyes is a beguiling, haunting ode to being watched, stalked even. It's incredible. And the other is You Gotta Go, her stunning mid-tempo duet with Brian McKnight before he became just another lukewarm balladeer and wannabe thug. Both songs allow Vanessa to loosen up and really interpret the songs in interesting ways.
10. ADINA HOWARD--Do You Wanna Ride?
Women in the 90's got real freaky. It was like every Gen-X girl had a Millie Jackson record in their bedroom. But Adina Howard has something that few other women have.
A real voice!
Hers is probably one of the purest voices to emerge in the 90's. It's a shame that critics looked past it. The critic on Allmusic.com said her voice was "limited" and the conservative rag, Washington Post, did an entire article on her sexual frankness, overlooking her voice and album completely, while the Chicago Sun-Times manages to make the case that her voice is her greatest asset, albeit somewhat grudgingly.
She does a killer version of Rene and Angela's You Don't Have To Cry with Michael Speaks. It's infinitely better than Kenny and Chante's more recent version.
But what makes the album stand out is that Adina manages to flip the sexuality and make it merely an extension of a real desire to be loved. Most notably, the standout track Horny For Your Love, equates sexual longing with longing for love...its very subtle and easy to miss.
Without a doubt Adina's debut is a stellar piece of work and I'd put it in the top 20 albums released in the 90's.
9. SHAI--Blackface
The vocal groups of the mid 90's were largely interchangeable. The music was the same, the look was similar, and the harmonies were mostly good, but uninspiring. Shai is the group that stood out. They seemed to call the heavens with their harmonies.
But Blackface was not the album that most people remember and that is the problem. It took 3 years for it to be released and by the time it was (in 1995), Shai was old news. One-hit wonders.
The sad thing is that Blackface is infinitely more assured and accomplished a record than if I ever fall in love. It is arguably the best male vocal group recording of the 90's, but you'll disagree because you haven't heard it. From the astonishingly soulful, Falling, the smooth sexiness of Mr. Turn U Out, to the pseudo funk of The Place Where You Belong, Shai sings with a barely constrained passion that is astonishing.
8. MONIFAH--Moods...moments
Along with Adina Howard, Monifah is one of the purest voices to emerge in the 90's. But where as Adina could make something of the sexuality on her record, Monifah's later recordings sound cheap and tawdry. Nothing more.
But her debut, largely written and produced by Heavy D, is quite storm soul at its most impressive. There is no other record of the 90's like it and for that, Monifah should be proud.
She does a great version of The Commodores' Jesus Is Love, but for my money the throaty soul of You Should Have Told Me, that album's should-be-classic standout, makes it clear that Monifah came in the game making mood music, sex music...for adults.
7. PEBBLES--Straight From The Heart
Ahh Pebbles...
As a prepubescent boy, Pebbles was poster material. Not much of a musician or vocalist, but great poster material.
And then she became well-known for the TLC turmoil, which is beside the point here. And yet in the midst of that chaos, Pebbles went into the studio and crafted one of the most astonishing albums of the 90's.
It's astonishing because Pebbles showed no indication in her prior work that she could make an album of this caliber. It's astonishing because the producers, from Puffy to Organized Noize, give her just the right material to fit her range and coax some breathtaking moments from her voice.
Puffy's You is FLAT OUT, one of the best songs he's ever written. Nary a sample or loop to be found, it coasts along on a subtle intensity and a gorgeous vocal from Pebbles. It isn't classic but an indication that when you ain't looking, Puffy (and Pebbles) can make a genuine banger.
She does a decent rendition of Stevie Wonder's I Can't Help It, does a stirring solo writing job with Angel, and finds a way to constantly reinvent her voice into an instrument of silky smooth dexterity.
6. GINUWINE--Ginuwine...The Bachelor
It's really a shame Ginuwine is known for his dancing and body instead of his music. Homeboy can write a damn good melody.
And contrary to popular opinion, it needs to be stated that Timbaland does his most consistent, and emotionally resonant music with his home crew of Missy and Ginuwine and Co.
Everyone yacks and yacks about the cover of Prince’s When Doves Cry, which is stellar, don't get me wrong, but two originals stand as Ginuwine's crowning achievements on this album. Only When Ur Lonely and World Is So Cold display a sensitivity so unabashed that he couldn't recreate it full length until his unfairly maligned The Life album. On these two tracks, Ginuwine sets a precedent for the perfect marriage of sharp R&B lyricism and a Tim beat. Few, if any, have duplicated it. Period.
Ginuwine has a powerful voice, but he wisely emotes according to the mood of the song as opposed to just belting out. When he lets go, the song soars to another plain. Few else have used their voice so thoughtfully in service of the song.
5. TEVIN CAMPBELL--Back To The World
Making the transition from child singer to adult singer is just really f*cking hard. Why sugar coat it? Tevin Campbell is a singer in the real sense. I'm talking Luther, Teddy, R., kinda mold. He's incredible.
But his first two albums were expressly for squealing adolescents. Back To The World gave then-19 year old Tevin a chance to sing some grown up material that didn't pander to adults or children. It was just some good contemporary soul
Puffy again crafts some of his best work with You Don't Have To Worry (shockingly, co-written by Total...who'da thunk?). It's so astonishingly haunting and sexy that for a long time I wouldn't tell people who wrote it. That's how much I loathe Puffy. That's how much this song goes toward making me look like a common hater.
But this is a showcase for vocals, y'all. Tevin is a first rate singer. He can make cloying sh*t like Babyface's Could You Learn To Love sound like straight soul.
He's gifted. He turns the stellar contributions of Rahsaan Patterson, the Crouches, etc into stunning triumphs of pure emotive singing. The album should be a teaching tool for singing. But the hyperbole is selling the album short.
It's just f*cking great!
4. JON B--Cool Relax
I just don't understand the world, y'all. Feel me? Why is Justin Timberlake given free reign to torture my soul when all y'all need is to pick up a jon b record.
jon b is without question the most underrated R&B singer of the 90's. No arguments, kids. The man writes a song from scratch; bassline, gorgeous melody complete with emotionally resonant chord progressions and chord changes, and then he can give you a bridge, like on the stunning standout Can We Get Down. He's a premier balladeer and off the top of my head (well not really, but it's an expression y'all) I Do, Let Me Know, I Ain't Goin' Out, and Don't Say establish Jon as, well, the man.
And he worked with Tupac, The Ummah, Tim and Bob..these are artists, y'all. And not lightweight ones. It doesn't happen often that R&B is this deceptively complex and smooth at the same time. Jon puts you in the bedroom, the coffee house, and the corner with your boys all at once.
3. PLAYA--Cheers 2 U
Playa are the bomb! The sh*t! The kind of singers that make you wanna go to church to see if everybody sangs like that.
These brothas make singin bout sex the transcendent experience it should be. With Cheers 2 U they unabashedly and confidently sing about sex with the soul and passion usually reserved for God, Buddha, and dem. From the understated soul of All The Way and Top Of The World to the deceptively layered vocals on the title track and I-65. I-65 is a goin-home-for-some-cookin-and-family/friends kinda soul song that you just don't hear anymore. And it has the most gripping bridge.
Static has gone on to write for Tank and Aaliyah, members of that Timbaland crew that everyone likes to cite as inventive, but never promote or purchase like they should. Playa are first rate songwriters and the sequencing of Cheers 2 U is astonishing starting with the declaration Don't Stop The Music, journeying through various sexual and romantic settings and metaphors and arriving at the more frank I Gotta Know with Foxy dropping a good, if completely unrelated, verse.
Playa's album is the kind of album that purists and Teddy-philes could love if they could think outside the proverbial box. With elements of "real" sanging and contemporary production courtesy of Timbaland, Playa should have blown up. But at first their vocal style can seem discordant with the production. And in 1997 when it was released, folks wasn't ready. This same sound is everywhere now with Tim producing for every R&B artist you can name.
It's a shame. No one should sing over a Tim beat but Aaliyah, G and Playa...or more accurately, no one can make efficient and strident use of a Tim beat like Aaliyah, G and Playa. Call it organic..or whatever, but it's a simple fact.
2. RAHSAAN PATTERSON--Rahsaan Patterson and Love In Stereo
This is cheating, yes. But I couldn't decide which was more underrated, Rahsaan Patterson's eponymous debut or it's slightly more superior follow-up, Love In Stereo.
Both are reminiscent of Stevie Wonder in his most musical phases. Both feature gorgeous vocal production, in particular Stereo's Sure Boy doesn't let you know the vocals are so layered until the 4th or 5th listen, it's just so damn moving, you don't pay attention.
That's Rahsaan, he refuses to let you know how damn good he is and perhaps that is why no one has seen him. He doesn't seem concerned with the business, he doesn't really promote or do interviews. And Randy Jackson exec produced Love In Stereo and if ever there was an A&R/producer who was more obscure (until recently that is) let me know. Between the two of them disappearing became an artform. I can't remember a single bit of promotion.
Sometimes quality like this needs to be forced down the throats of the masses. It's for their own good.
1. XSCAPE--Off The Hook
You know that feeling you get when you hear Aretha Franklin sing? You know that feeling when you hear Dylan, Hendrix, Lennon, Stevie, Marvin?
I'm talking bout when you hear voices that make it sound like the song belongs in their mouths. I have a hard time believing there is a female vocal group that fits this description over Xscape. They cut to the core of the emotion and bypass the other sh*t.
I don't wanna gush too much. But Off The Hook is in the top 5, for me, of R&B albums of the 90's. And I'd place it high in a list of all time. It's songwriting perfection. Jermaine Dupri is a songwriter y'all. Not a producer. It's unfortunate that he markets himself as a producer/rapper, when the man can right a pure soul song with the best of em. His Hard To Say Goodbye and Do Like Lovers Do make you know that pleasing Xscape, in any way, is a feat. These girls are assured, sensual, and powerful. You can feel it and JD doesn't allow them to oversing, instead getting them to play off the contrasts in their voices. Tiny and Tocha do it to stunning effect on Do You Want To and any voice combined with Kandi's husky alto is tailor made for the bedroom.
London's The Guardian trashed it, calling the girls little more than "session singers". The Source and Vibe loved it, but it doesn't really matter. Xscape never reached the global and pop relevance of En Vogue and considering they possessed equally good voices and better material makes the world just plain unfair.
This album is perfection. Pure and simple.
TO SUM UP
Go get these joints!! Now. I give you leave to go! Peace.
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